Manager, HR Systems & Payroll

At Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, we deliver excitement. Our mission is to be the heartbeat of our community by creating connections, building champions, and winning, together.  If you’d like to join a team that’s people-first, diverse, innovative, and energized about delivering extraordinary fan experiences to our guests, then we’d love to sign you to a player's contract!

THE POSITION

Under the general guidance of the Senior Director, Human Resources, the Manager, HR Systems & Payroll provides operational leadership for the payroll, benefits, and HRIS systems functions while serving as a hands-on leader. This role is responsible for advancing and optimizing the organization's UKG Pro and Workforce Management platforms, overseeing payroll processing, benefits administration, HRIS management & reporting. The successful candidate will lead system enhancements, training initiatives, and cross-functional projects while driving process improvement, automation, and operational efficiencies. Thriving in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, this individual effectively manages competing priorities with professionalism and tact, while providing coaching, mentorship, and technical guidance to payroll team members. A strong commitment to continuous improvement, exceptional problem-solving skills, and a passion for leveraging technology to enhance the employee experience are essential for success in this role.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Leadership 

• Oversee daily tasks of payroll and benefit team members by coaching, training and leading.
• Responsible for setting objectives and goals for direct reports in a collaborative manner, with the end-goal of ensuring they are set up for success.
• Manage payroll approvals and oversee functional responsibilities within payroll and benefits administration.
• Communicate expectations to direct reports.

Payroll Operations 

• Eagerness to optimizing the payroll system and platform.
• Oversee and approve administration and processing of bi-weekly and semi-monthly payrolls for hourly and salary paid employees using HRIS software (UKG Pro).
• Manage and provide oversight of processing manual payments.
• Become the back-up for payrolls, while providing daily guidance and opportunities for efficiencies;
• Review and approve full cycle payroll accounting, which includes: coding within payroll, journal entries, account reconciliations and monthly reconciliations;
• Create audit reports for payroll reviews;
• Provide reconciliation and analysis of all payroll changes as required;
• Review and approve payroll and benefits related accounts as well as prepare and complete remittances;
• Oversee all debt recoveries – garnishes and 3^rd party demands;
• Review all necessary journal entries related to Canadian payrolls including monthly accruals for part-time staff, WCB and group insurance entries;
• Work with external audit team to prepare and provide reporting, files and paperwork necessary as a part of the annual audit process.
• Provide payroll related reporting to the business as required produced from HR systems (UKG);

HRIS Operations

• Support UKG Platforms (UKG Pro & Workforce Management) and is the expert for related configuration, system functionality,
• Lead on Pro, Workforce Management, Talent, Recruiting, Onboarding, BI reporting, Compensation Modules, Performance Management, modules and issues.
• Core System and Configuration for Job codes, employee record issues.
• Spring and Fall Release lead.
• Manage admin errors and corrections.
• Reporting expert on requests from HR, Finance and Business.
• Provide set up within Pro and Workforce Management.
• Configure and manage salary planning in partnership with the Senior Director, Human Resources.
• Complete and compile owner reporting data monthly.
• Configure goal and performance management platforms for employees.
• Manage MyLockerHelp tickets related to system tasks.
• Support automation and process improvement for team and lead SOP updates.
• Setup and maintenance of labour level entries and new business structure items.
• Troubleshoot and resolve all system related issues, including access points, timecards, scheduling, calendar maintenance, manager transfer sets.
• Support of any new system configuration required relating to HR processes and/or new legislation as required;
• Provide support and guidance on escalated system queries from the business.
• Experience developing reports and metric information related to payroll and HR;
• Identify knowledge and process gaps and work with appropriate stakeholders to develop and enhance the system platforms, processes and training library.
• Lead system upgrades and communicate changes within HR team and broader CSEC managers.

Benefits  

• Primary administrator and lead on all related benefit programs for staff members (Main benefit plan, RRSP, ticket programs from onboarding to off-boarding processes)
• Train and provide support to the Payroll Administrators on benefit related items that are cross-functional with payroll duties;
• Partner with appropriate providers on annual HSA amounts for staff members;
• Coordinate ad-hoc benefit requirements (Roughnecks insurance, etc);
• Manage and train staff members on LOA Management;
• Oversee and manage all relevant monthly, quarterly and annual benefit program requirements;
• Troubleshoot and resolve all system related issues, including access points, payroll, scheduling, calendar, request manager, approvals and system configuration;
• Support of any new system configuration required relating to HR processes and/or new legislation as required;
• Monthly reporting for payroll posting and complete report requests as required for the HR and Finance teams;
• Provide support and guidance to the HR team on escalated queries from the business.

Reporting 

• Gather, analyze and report relevant HR and Payroll Data and analytics to the Senior Director, Human Resources and VP, Finance as requested.
• Weekly and monthly reporting for payroll, benefits and LOA management.
• All relevant reporting required for Financial league reporting or budget reporting from a people lens and directed by the VP, Human Resources or VP, Finance;
• Oversee and analyze vacation liability requirements.
• Provide annual WCB reporting and analysis in partnership with the Senior Director, Human Resources and VP, Finance.

THE INDIVIDUAL 

The ideal individual will have the following background:  

• Post-Secondary education in Human Resources, Commerce or Business Administration;
• Minimum 10 years of progressively more responsibility in payroll, benefits & HRIS Systems.
• A minimum of 5 years of strong leadership experience.
• Solid business experience in a fast-paced organization with the ability to focus and deliver on tasks;
• Understanding of legislation within Alberta, specifically Employment Standards, Human Rights, PIPA are required;
• Knowledge of best practices within HR system management.
• Payroll or Benefits Designations such as PCP, PM considered an asset.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;
• Collaborative with HR colleagues and the business, with the ability to be resourceful and autonomous;
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment (1800+ employee environment);
• Strong integrity and ethics, coupled with the ability to keep matters and information strictly confidential;
• You are exceptional in managing priorities, despite deadlines, and have a strong sense of prioritization and ability to follow up on outstanding tasks in a proactive manner;
• Exceptional Microsoft Office skills are required, including BI Reporting;
• Experience in HRIS environment, with UKG Pro and Workforce Management. 

This position will remain open until 3:00pm Friday, August 21st, 2026.  

CSEC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religious belief, or sexual orientation.