Senior Manager, Head of Payroll

Senior Manager, Head of Payroll

Department: People Team

Type: Full-Time - Permanent

Location: Toronto (Hybrid)

Posting Date: May 7, 2026

At OPTrust, paying pensions today, preserving pensions for tomorrow is our mission and business.

When you choose OPTrust, you join a team of smart, talented people who fuel our success and have a passion for pensions. Everyone at OPTrust – in Toronto, London and Sydney – makes a meaningful impact. Our culture is driven by team members with different backgrounds and perspectives creating an inclusive and fulfilling place to work for everyone. We work in a fast-paced environment, but we find time to have fun and give back to the community.

What OPTrust offers you

• Unique culture rooted in our core values – collaboration and teamwork, integrity, respect, flexibility, excellence and continuous improvement.

• A purpose-driven environment where we all work towards the common goal of paying pensions today and preserving pensions for tomorrow.

• Comprehensive benefits focused on your health and wellness, including dental, vision and extended health benefits, as well as membership in our world-class defined benefit pension plan.

• A flexible, hybrid work model.

• A dedicated inclusion, diversity and equity strategy with meaningful opportunities to participate, including our employee-led resource groups.

• Extensive professional development opportunities and learning initiatives including access to LinkedIn Learning, guest speakers, tuition reimbursement, professional association memberships, leadership development programs, a mentorship program, monthly professional development time and more.

• A competitive vacation package with additional work-life balance day.

About the role

The Senior Manager, Head of Payroll is responsible for providing leadership and oversight for OPTrust’s payroll function for all jurisdictions in which OPTrust has employees, ensuring compliance, financial reporting and data security.  The Senior Head of Payroll is a strong leader within the People Team, collaborating to ensure data, metrics and reporting are accurate to assist with strategic planning. This role requires an aptitude for continuous improvement including developing and implementing processes and policies. The incumbent will work closely with the HR Business Partner and Service Delivery teams to align technology and practices to ensure timely, accurate pay to boost employee morale and overall job satisfaction. The is a continual focus on providing accurate and reliable payroll services to enhance the OPTrust’s reputation both internally and externally.

What you’ll do

Payroll Operations Leadership & Regulatory Compliance

• Provide both strategic and operational management of employee payroll operations in three jurisdictions (Canada, UK and Australia) considering union and non-union employees

• Responsible for leadership, support, and oversight of all year-end payroll processes for all employees globally, including creation and distribution of statutory documents such as ROE/P45, T4s, T2200s, T4As, P11D(b)s and AUS FBT reporting. Work with the Member Experience team to reconcile pension reporting for accurate T4 processing

• Research and implement tax, legislative, administrative pay related regulations to ensure OPTrust maintains compliance

• Lead and maintain accountability for necessary changes/deductions such as pension, supplementary and buy-back plan contributions are accurate and support the benefits team to reconcile applicable benefits related deductions

• Work with the Cybersecurity team to continually review and test all BCP procedures and policies

• Address inquiries from the People Team, Managers and employees about pay-related questions or issues

• Review and maintain internal control documents related to payroll

• Meet requirements for financial reporting, including GL entries & reconciliation, tax reporting and budget analysis for all jurisdictions. Work with the Treasury team on payroll & benefits related bank reconciliations

• Manage the payroll team by providing guidance and opportunities for growth and development

• Act as back up for payroll processing in all jurisdictions when required

Technology & Vendor Management

• Collaborate with the HRIS/Workday team to establish and maintain payroll-related compliance and processes in Workday. Identify opportunities for process improvement including auditing and reporting

• Continually carry out learning and development by attending technology related seminars, network sessions and general research via Workday Community, etc.

• Serve as primary contact for third party payroll providers in Canada, UK and Australia, managing the relationships with these critical service suppliers

• Ensures payroll processes and codes are set up compliantly for payroll for employees in international offices

• Identify opportunities to simplify processes and to enhance security

Stakeholder Engagement and Advisory

• Provide leadership and advice to the People Team related to the payroll and personal income tax implications of the implementation of new programs

• Provide guidance to the People Team related to the proper method for testing and processing unusual situations and general efficiencies.

• Collaborate with other OPTrust teams, including Finance, IT, Risk, Security and Member Experience & Pension Operations, to address one-off requests and cyclical requirements in a timely, secure manner

• Lead changes related to on payroll trends and best practices, as well as future legislative changes

• Support responses to audit requests

• Liaise with third party providers as required such as accounting firms, payroll associations and government entities for all jurisdictions

Standard Requirements:

• Ensure clear understanding and adherence of all OPTrust’s policies, procedures, guidelines as well as living our values and fostering an inclusive culture

• Build, engage and retain a diverse, high-performing team and foster an inclusive culture where team members are empowered to do great work on behalf of our members

• Also ensures employees adherence to current and future employment policies, procedures and compliance guidelines and takes necessary steps to mitigate operational risks. This is inclusive of but not limited to, the Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Policy, Health and Safety Policy, Impairment at Work Policy, Information Security Policy, Personal Trading Policy, Privacy Policy, Respectful Workplace Policy and any future employment related policies

• Performs other duties as assigned

What you bring

• Minimum of 10 years of increasing responsibility and experience as a payroll professional, including experience with payroll, benefits, payroll tax and related financial reporting

• Experience managing the payroll operations for a small to medium company, particularly with employees covered by a collective agreement

• Experience processing international payroll would be an asset

• Experience with implementing and configuration of payroll systems

• Workday Payroll experience would be preferred

• Strong analytical capabilities with attention to detail

• CPA Designation, Payroll Leadership Professional Certification (PLP) or Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP)

• Effective communication skills (verbal and written), with demonstrated ability to communicate and partner effectively with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders

• Proven ability to lead and develop a team, plan, organize and manage workloads

• Ability to work collaboratively and across disciplines for a common goal

• Proven ability to aggregate and analyze information and data for effective problem solving and utilizes sound judgment

• Detail-oriented and strong organizational skills

• Exemplify OPTrust’s values: collaboration and teamwork, integrity, respect, flexibility, excellence, and continuous improvement.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Please submit your application via Workday by May 20, 2026.

Serving a membership as diverse as ours and investing in a global market means cultivating an environment that embraces inclusion, diversity, and equity in everything we do. OPTrust is an organization engaged in building on our unique and diverse strengths. We know a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, gender identities and perspectives are critical to achieving our shared goals.

If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please send a message to careers@optrust.com, or discuss your needs with the Talent Acquisition Consultant during the telephone screening. We will do our best to work with you and provide appropriate accommodation.

As an organization we’re seeking ways to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 92. We are working with the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business to build bridges with Indigenous communities and partners, and we have created an employee-led Reconciliation Working Group that will work with Indigenous experts to identify a path to reconciliation for our organization.

We thank all interested applicants, however only those under consideration will be contacted.