Senior Payroll Specialist

About us

At Primacorp Ventures, we are all about creating opportunities and making a meaningful impact. Founded in 1995, we're the largest accredited independent post-secondary education group in Canada.  Yet, for us, this is just the opening act of our transformative journey!  

Senior Payroll Specialist

Location: New Westminster, BC (Primacorp Head Office)

Work Model: Hybrid (2–3 days per week in-office)

Compensation: $80,000 – $85,000 per year + Comprehensive Benefits & PTO

Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Opportunity

Primacorp Ventures is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Senior Payroll Specialist to join our corporate team at our Head Office in New Westminster, BC. In this pivotal role, you will take ownership of multi-entity, full-cycle Canadian payroll administration across our portfolio of educational brands, ensuring accuracy, legislative compliance, and seamless operational execution.

Your Role in Action

The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant administration of full-cycle payroll across all Primacorp entities. This role requires strong technical payroll knowledge, the ability to independently manage complex payroll activities, and experience navigating multi-provincial payroll requirements.

Working collaboratively with HR, Finance, and business leaders, the Senior Payroll Specialist will take ownership of payroll processing, reconciliations, reporting, compliance, and issue resolution. This role will be responsible for:

• Independently administer and process end-to-end payroll for multiple entities across various Canadian jurisdictions, ensuring accuracy and adherence to established payroll schedules and deadlines.

• Review and validate payroll data, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, leaves, retroactive adjustments, deductions, and other employee changes, ensuring compliance with approved compensation plans, employment agreements, collective agreements, and company policies.

• Interpret and apply applicable federal and provincial payroll legislation, regulations, and statutory requirements, including income tax, CPP/QPP, EI, and provincial employment standards.

• Prepare and process manual payments, off-cycle payrolls, retroactive adjustments, taxable benefits, garnishments, statutory deductions, and other special payroll transactions.

• Review and reconcile payroll registers, general ledger entries, payroll liabilities, remittances, and other payroll-related reports, investigating and resolving discrepancies.

• Prepare payroll costing reports, journal entries, and supporting documentation in collaboration with Finance and Accounting.

• Manage payroll-related records, reporting, and reconciliations to support accurate year-end processing, including T4, T4A, and RL-1 reporting, balancing, and amendments.

• Oversee the preparation and submission of Records of Employment (ROEs), ensuring accuracy and compliance with applicable requirements.

• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes impacting payroll and assess their implications for payroll processes, systems, and employee deductions.

• Collaborate with HR and Benefits to ensure accurate administration of benefit deductions, taxable benefits, employee changes, and payroll-related transactions.

• Provide technical payroll guidance and act as a resource to other members of the Payroll and HR teams.

• Provide cross-functional coverage and operational support to the Payroll and Benefits Manager and Benefits team as required.

What You Will Bring to the Table

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in Canadian payroll administration, including full-cycle payroll processing.

• Experience with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll or other enterprise payroll systems.

• National Payroll Institute (NPI) – Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) certification required (Payroll Leadership Professional [PLP] considered an asset).

• Demonstrated experience independently administering payroll across multiple Canadian jurisdictions (including BC, AB, and ON).

• Advanced knowledge of payroll reconciliations, reporting, payroll costing, general ledger entries, and year-end balancing.

• Experience investigating and resolving complex payroll discrepancies and employee inquiries.

• Ability to manage competing priorities, work independently, and consistently meet strict payroll deadlines.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex payroll matters clearly and professionally.

• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality when handling sensitive employee and compensation information.

• A continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities to strengthen payroll processes, controls, and operational efficiencies.

What We Offer

• Competitive Compensation: Annual base salary of $80,000 – $85,000, commensurate with experience.

• Work-Life Balance: Flexible hybrid work arrangement (2–3 days per week at our New Westminster Head Office) alongside generous Paid Time Off (PTO).

• Comprehensive Benefits: Full extended health, dental, and vision coverage.

• Career Impact: Opportunity to lead multi-provincial payroll operations within a collaborative, growth-oriented corporate HR and Finance environment.

#dmnd

Don’t hold back!—apply today, even if you do not tick every skills list. We cherish diverse skill sets, knowing your unique experiences and perspectives enrich our dynamic team.
We are proudly Canadian — rooted in our diverse communities, guided by our values, and committed to growing together from coast to coast.