Payroll Team Lead, Connectionpoint

**Payroll Team Lead, ConnectionPoint**:
**Primary Purpose**

The Payroll Team Lead provides day to day operational direction to the payroll team to deliver exceptional payroll services, support and partner experience to assist the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in achieving its teaching and research goals through efficient, effective, and standardized services in a collaborative and service-oriented environment.

**Nature of Work**

Reporting to the Manager, HR Administration and Payroll Operations, the Payroll Team Lead plays a key role in delivering accurate, timely, and compliant payroll services in a fast-paced, partner-focused environment. This position supports the continuous improvement of shared services at USask and maintains strong working relationships with a diverse range of partners.

The Payroll Team Lead oversees daily payroll operations, ensuring alignment with collective agreements, legislation, and university policies. They lead process improvements, support team training and coaching, and contribute to documentation and knowledge sharing. The role also involves resolving complex requests, collaborating on workload planning, and stepping in to assist with processing when needed.

**Accountabilities**:

- Support the Manager in all aspects of the employee life cycle, including recruitment, onboarding, coaching, performance feedback, professional development, and performance improvement. Escalate disciplinary matters as appropriate
- Collaborate with the Centre of Expertise to ensure accurate payroll data, reporting, and audit compliance, including reconciliation of payroll clearing accounts, benefits, pensions, and CRA requirements
- Manage complex payroll matters, including partner inquiries, court orders, and external agency requests (e.g., CRA, Service Canada, WCB)
- Oversee sensitive employment transactions such as tax sheltering and severance packages, ensuring compliance with year-end tax reporting
- Administer overpayments, garnishments, and collections with timely follow-up, and ensure accurate processing of benefit, pension, and loan deductions, including union-specific and maternity leave benefits
- Act as a functional expert by performing hands-on payroll processing and serving as a backup to Payroll Coordinators for service, hourly, and salaried pay runs
- Ensures accuracy and compliance with year-end tax reporting requirements
- Coordinate and contribute to team training initiatives, including onboarding, process education, and Knowledge Base engagement to support continuous learning and development
- Support the Manager, to ensure operational metrics and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are adhered to, as well as identify operational and adherence trends and predictions
- Collaboratively assess opportunities to identify and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency, documentation, and partner experience
- Stay current with and ensure adherence to university policies, legislation, payroll regulations, collective agreements, and best practices to reduce institutional risk
- Engage with stakeholders (Centres of Expertise, Strategic Business Advisors, Administrative Networks, Colleges/Units, vendors, and other ConnectionPoint teams) to ensure seamless resolution and routing of requests
- Provide feedback and insights to improve ConnectionPoint services and operations
- Oversee day-to-day operations, including team scheduling
- Engages in continuous learning by participating in activities, training, and events related to Indigenous engagement, reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Perform other related responsibilities as required

**Education**
- A bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or a related discipline is required
- Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) designation from the National Payroll Institute is preferred

**Experience**
- 5-7 years of senior payroll experience required, including supervising a team and administering salary and benefit plans within a unionized, service-oriented environment
- Experience working in a diverse and inclusive environment with high volumes and tight timelines is essential
- Hands-on experience with HR and finance enterprise systems, service relationship management tools, knowledge base systems, accounting practices, statutory payroll deductions, and payroll processes

**Skills**:

- Ability to influence outcomes and provide guidance on operational decisions unique to USask needs
- Possess a comprehensive working knowledge of payroll systems and processes, with demonstrated ability to use this knowledge to support, plan, adapt, and independently implement them into payroll operations including processes, knowledge resources and systems
- Proven problem-solving abilities with confidence to make decisions; excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; and effective relationship-building capabilities, including providing professional, timely, and courteous service under stressful conditions with a tact