Payroll Associate

At BCIT, people are at the heart of everything we do. Guided by our People Plan, Caring for Our People. Strengthening BCIT Together., we are committed to creating an environment where employees can thrive, grow, and feel a genuine sense of belonging. We foster healthy and supportive workplaces, invest in learning and development, strengthen connections across our community, and empower innovation and transformation. With a competitive compensation package, work-life balance, and opportunities for professional growth, BCIT offers a workplace where your contributions matter and your career can flourish. It’s one reason we’ve been recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers for more than a decade.

BCIT’s Financial Services department is seeking a temporary, full-time (1.0 FTE) Payroll Associate. Working as a member of the Payroll & Benefits team, this position is responsible for the accurate processing of payroll and benefit transactions and a variety of related reporting activities in compliance with multiple collective agreements, employer terms and conditions, statutory and legal requirements, and accounting standards, while meeting strict deadlines.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Payroll Operations:

• Completes payroll processes accurately and on time, including updating payroll to the general ledger, processing retro payments, ensuring direct deposit information is sent, and ensuring all reporting deadlines are met.
• Verifies accuracy and completeness of HR data input by reviewing transactions.
• Ensures payroll documentation submitted for processing complies with established BCIT, statutory, multiple collective agreements, and accounting principles, practices, and standards, including system input, report verification, and year-end activities.
• Communicates with employees, managers, and other departments including follow-up when payroll documentation or input is incomplete, inaccurate, or not in compliance.
• Enters all information into payroll system necessary to calculate accurate pay for all employees including determining the need to add, change or delete system codes as required, as well as process short term illness and injury and maternity leave top-up payments.
• Analyzes payroll processing output for accuracy and completeness.
• Prepares off-cycle payroll payments including RRSP transfers. Calculates salary recoveries as required and provides documentation to the Payroll Lead.
• Completes and submits all necessary reporting for internal and external stakeholders such as Records of Employment, amended T4s, and ICBC requests, and garnishees.

Benefits Operations:

• Ensures benefits documentation submitted for processing complies with established BCIT, statutory, and accounting principles, practices, and standards, including system input, report verification, and year-end activities.
• Verifies accuracy and completeness of HR data input by reviewing transactions.
• Communicates with employees, managers, and other departments when benefits documentation or input is incomplete, inaccurate, or not in compliance.
• Enters and updates pertinent information into systems necessary to ensure employees are properly enrolled in all eligible benefits including determining the need to make adds, changes or deletes as required.
• Analyzes benefits output for accuracy and completeness.
• Prepares off-cycle payroll payments. Calculates salary recoveries as required and provides documentation to Payroll Lead.

Finance:

• Prepares and posts journal vouchers as requested.
• Assists Payroll Lead in researching and resolving general ledger account discrepancies.

Year End:

• Ensures that employee information is accurate and up-to-date to meet year end reporting deadlines.

Systems:

• Participates in the implementation of system changes as required.
• Participates in the testing of system upgrades as required.

Miscellaneous:

• Runs reports as required.
• Acts as a resource for issues related to payroll and benefits, including responding to internal and external requests for information and resolving issues. Escalates issues to Payroll Lead when appropriate.
• Assists in maintenance of payroll and benefits manuals.
• Creates and maintains employee payroll files. Ensures confidentiality and security of sensitive employee information.
• Participates in Records Custodian training and remains current with record keeping practices, policies and procedures (both BCIT and FOIPOP).
• Undertakes related duties as assigned, consistent with the job grade of this position.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Definition: The qualifications section for this position was developed using the job evaluation plan. The qualifications represent the minimum qualifications required in the future and do not necessarily reflect the incumbent’s existing qualifications.

Education:

• Grade 12, plus completion of the Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) program through the Canadian Payroll Association. Consideration will be given for the completion of other specialized training courses of up to one year’s duration in payroll, accounting and/or bookkeeping at the post-secondary level.

Experience:

• Two years general business/accounting experience plus up to two years’ practical current experience in a similar computerized payroll and/or benefits position.

Software/Computer Application(s) and Expertise:

• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word and Excel); email and web-based systems.
• Previous experience with ERP systems such as Banner.

Communication/Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong customer focus with demonstrated ability to deal effectively with all levels of staff.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem solving and relationship building skills.
• Ability to work independently and effectively as part of a team.

Administrative Skills:

• Excellent mathematical and organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines, establish priorities, use tact and discretion when working on confidential matters, and show initiative.
• Ability to input data rapidly and accurately.

Benefits – Why you’d love working with us

• Competitive pay
• Minimum of fifteen days of vacation prorated per year
• Competitive employer-paid extended health and dental plan including access to a Health Care Spending Account of up to $325 if eligible!
• Defined benefit pension plan with employer contributions
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements available
• Professional Development funds and resources
• Access to most BCIT Flexible Learning courses free of charge
• Wellness and Employee Assistance programs
• Complimentary membership with free access to the Fitness Centre, Gymnasium, and more
• Eligibility requirements apply, benefits may vary depending on the employee group the position belongs to and whether the position offered is temporary or part-time. For more information on our generous benefits, click here!

BCIT is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring individuals who have been historically underrepresented in our workforce, BCIT, and the larger community. We strongly encourage Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2S/LGBTQIA+ to apply. While all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

Accessibility is an integral part of BCIT’s commitment to equity and inclusion. If you require an accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please Contact us using our contact form. Please note that all applications must be submitted via the careers page portal. Applications submitted through the contact form will not be accepted. For additional information, please visit our frequently asked questions (FAQs) page and learn more about how we hire.


The British Columbia Institute of Technology acknowledges that our campuses are located on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Nations of xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh).

External hires are initially placed at the minimum of the salary range with set progressions to the maximum as per the Collective Agreement. Salary prorated based on percentage and term of appointment.