Payroll Specialist

Position Details

Position Information

Position Title Payroll Specialist Posting Number 02381SA Location New Westminster Campus Grade or Pay Level S – Pay Level 14 Salary Range $58,671 per annum (with wage increments to a max of $65,636 per annum), which includes a special allowance of $2,000 per annum. Salary and wage increments are in accordance with the Collective Agreement. Position Type Support Staff – Regular Posting Type Internal/External Regular/Temporary Regular Employment Type Full-Time Posting Category Staff Start Date 10/06/2024 End Date Day of the Week Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays Shift 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Work Arrangements
This regular full-time (35 hours per week) position is available starting October 6, 2024. Regular hours of work are Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Shift days and times may change depending on the Department’s need. Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required. The position is located at the New Westminster campus; however, successful candidate must be available for occasional work at the New Westminster/Coquitlam campus. Douglas College is committed to supporting a healthy work/life balance for employees. A hybrid work from home arrangement may be considered, subject to the terms of the College’s Work From Home Policy.
What Douglas Offers
DO what you love. Be good at it. That’s how Douglas College defines a great career. It’s a philosophy that resonates through our classrooms, our offices and our boardrooms. It inspires our students and drives us to make Douglas College one of BC’s Top Employers. We love what we do. And we’re looking for passionate, motivated people to join us in making one of Canada’s best colleges even better.
The Role
Reporting to the Payroll Supervisor, the Payroll Specialist is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely processing of full-cycle payrolls and related reports within a highly technical HR/Payroll system. The Payroll Specialist oversees all facets of payroll processing, statutory remittances, benefit premium calculations, pension remittances, and year-end reporting while establishing priorities within strict mandated and multiple timelines.

Responsibilities

1. Analyzes and verifies documentation submitted for payment of employees while adhering to strict timelines and ensuring compliance with legislated regulations, College policies and collective agreements. Detects, investigates, and resolves any errors/discrepancies in accordance with established payroll standards and collective agreements and advises both HR and Payroll Supervisor/Manager of necessary modifications.

a) Assesses payroll change documentation received from HR for accuracy, completeness and compliance;

b) Responsible for ensuring bank information changes received are authentic to detect fraudulent activity;

c) Update labour distribution and cost centres as per departmental needs;

d) Interprets and implements any changes in government legislation, employment law, Municipal and College Pension, account coding or practices

e) Supports HR and other departments when investigating or responding to queries regarding payroll;

f) Reviews Banner records for accuracy and completeness;

g) Reviews online and late paper time sheets, honoraria, contracts and other authorizations to hire for accuracy, compliance and completeness;

h) Modify and update web timesheet approval authorization as needed;

i) Creates online timesheets as per employees’ and/or approvers’ request;

j) Monitors and approves the documents sent through Docusign

k) Processes the Guided Study request forms and employment contracts as received by HR;

l) Creates excel spreadsheets for auxiliary and students, contract faculty and training group employees to reduce the amount of printed paperwork.

m) Communicates in writing and verbally with employees regarding incomplete paperwork or non-compliance of established payroll practices or College policies;

n) Provides in-depth training, advises and provides guidance to employees and managers in correct completion of documentation required to ensure timely payment to employees and adherence to collective agreements;

o) Communicates with employees, and other external stakeholders on sensitive and confidential issues;

p) Safeguards highly restricted payroll information while exercising discretion in handling this and other sensitive and confidential information, in accordance with The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;

2. Calculates, processes, validates and generates payments to employees.

a) Verifies and enters initial benefits, pension and tax setup for new employees as well as any adjustments and changes for active and terminating employees;

b) Audits balancing reports and payroll registers from Banner and makes adjustments/corrections as needed through consultation with HR;

c) Monitors web timesheets and ensures successful interface with Banner. Generates payroll register through multi-step payroll process;

d) Calculates, validates, deducts and remits statutory deductions, union dues, pension, benefit premiums and other payroll withholdings, to ensure adherence to legislative compliance requirements to avoid substantial penalties for the College;

e) Develops and maintains spreadsheets containing complex pay calculations such as maternity/parental leave top-up, pay and benefit adjustments, workload changes, vacation and sick time for The Training Group , pay schedules for Contract Faculty employees;

f) Creates, maintains and reviews spreadsheets, reports and journal entries to ensure increments and adjustments have been calculated and processed correctly and that the payroll register is in balance and ensures the accuracy of pension reports and T4’s at year end;

g) Creates, maintains and balances spreadsheets for the College and Municipal Pension Plans and completes various reports and forms as required by Pension Corporation;

h) Investigates and responds to Pension Corporation queries through on-line message board;

Monitors employees not currently enrolled in the Pension Plan to ensure timely enrollment;

i) Prepares and issues Records of Employment as required in accordance with Service Canada regulations;

j) Responsible to co-ordinate and collect benefit premiums for employees on leave; communicates both orally and written to employees on leave, and calculates and provides employee benefit cost information and arranges repayment of same;

k) Calculates and pays special payments upon termination. Must reference CRA for guidelines;

l) Maintains and validates the Banner employee leave balance information form for banked overtime, vacation and other balances, and calculates and processes adjustments as required.

3. Enters new employees and calculates, processes, validates and generates payments for selected employee groups.

a) Responsible for set up of job information in Banner for student assistants and all contract employees (Contract Faculty, Continuing Education, Training Group, Community Music Students and Other Employees).

b) Responsible for benefits, pension and tax setup for the above mentioned employees as well as any adjustments and changes for them;

c) Responsible for set up of secondary contracts for all employee groups e.g., short term employment contracts

4. Provides professional payroll knowledge to administrators, supervisors, employees, internal and external stakeholders.

a) Advises employees and supervisors regarding payroll best practices and application of collective agreements with respect to employee pay, deductions and entitlements;

b) Maintains knowledge of and applies the Collective Agreements in relation to payroll issues and recognizes exceptions and anomalies and when to defer to HR for further clarification;

c) Provides internal training and/or cross-training to new employees within the payroll department ;

d) Provides ongoing earnings and deductions reports to various departments for budgeting purposes;

e) Maintains skills and knowledge by staying up-to-date with changing provincial and federal payroll legislation;

f) Ongoing testing of Banner upgrades, including year-end changes;

g) Identifies and participates in providing technical suggestions for streamlining and/or automating payroll procedures;

h) Identifies, recommends and participates in planning with HR for the implementation of process changes to sustain and increase efficiencies and effectiveness of the current payroll standards;

i) Communicates with and provides information and specified reports to outside agencies such as Canada Revenue Agency, Pension Corporation, WorkSafeBC, Service Canada, and external auditors;

j) Works with HR in creating new procedures and guidelines for payroll related matters

k) Provides complex year-end Reports to College and Municipal Pension Corporation;

l) Provides training and step-by-step guidance for all employee groups for online Employee Self Service, Web Timesheets, T4 statements, and assist in understanding their pay statements and any other payroll information that employees may require;

m) Payroll Specialists represent the Payroll department by delivering orientation material to new employees each semester at the New Employee Welcome Event.

5. Performs other related duties such as:

a) Safeguards and exercises discretion in the confidentiality of payroll data and records. Maintains and secures confidential payroll files, reports, cheques and other sensitive financial documentation;

b) Coordinates the transfer and destruction of payroll files to and from an off-site facility;

c) Participates on payroll project team, testing new pay codes, Web Timesheet development and Banner upgrades;

d) Performs other related duties as assigned.
To Be Successful in this Role You Will Need

•Completion of Payroll Compliance Practitioner ( PCP ) certificate through the National Payroll Institute ( NPI ) and the completion of an accounting/business program at a post-secondary institution or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Must be an active member of the National Payroll Institute and maintain accreditation.
•Three years of considerable progressive experience working in a high volume, complex, multi-union, computerized payroll environment.
•In depth knowledge and understanding of workplace legislation affecting employee payroll including:
• Federal and provincial taxation
• Canada Labour Code
• Provincial employment standards
• Provincial Pension Benefits Standards Act
• Workers Compensation Act
• Employment insurance
• Garnishments and other third party agencies
• Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act
•Excellent analytical, organizational, multi-tasking and time management skills and be able to work under extreme time pressure, and meet strict deadlines
•The ability to work independently with minimal supervision and able to apply sound judgment drawn from prior experiences, to recognize, analyze, and resolve issues or discrepancies.
•The ability to perform complex payroll calculations with speed and accuracy and the ability to communicate this information to non-subject matter experts.
•As subject matter experts, must be able to provide training and support to employees and supervisors on payroll processes.
•The ability to collaborate with other departments to ensure accurate processing of employee’s remuneration and benefit coverage as well as to develop procedures.
•In depth knowledge and understanding of benefits administered through different carriers, including calculating, remitting and reporting premiums to carriers.
•Considerable experience using Excel, including use of pivot tables, and lookup functions; working knowledge of Word, including merging documents.
•Proficiency in use of Banner or other ERP and reporting software. Must have sound knowledge and understanding of accounting systems and their interaction with payroll systems.
•The ability to maintain sustained attention to detail in preparing, recording and checking payroll transactions.
•Proven ability to safeguard payroll documentation and maintain confidentiality with respect to payroll information when communicating with internal and external stakeholders.
•Good working knowledge of the English language (written and verbal).
•The ability to write documentation to ensure compliance and consistent standards of practice.
•Demonstrated ability to communicate respectfully in person, in writing or on the telephone with all College employees and external stakeholders.
•The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all College employees and external stakeholders.
•The ability to adapt and remain flexible in an ever-changing environment.

Link to Full Position Profile Equity Statement
Douglas College is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable learning and working environment. In support of this journey, we welcome all people to apply, including people from groups that are experiencing inequity, including, but not limited, to Indigenous Peoples, racialized or persons of colour, persons with mental or physical disabilities, persons who identify as women, and/or persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and persons of all faith identities, age, marital status, and parental status.
Needs a Criminal Records Check No

Posting Detail Information

Open Date 09/26/2024 Close Date 10/02/2024 Open Until Filled No Special Instructions to Applicant
Interested applicants must submit their application and all required documents online on the Douglas College Career Site www.douglascollegecareers.ca . Qualified internal applicants shall be given first consideration in filling the position. All internal applications must be received by October 2, 2024. Please ensure your resume clearly explains how you meet the required knowledge, skills and abilities of the position for which you are applying. All candidates selected for interview will need to bring original certificates and diplomas of educational credentials noted on their resume.
Quick Link for Direct Access to Posting https://www.douglascollegecareers.ca/postings/13043