Payroll Specialist

Job Description

Payroll Specialist

Corporate Services - Human Resources

Status: (1) Regular Full TimeHiring Range: $94,455 - $106,262 per annumWork Mode: Hybrid (see below for more details about this work mode)Location: 7120 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, ONHours of Work: 35 hours per week, with occasional extended hours during peak periods

Build a Career with Purpose. Help Create a Community for Life.

At Peel Region, our people make a difference every day. From public health and paramedic services to housing, childcare, long-term care, and community supports, our employees help create healthy, safe, and connected communities.

As part of our Human Resources team, the Payroll Specialist plays a critical role in ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time so they can focus on delivering essential services to residents across Peel Region. This is more than payroll administration. It is an opportunity to contribute to employee experience, operational excellence, and the trust that supports our workforce.

Guided by our values of Inclusion, Collaboration, Care, Transparency, and Leadership, you will work closely with colleagues across Human Resources, Finance, and operational divisions to deliver accurate payroll services, provide trusted expertise, and continuously improve processes that support over 7,000 employees.

If you are passionate about payroll excellence, enjoy solving complex problems, and want to contribute to an organization committed to building a Community for Life, we'd love to hear from you.

Why Join Human Resources at Peel Region?

At Peel Region, HR is more than a support function. Through our ONEHR approach, we work together as trusted advisors and strategic partners, delivering innovative people solutions that strengthen the employee experience and help our organization serve the community.

Joining our Payroll team means becoming part of a collaborative group of professionals who are committed to service excellence, continuous improvement, accountability, and creating positive experiences for employees at every stage of their journey.

What You Will Do in This Role

• Lead payroll reconciliation activities, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of payroll funding, bank reconciliations and troubleshooting and making adjustments for any reconcilable items, General Ledger postings, and payroll-related financial reporting and statutory reporting.
• Provides expert guidance and advice on the development and implementation of payroll relating to the development and implementation of accounting and finance guidelines, polices and procedures to meet Regional.
• Manage payroll accounting, including tax remittances, account reconciliations, journal entries, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Monitors, identifies and analyzes trends and risks related to payroll auditing.
• Provides expert interpretation on financial and payroll matters such as tax laws, audits, financial reporting.
• Audits and corrects all errors from Employment Insurance (EI) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) deficiencies to invalid social insurance numbers. Investigate the cause of the errors and make any necessary changes and/or corrections.
• Administer and validate payroll processes across all pay groups, including payroll balancing, EFT reconciliations, off-cycle payments, cheque processing, and payroll open and close activities.
• Support year-end payroll activities, including audits, T4/T4A preparation and filling to CRA, pension reporting, error resolution, and statutory filings.
• Provide payroll expertise and guidance to Payroll Coordinators, internal stakeholders, and business partners while serving as a key resource within the Payroll team.
• Develop and maintain payroll reports, queries, and analytics that support decision-making, compliance, financial accountability, and operational effectiveness.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities, enhancing payroll processes, controls, documentation, and service delivery.
• Partner with Human Resources, Finance, and operational teams to ensure seamless payroll administration and a positive employee experience.
• Act as back-up to the Payroll Manager and support the successful delivery of payroll operations during peak periods and critical business cycles.
• Contribute to special projects, support payroll external audits and other duties as assigned, supporting organizational priorities and team success.

What the Role Requires

Education & Experience

• University degree with specialization in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. Payroll specialization is considered an asset.
• 5-7 years of experience in a complex, computerized payroll environment with a focus on financial and accounting reporting. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Certified Payroll Manager (CPM) designation preferred.

Skills & Knowledge

• Strong understanding of Canadian payroll legislation and compliance
• Strong knowledge of CRA tax regulations, provincial tax laws, tax withholding rules, and year-end reporting requirements.
• Experience with OMERS administration, pension calculations, and year-end pension audits, including Pension Adjustments (PAs).
• Demonstrated expertise in SAP or other enterprise payroll systems.
• Solid knowledge of the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and its application to payroll.
• Experience working in a unionized environment with an understanding of collective agreements and their impact on pay administration.
• Familiarity with Sun Life benefits administration, including setup, deductions, and remittances.
• Strong Accounting and analytical skills, excellent computer background including SAP and ServiceNow, MS office (Word and Excel skills).
• Flexibility and resilience in managing competing priorities within a fast-paced pressure environment.

What Will Help You Succeed

In addition to your technical payroll expertise, you will demonstrate:

• A commitment to accuracy, accountability, and service excellence.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• The ability to build positive relationships and work collaboratively across teams.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills with a focus on supporting employees and stakeholders.
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential and sensitive information.
• A continuous improvement mindset that seeks opportunities to enhance processes, efficiency, and employee experience.

Nice to Have

• Payroll designation considered a strong asset.
• SAP experience considered an asset.
• ServiceNow experience considered an asset.

Grow Your Career While Making an Impact

When you join Peel Region, you become part of a team that values your contributions, supports your growth, and invests in your well-being. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to do their best work.

Whether you're improving payroll processes, supporting employee experiences, or helping ensure the accurate administration of pay and benefits, your work contributes directly to the people who provide essential services across our community.

Total Rewards That Support You

At Peel Region, we believe in taking care of our people. Here's what you can expect:

• Comprehensive Benefits – Health, dental, vision, and psychological health coverage effective from your first day.
• OMERS Pension Plan – Secure your future through one of Canada's leading defined benefit pension plans.
• Generous Vacation – Start with three weeks of vacation and grow from there.
• Personal Days & Floating Holidays – Additional paid time to recharge and take care of what matters most.
• Flexible and Hybrid Work Environment – Supporting work-life balance, collaboration, and employee well-being.
• Performance-Based Growth – Annual performance reviews with merit-based salary increases.
• Inclusive and Respectful Workplace – A culture grounded in our values of Inclusion, Care, Collaboration, Transparency, and Leadership.
• Learning and Development Opportunities – Tuition assistance, professional development, and career growth opportunities to help you reach your full potential.

Join Peel Region

Join a team that cares for its people, values collaboration, embraces innovation, and works together to create a Community for Life.

Bring your expertise. Grow your career. Help us create a Community for Life.

About Us

Peel Region consists of the cities of Brampton and Mississauga, and the town of Caledon. Peel Region delivers essential services to more than 1.5 million residents and approximately 200,000 businesses.

We’re working to create a community that is safe, inclusive, and accessible. A place where everyone feels they belong and can access the services they need to thrive throughout each stage of life.

Our workforce is 6,700 strong and since 1974, we’ve been delivering a wide range of resident focused services. Our services include paramedic services, health programs, long-term care and services for seniors, child care support, garbage collection and recycling, waste water and water treatment, road maintenance, financial assistance, and housing support.

Recognized by Canada's Healthy Workplace Month® with the Great Employer Award presented by Excellence Canada, Peel Region is a place where everyone feels they belong. We strive to develop a workplace that values and respects diversity, practices inclusion, recognizes the unique contributions and abilities of all people and facilitates innovative thinking. At Peel Region, people come first. Each employee has an important role within our community and when we work together, it’s impactful. We encourage you to join us in delivering essential services and programs to our diverse community. You won't find a better opportunity than Peel Region.

Additional Information

Peel Region is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is respected and valued for their contributions, and where everyone is treated fairly and has opportunity to grow and develop. As one of the most diverse regions in Canada, we are committed to establishing a qualified workforce that is reflective of the population we serve.Peel Region is committed to providing accommodations throughout the recruitment process, upon request. If you require accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs. Accessible formats and communication supports are available. Please contact [email protected]

Please be advised, Peel Region uses email to communicate with applicants for open job competitions and does not use AI technology in any part of the recruitment process. It is the applicant’s responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time sensitive correspondence via email (i.e., testing bookings, interview dates), it is imperative that applicants check their email regularly. If we do not hear back from applicants, we will assume that you are no longer interested in the position and your application will be removed from the competition.