Reporting to the Director, Finance, the Senior Manager, Payroll and Benefits provides strategic leadership and oversight for the organization’s payroll, benefits, and payroll compliance functions. This role is accountable for ensuring the delivery of accurate, compliant, and efficient payroll services across a complex multi-program, unionized and non-union environment while advancing operational excellence, strengthening internal controls, and supporting the organization’s people and finance strategies. 

The Senior Manager serves as a key partner to Finance, People & Culture, and operational leaders, providing expert guidance on payroll legislation, collective agreement administration, benefits and pension programs, systems optimization, and organizational compliance. 

What you’ll be doing:     

• Oversee the accurate and timely delivery of full-cycle payroll for a large, complex workforce across multiple programs, collective agreements, and employee groups. 

• Lead payroll compliance initiatives, ensuring adherence to CRA regulations, employment standards legislation, collective agreements, pension requirements, benefits plans, and other statutory obligations. 

• Develop and maintain a strong payroll control environment, including policies, procedures, risk mitigation strategies, and continuous monitoring of compliance and audit readiness. 

• Partner with People & Culture and senior leadership to provide strategic advice on payroll, benefits, workforce changes, collective agreement interpretation, and legislative developments. 

• Oversee payroll accounting activities, including reconciliations, accruals, remittances, year-end reporting, and alignment with organizational financial reporting requirements. 

• Lead payroll-related audits, regulatory reviews, and reporting requirements, acting as the primary organizational contact for payroll compliance matters. 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives through process redesign, automation, and system enhancements to improve efficiency, data integrity, scalability, and user experience. 

• Provide strategic oversight of payroll systems and integrations, including ADP Workforce Now, ensuring system effectiveness, data accuracy, and optimization of payroll processes. 

• Lead, mentor, and develop the payroll team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and exceptional client service. 

• Support organizational initiatives, system implementations, and transformational projects impacting payroll and benefits operations. 

• Other duties as required. 

What you’ll bring:    

• 7–10 years of progressive payroll leadership experience, including responsibility for managing complex payroll operations and leading high-performing payroll teams. 

• Proven experience managing full-cycle payroll operations within a complex organization; experience in a non-profit and unionized environment is strongly preferred. 

• Strong working knowledge of Canadian payroll legislation, employment standards, CRA requirements, payroll tax regulations, and benefits and pension administration. 

• Experience interpreting and administering collective agreements, processing union dues, and supporting grievance-related payroll matters. 

• Demonstrated experience coordinating and reviewing year-end payroll processes, including statutory reporting and reconciliations. 

• Solid understanding of payroll accounting, accruals, reconciliations, and month-end and year-end close requirements. 

• Experience developing, documenting, and maintaining payroll procedures, internal controls, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). 

• Proficiency with ADP Workforce Now or comparable payroll and HRIS platforms. 

• Advanced Excel skills, with experience working with ERP/accounting systems such as Sage Intacct. 

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, compliance, and service excellence. 

• A track record of identifying opportunities for process improvements, strengthening internal controls, and enhancing payroll operations. 

• Excellent communication, analytical, problem-solving, and people leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments. 

• National Payroll Institute Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) or Payroll Leadership Professional (PLP) designation is considered a strong asset. 

• A valid clear criminal record check (including working with vulnerable populations) is required.   

What we offer:    

We offer our eligible employees the following benefits as part of their total rewards package:    

• Extended medical and dental benefits      

• A defined benefit pension plan (MPP)    

• Pregnancy, parental and adoption leave top up   

• 22 vacation days and 3 personal days, in addition to paid sick leave 

• Flexible working arrangements for applicable positions     

• Employee Family Assistance Program, a confidential and voluntary support service for employees and their eligible family members     

• A workplace that prioritizes employee health, safety and well-being, including many learning and growth opportunities such as our employee mentorship program and three equity committees that help to support our goals towards achieving meaningful equity and inclusion.    

• Free staff membership to our Health & Fitness Centre    

• Discounts at our Hotel Willo    

• Priority in YWCA Child Care centres     

Pay Rate: $94,553.35 per annum