Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist

About the Opportunity

• Lead the end-to-end biweekly payroll process using Workday, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing.
• Oversee pension and benefits administration, including vendor relationships, reconciliations, adjustments, and issue resolution.
• Manage payroll, benefits, and pension reconciliations, statutory remittances, T4s, and other regulatory reporting requirements.
• Partner with Finance on payroll-related reporting, accruals, reconciliations, and general ledger activities.
• Ensure payroll data integrity, audit readiness, and compliance with internal controls and applicable legislation.
• Provide subject matter expertise and guidance to HR, employees, and internal stakeholders on complex payroll, pension, and benefits matters.
• Manage escalated employee inquiries and troubleshoot complex payroll and benefits issues.
• Support Workday payroll configuration, system integrations, data maintenance, and process improvements.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory requirements and recommend enhancements to payroll and benefits processes.
• Prepare standard and ad hoc reporting to support compliance, audits, HR operations, and executive decision-making.

About You

• Post-secondary education in Payroll, Accounting, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in payroll, with strong knowledge of payroll, benefits, and pension administration.
• Strong knowledge of Ontario and Canadian payroll legislation, including CRA requirements, ESA, CPP, EI, EHT, and statutory reporting.
• Hands-on experience with Workday HCM or a comparable payroll/HRIS system; experience supporting system integrations is an asset.
• Strong understanding of payroll reconciliations, financial reporting, general ledger processes, and audit controls.
• Experience preparing T4s, pension adjustments, payroll remittances, and other regulatory filings.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and reconciliation skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage confidential information and handle complex or escalated employee inquiries with professionalism.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with HR, Finance, employees, and external vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvements, maintain compliance, and provide informed recommendations to stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict payroll deadlines.

Pay Range

$40 - $45 / hour

How to Apply

Click the “Apply Now” button and follow the instructions to submit your resume. Please know that we only accept documents in MS Word or Rich Text formats. When referencing this job, quote # 303954

This position for employment is for a current vacancy with Vaco/Highspring’s client. You must currently reside within the Greater Toronto Area and be permitted to work in Canada to be considered for this opportunity. A recruiter will be in touch with you if your profile meets our client’s requirements for this role.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.

EEO Notice

Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law.

Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact HR@vaco.com.

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring’s discussions with its Client, Highspring’s understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly).

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco by Highspring”) respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring’s use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client’s use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.