Finance & Payroll Specialist

**Organizational Overview**

PHC is the largest single provider of community housing in the City and County of Peterborough. We provide rent-geared-to-income and affordable housing for seniors, single adults, and families. This means that PHC provides homes to well over 4000 residents in our community. Our housing is a mix of high-rise apartments, townhomes, walk-up apartments, semi-detached homes, and quad-plexes. PHC employs approximately 42 committed and compassionate employees who provide support to the tenants.

**Position Summary**

The Finance & Payroll Specialist plays a key role in supporting the operational goals, priorities, and best practices of PHC from a payroll and finance perspective. The incumbent is responsible for full-cycle payroll administration by calculating wages, tax withholdings, and ensuring timely payments. This position supports accounts payable, HST remittance, and financial processing and reporting including assisting with budget preparation, and audit support.

**Main Responsibilities**

1. Payroll Administration
- Process bi-weekly payroll for all employees maintaining accurate calculation of wages, shift premiums, overtime, and other earnings.
- Using integrated HRIS software, verify employee attendance records and generate time management reports, ensuring that all approved hours, leave, and overtime are accurately recorded and processed. Collaborate with managers to resolve timekeeping discrepancies.
- Administer payroll adjustments for new hires, terminations, promotions, and salary changes in a timely manner.
- Oversee employee benefit deductions and reporting related to extended health insurance and OMERS pension plan.
- Act as the primary contract for payroll inquires, respond to manager inquiries regarding earnings, deductions, and tax withholdings. Address and resolve any issues or discrepancies in a timely and professional manner.
- Ensure compliance with relevant provincial and federal tax regulations, including proper tax withholdings and remittance of payroll taxes.
- Prepare monthly/quarterly WSIB remittances and annual year end reconciliations.
- Prepare and enter journal entries to record payroll, benefits, pension, vacation, and payroll accruals.
- Prepare and reconcile T4s and OMERs year-end reporting.

2. Accounts Payable
- Monitor the collection and remittance of payroll taxes (CPP, EI, Employer Health taxes) including any required government reporting.
- Submit payroll tax payments and source deductions through the appropriate channels, ensuring all tax liabilities are paid in compliance with tax deadlines.
- Process payments to benefit providers and OMERS pension plan for employee deductions, ensuring that all contributions are correctly calculated, reported, and paid to the respective entities.
- Reconcile union dues deductions with the general ledger and accounts payable records, ensuring that all amounts deducted from payroll match the disbursements sent to the union.
- Process and reconcile all other related payroll payments.
- Act as back up for accounts payable functions as required.

3. Financial Administration
- Support the year end audit process by proactively preparing and organizing payroll, benefit and pension documentation including detailed transaction records, reconciliations and supporting documents.
- Monitor and track payroll expenditures reviewing for discrepancies and investigate variances to budget.
- Assist in preparing the annual budget by analyzing payroll and benefit expenses and related data.
- Prepare monthly HST remittances and submit to CRA and ensure that all amounts reconcile to the general ledger.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of existing finance and payroll SOP’s, improving efficiency, and ensuring compliance. Based on feedback from stakeholders and performance data, recommend process improvements to the Director of Corporate Services and incorporate them into updated SOP’s.

**Required Qualifications**
- 2-year Post-secondary Diploma in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related discipline. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.
- Proven ability to manage high volumes of transactions across multiple entities or departments, while maintaining accuracy under time sensitive deadlines.
- A minimum of 4 years’ progressive experience in full cycle payroll, benefit and pension administration, accounting principles and computerized reporting in a unionized environment.
- High attention to detail in ensuring the accuracy of payroll and financial records, coding, and reports, with a track record of reducing errors or improving processes.
- Experience managing relationships with vendors, suppliers, or external stakeholders to resolve invoice discrepancies, negotiate payment terms, and ensure timely payment processing.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to identify discrepancies, evaluate payroll and financial data, and provide recommendations.
- Acceptable Police and Vu