Manager, Payroll Operations & Control

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Compensation Range

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Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

JOB SUMMARY

The University of British Columbia is one of the largest universities in Canada, and one of the largest employers in the province of British Columbia, employing more than 15,000 faculty members and staff (including student employees) spread across more than 10 bargaining units or employee groups. UBC payroll accounts for approximately 76% or $1.6B of the consolidate budget of $2.1B.

The Manager, Payroll Operations & Control will be a key driver and contributor in implementing procedures to enhance segregation of duties, physical security of payroll information, and reduce off-cycle payrolls. The incumbent will lead the direction, development, implementation and utilization of Payroll best practices. Key aspects of the role will include leading the team to deliver a high level of service and various projects, business engagement, change management and analysis of emerging trends to ensure that the University is enabled to deliver its mission. They are expected to be a subject matter expert, providing expertise on all regulatory and contractual obligations on payroll matters. An emphasis on managing risk exposure and strong control environment is expected.

The position solves issues relating to payroll under tight deadlines. These include technical interpretation of legislation, financial reconciliations, and providing expert advice to the University community. Through close interaction with end-users and exceptional customer service, this position has a significant impact on departments by effecting changes to operations / processes / procedures.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

Reporting to the Director, Payroll, the Manager, Control and Operations is a key position for internal controls and governance over the payroll function. This role provides supervisory and leadership responsibility for the Team Leads.

This position will also support the Director in representing the University and leading interactions with audit, banks relating to payroll, government and other external stakeholders. The Manager will liaise with senior faculty, staff, and teams within the Finance, Tax, Risk Management and Human Resources departments.

WORK PERFORMED

- Lead the Payroll and Benefits team, sets priorities, and provides guidance, feedback, coaching, training, performance management and evaluation, and career development for team.
- Provides overall leadership and direction to team members using effective, positive management techniques and ensures segregation of duties between each Team Lead; assess skills to make certain there is proper alignment of the workforce with operations
- Lead, guide and manage the payroll and benefits team leads and the payroll team to ensure project timelines and service levels are consistently met across the campus community.
- Responsible for ensuring the University is in compliance with statutory, contractual, and fiscal payroll and benefits obligations.
- Oversee the maintenance of all accounting records, financial statements and reports. Develops proactive reports and other analysis tools to minimize errors and identify potential issues. Investigates and resolves issues instituting any required changes.
- Identify process improvement opportunities and lead the implementation of new payroll processes and systems.
- Perform business process reviews, re-engineering and develop new processes and procedures to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the team.
- Participate in the payroll and benefits needs analysis for the new Finance/HR system renewal project and implement recommendations for process and system improvement.
- Oversee the implementation of various business project deliverables related to the payroll and benefits operations using project management skills.
- Develop and implement risk controls to ensure compliance to payroll legislation on a federal and provincial level.
- Review of changes each payroll for verification, review and sign off of all reconciliations, control oversight on payment distribution file for reasonableness and to identify erroneous transactions (i.e. review for transactions in excess of 10k), headcount changes, etc.
- Responsible for ensuring adequate policies, procedures, and financial controls are in place, maintained, and monitored. Correct inconsistencies or non-compliance proactively.
- Review and approve of source deduction remittances via online tax payment portal for UBC and all Paymaster groups.
- Accountable for the security and maintenance of all HR, employee data and payment records to support accounting, legal, and regulatory requirements, such as Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and B.C. privacy law.
- Provide leadership, interpretation and guidance to the campus community on payroll policies and procedures. Develop and facilitate training programs to enable customers to operate within the systems, policies and procedures.
- Responsible for payroll financial and management reporting to various internal stakeholders, governmental and regulatory bodies and outside agencies.
- Reports on system performance, determine origin of problem if an issue occurs, and implements countermeasures as required to ensure system functionality and controls.
- Responsible for ensuring payroll functional system implementations and upgrades are conducted appropriately, including developing reporting requirements, internal controls, business process mapping and documentation.
- Act as the subject matter expert during collective bargaining to ensure payroll regulations and other external regulatory requirements are in compliance.
- Provide interpretations of current agreements and policies on more complex employee relations issues. Recommend strategies to support effective negotiations.
- Develop and exemplify an excellent customer service culture for all faculty, staff, and students.
- Design and maintain a set of managerial & operational metrics that define performance of the business, opportunities, and progress to goals.
- Liaise closely with Financial Operations Leadership team and the Finance, Tax, Risk, HR, Systems and Operations portfolio as well as with senior faculty, staff and partners internal and external to the University.
- Develop and foster the team's ability for "out-of-the box" thinking by developing new solutions through collaboration with payroll team members and internal customers.
- Maintain current knowledge of, and compliance with, all applicable, federal, provincial, and local wage laws and regulations.
- Interface with the payroll service vendor/systems team to resolve problems and address operational issues as they arise.
- Perform periodic internal audits of various payroll areas and prepare materials for and work with internal and external auditors.
- Analyze and audit T4/T4a and other reconciliations for bi-weekly \ Monthly \ Quarterly and Yearly balance & fund transfer.
- Maintain payroll guidelines and monitor compliance to policies, procedures and legislation.
- Maintain payroll staff job results by counseling and disciplining employees; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.
- All other duties and projects as related to the qualifications and requirements of the position as assigned by the Director, Payroll.

CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR

The Manager, Payroll Operations & Control plays a critical role in the successful operation and improvement of Payroll services for a wide range of client groups. These units include academic units with responsibility for teaching and scholarship, and administrative units responsible for the efficient, cost effective delivery of a wide range of services and processes that must meet the needs of students, faculty and staff.
This position also plays a key role in ensuring that these Clients receive excellent customer service, appropriate system support, and service level agreements in order to achieve their mandates and strategic objectives.
Errors could result in serious significant risks and inaccuracies in the University's records, which could result in any of the following: in errors in the financial statements, in the University being heavily fined, and/or an employee not being paid or covered for benefits they are entitled to. These records are subject to audit. Due to the incumbent's responsibility for financial systems, the decisions and recommendations made will have a significant effect on departmental standards and operations.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Works autonomously under broad directives received from the Director, Payroll. Performance subject to periodic review for soundness of judgement, leadership, overall effectiveness and attainment of objectives.

SUPERVISION GIVEN

This position provides functional leadership, supervision and expertise to approximately 25 Management & Professional and CUPE 2950 staff through Team Leads. The position has the authority to hire, train, evaluate, discipline and terminate staff within the payroll and benefits team.

QUALIFICATIONS

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline and completion of the CPA Accounting program (CA, CGA or CMA). Completion of the Canadian Certified Payroll Manager Certification (CPM). A minimum of 8 years of experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Prior experience as subject matter expert in Payroll for a large, complex organization and people management experience as it relates to hiring, training, evaluating, disciplining, and terminating staff.

- Demonstrated knowledge of working in an environment with collective agreements, applicable legislation and regulations.
- Comprehensive knowledge of accounting principles including internal control and audit requirements as well as legislation, regulations, practices and guidelines. Ability to administer and provide leadership to others.
- Thorough knowledge of information systems relevant to payroll, preferably including Peoplesoft.
- Ability to lead new system implementations and interfaces.
- In-depth knowledge and experience of payroll and processing for both domestic and foreign/international employees.
- Broad knowledge and experience in payroll and benefits practices and related business processes.
- The ability to work under pressure with changing priorities and to meet deadlines.
- Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
- Proven ability to ensure uniform and consistent payroll policies, practices and procedures.
- Strong commitment team building and leadership in ensuring customer service excellence.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Positive attitude and ability to work in a dynamic and fast paced environment while managing and developing staff.
- Excellent organizational and problem solving skills.
- Ability to solicit ideas and opinions from others to efficiently and effectively accomplish specific objectives targeted at defined business outcomes