Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan | Payroll Lead

What you'll do

• The Payroll Lead is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of global payroll activities, including Canada benefits and pension administration.
• This is a hands-on role for an experienced payroll professional who can independently manage complex payroll work while helping guide the day-to-day delivery of a small team.
• The successful candidate will bring strong technical depth, sound judgment and the ability to step into broader operational and stakeholder responsibilities when needed.
• The incumbent escalates complex compliance, financial and cross-border issues as required and supports initiatives that improve accuracy, service and efficiency.
• The role partners with external payroll vendors and providers (e.g., benefits and pension administrators) and supports audits and statutory reporting requirements.
• Ontario Teachers’ may use AI-based tools to assist in screening and assessing applicants for this position.
• Manages day-to-day payroll processing and delivery, including payroll calendars, year-end activities, audit schedules, Finance GL reporting, and required tax filing activities, in partnership with vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Executes and maintains established payroll controls and risk management practices (e.g., reconciliations, segregation of duties, issue logs and audit requests) and escalates compliance risks and control gaps appropriately.
• Manages day-to-day vendor service delivery and relationship management; tracks KPIs/SLAs, maintains issue logs, and supports remediation and continuous improvement activities with guidance from the Senior Manager, Payroll.
• Resolves escalated payroll issues and exceptions and coordinates with Finance, Total Rewards, vendors and external advisors as needed; escalates complex cross-border, tax, compliance, or material financial issues.
• Prepares and monitors payroll reporting and KPIs (e.g., accuracy, timeliness, exceptions, root-cause trends) and flags risks and improvement opportunities to leadership.
• Supports broader P&C initiatives and cross-functional projects as assigned by the Director, People Operations (e.g., system releases, policy changes, controls enhancements, or operating model updates).
• Manages team capacity and workload planning to meet payroll cycles, year-end peaks and project demand; balances BAU delivery with assigned improvement work.
• Maintains cross-training and coverage plans to ensure continuity during payroll cycles, vacations and absences.
• Participates in vendor governance reviews; prepares materials, tracks KPIs/SLAs, manages day-to-day follow-up on issue logs and remediation actions, and escalates service concerns.
• Post-secondary degree or equivalent; Finance, HR, Business, or a related field is preferred.
• Supports payroll enhancements and automation initiatives in partnership with Technology and vendors by gathering requirements, coordinating testing/UAT, supporting rollout communications, and assisting with post implementation stabilization.
• Operates as a senior technical resource within the team, taking ownership of complex payroll issues and providing coverage for selected Senior Manager responsibilities as needed.
• Coaches the payroll team to meet service, accuracy and control expectations; supports onboarding, training, and documentation to enable consistent execution of standard work.
• Coordinates responses to government body inquiries and audits, and ensures reporting and remittances are completed accurately and on time (e.g., tax authorities, insurance carriers, pension providers, unions and other vendors as applicable).
• Champions continuous learning and innovation by keeping abreast of emerging payroll technologies and system capabilities, identifying opportunities to streamline processes and enhance automation.
• Makes day-to-day decisions within established payroll policies, procedures and controls to ensure accurate and compliant payroll delivery; escalates exceptions and elevated risk items.
• Recommends process changes and operational workarounds and coordinates vendor remediation activities; obtains approval for material changes from the Director, People Operations.
• Escalates compliance, financial, or reputational risks promptly; provides analysis and options to support leadership decision making.
• Pay-for-performance with base salary and annual incentive based on individual and enterprise performance.

Requirements

• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, statutory reporting, and compliance requirements in relevant jurisdictions (including Canada).
• Experience providing day-to-day work direction, technical guidance or informal leadership to colleagues, combined with a strong willingness to remain hands-on.
• Demonstrated readiness to broaden leadership scope while continuing to personally execute detailed and complex payroll work.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, trusted partnerships with internal stakeholders and external vendors; effective vendor coordination and issue resolution skills.
• Working knowledge of HRIS and payroll systems; Workday experience is an asset.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills supported by strong collaboration, adaptability, accountability and judgement.
• Working knowledge of payroll and HR systems, reporting, and data management (e.g., Workday and ADP).
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Strong planning and organizational skills to deliver to tight timelines and payroll cut-offs.
• Knowledge of payroll controls, reconciliations, and compliance practices; familiarity with cross-border payroll considerations is an asset.
• Experience supporting payroll system changes and releases (e.g., requirements input, testing/UAT, and implementation support).
• Experience in payroll process improvement, standard work documentation, and supporting automation where appropriate.
• Demonstrated experience managing payroll operations, resolving escalations, and coordinating with Finance, HR partners, and vendors to deliver accurate and compliant results.

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan is an employer hiring in India (sector: BFSI / Investments / Insurance). In its own words: "As one of the largest pension plans in the world, Ontario Teachers' invests strategically across key markets and sectors to deliver steady returns."

Its finance, accounts, audit and tax openings in India are mostly in Toronto.

• Industry: BFSI / Investments / Insurance