Join Onward: Transforming Lives through Affordable Housing and Community Engagement

At Onward, we stand for more than just housing; we represent affordability, community, and the fostering of personal growth. Our commitment to creating affordable homes and empowering individuals to thrive is what drives us. With over five decades of history, Onward stands as a leading not-for-profit dedicated to affordable housing in Calgary.

Our Mission:Onward focuses on creating, renovating, and expertly managing properties to provide homes for over 3,000 individuals, predominantly with lower incomes. We work closely with over 50 social-service agencies to introduce residents who require support. Our buildings, spread across the city, cater to individuals, families, seniors, Indigenous persons, newcomers to Canada, and others who benefit from personalized agency support for various needs, including mental health, addictions, and mobility challenges.

Our People, Our Strength: To fulfill our mission, we rely on an exceptional team of dedicated employees. We seek team members who value results, leadership, and inclusive practices, believing in the power of collaboration and demonstrating courage where needed.

If you resonate with our vision and share our values, we invite you to join us on our mission to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

What We Need from This Role

Reporting to the Controller, the Payroll Administrator plays a key role in ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing for Onwards employees. This role involves managing payroll functions, maintaining employee records, ensuring compliance with payroll regulations, and supporting the Finance team with reporting and reconciliation. Additionally, this role administers Onwards group benefits, RRSP, and TFSA programs through SunLife, ensuring employees receive support and information regarding their coverage and contributions.

Secondary accounting duties would include assisting with data entry in the accounts payable and receivable areas.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Payroll Processing & Administration

• Accurately process semi-monthly payroll, ensuring wages, deductions, and benefits are calculated correctly.
• Maintain and update employee payroll records, including salary changes, benefits, vacation, and leave balances.
• Ensure compliance with payroll legislation, tax regulations, and internal policies.
• Process payroll adjustments, retroactive pay, and terminations as required.
• Generate and distribute pay stubs, T4s, and other payroll-related documents via PayWorks.

Benefits, RRSP & TFSA Administration

• Administer Onwards group benefits plan, ensuring employees are enrolled, updated, or removed as required.
• Support employees with benefit enrollment, changes, claims assistance, and general inquiries.
• Manage RRSP and TFSA contributions, ensuring payroll deductions are accurate and processed on time.
• Assist employees with RRSP/TFSA enrollment, contribution changes, and understanding withdrawal policies.
• Reconcile payroll deductions with SunLife remittances and ensure timely submission of premiums and contributions.
• Collaborate with Finance and HR to communicate program updates and maintain accurate records.

Employee Support & Communication

• Respond to payroll and benefits-related inquiries from employees, addressing concerns regarding earnings, deductions, and entitlements.
• Provide clear communication on payroll policies, ensuring employees understand compensation structures, benefits, and savings programs.
• Assist employees with questions related to SunLife benefits, RRSPs, and TFSAs, including contribution limits and coverage options.

Compliance & Reporting

• Prepare and submit payroll-related reports, including remittances for taxes, CPP, EI, and other statutory deductions.
• Respond to CRA and Service Canada information requests.
• Ensure benefit and retirement plan records are accurate and up to date, coordinating with SunLife as needed.
• Assist with year-end payroll reconciliation, audits, and reporting requirements.
• Maintain confidentiality and ensure all payroll and benefits data is securely stored.

Collaboration & Process Improvement

• Work closely with HR to ensure seamless integration of payroll and benefits data with employee records in BambooHR.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll, benefits, and savings program administration for efficiency and accuracy.
• Support Finance and HR teams with reporting, budgeting, and forecasting related to payroll and SunLife benefits and contributions.

WCB Administration

• Administer Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claims, ensuring compliance with reporting and payroll processes.
• Work with HR to process WCB claims, submit reports, and track employee wage-loss benefits.
• Ensure WCB premiums and assessments are accurately calculated and remitted on time.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation related to WCB claims and employer responsibilities.

What You Bring:

• A clear criminal background check/vulnerable persons check.
• A minimum of two years of payroll and administrative experience, ideally within property management.
• Experience with Payworks or similar payroll management software.
• Experience with Yardi or similar property management software.
  
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities.
• Excellent customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• A team player with the ability to collaborate with diverse groups.

Youll Stand Out If You Also Have:

• Previous experience with a not-for-profit housing organization.
• Familiarity with property management software such as Yardi.

Working environment, conditions and physical demands

The position entails moderate physical activity such as property visits, alongside computer and desk work. The work environment may occasionally be stressful due to handling sensitive situations, managing competing priorities, and meeting tight deadlines. Hours are typically 37.5 per week but may vary based on circumstances, occasionally requiring after-hours and weekend work.

Compensation

• A competitive salary
• Potential performance bonus: Up to 5%
• Initial vacation entitlement of three weeks
• Comprehensive benefits package including a health spending account
• RRSP featuring an automatic 5% contribution from Onward and an additional 2% contribution with a matching component
• Five flex days per year
• A dynamic and supportive work environment where your actions make a real impact in the community

Our Commitment

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion ensures equal opportunities for all applicants; we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

Thank you for your interest in Onward!

Join us to make a significant impact in Calgary's community and housing sector! Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to discover more about our ongoing work and plans for the future.