Payroll & Accounting Specialist

Payroll & Accounting Specialist

Who - the Organization

Swim Recruiting is partnering with a respected Vancouver-based organization known for its collaborative, people-first culture and long employee tenure. The workplace is supportive, relationship-driven, and values accuracy, professionalism, and teamwork.

The organization is currently navigating a period of change and restructuring and is taking a thoughtful, measured approach to strengthening its finance and payroll function for the future. Leadership is looking for someone who brings steadiness, reliability, and a calm presence during times of transition.

What - the Role

Swim Recruiting is conducting a confidential search for a Payroll & Accounting Specialist. This is a newly restructured full-time role that blends core payroll responsibilities with meaningful accounting support.

Reporting to the Accounting Manager and working closely with HR, the Specialist will play a critical role in ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll operations while supporting key finance processes.

Key responsibilities include:

Payroll (primary focus)

• End-to-end processing of a local BC payroll for a mid-sized workforce.
• Ensuring compliance with BC Employment Standards and statutory requirements.
• Managing payroll changes including hires, terminations, leaves, and benefits updates.
• Responding to employee inquiries in a clear, professional, and patient manner.
• Maintaining accurate payroll records and documentation.

Accounting (secondary focus)

• Supporting general ledger entries related to payroll.
• Assisting with reconciliations and month-end activities.
• Working with Finance on payroll-related reporting and analysis.
• Partnering with HR on compensation, benefits, and policy administration.

This is a hands-on, practical, and relationship-focused role. It is best suited to someone who enjoys doing the work, solving problems, and collaborating across teams rather than managing people.

Who - the Candidate
We are seeking a capable, steady, and collaborative payroll professional who thrives in a dynamic environment and takes pride in accuracy and service delivery.

Ideal candidates will bring:

• 3–5 years of payroll experience in British Columbia.
• Strong working knowledge of BC Employment Standards.
• Comfort researching payroll issues and finding answers independently.
• Experience handling employee inquiries with patience and professionalism.
• A collaborative mindset and ability to work closely with HR and Finance partners.

You will stand out if you are:

• Calm and composed during periods of change.
• Detail-oriented with strong accountability.
• Team-focused and approachable.
• Adaptable when priorities shift.

Prior experience in any specific industry is not required. What matters most is solid payroll expertise, good judgment, and a cooperative work style.

Systems & Skills

• Experience with a modern payroll system is expected.
• Strong proficiency in Excel for reporting and analysis.
• No prior system implementation experience required.

How Much
Base salary: $70,000 – $75,000

• Six-month probation period.
• Step-based salary increases following probation and annually thereafter.
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits (employer-paid, with limited employee contributions for disability coverage).
• RRSP matching.

Where

The role is based on-site in Vancouver. Current practice is four days in office and one day from home, subject to employer discretion, so candidates should be comfortable working primarily on-site.

When & How to Apply

Swim Recruiting is presenting short-listed candidates directly to the hiring team. If you are interested in learning more about this confidential opportunity, please reach out to your Swim contact or submit your resume through our website. We will be happy to discuss the role in greater detail.