Benefits Specialist, Human Resources

Job Responsibility:

Edmonton Catholic Schools is a large urban school division whose mission is to provide a Catholic education that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another. The Division is comprised of over 50,000 students and 5,000 employees in 95 schools plus other sites.

Pay and Benefit Specialist
Requisition ID : 9965 Hours Per Week : 35 Position : Existing FTE : 1 Department : Employee Services No Months Per Year : 12 Position Status : Temporary Employee Group : OOS Rate of Pay : $63,840 - $79,814 Posting Closing Date : 6/13/25 The Pay and Benefit Specialist is responsible for the delivery of payroll, benefit, and pension services within the Division. This role ensures accurate payroll administration, benefits management, and compliance with regulations. The specialist contributes to the Division's goal of providing equitable and efficient employee services.
Payroll Administration (30%)
Perform complex calculations to ensure accurate salary payments in accordance with Division policies.
Process year-end T4s, analyze data integrity, and ensure compliance with Canada Revenue Agency requirements.
Develop and maintain documentation of procedures.
Administer and interpret diverse payroll and benefit regulations, collective agreements, and terms for employee groups.
Develop, monitor, and maintain earnings and deduction tables, pay runs, time schedule calendars, and accumulators.
Submit data to the bank via an electronic database.
Generate annual, monthly, and ad hoc reports through data extraction from the electronic payroll system.
Benefit Administration (20%)
Assist with employee orientation sessions.
Counsel employees on post-retirement benefits options.
Assist employees with benefit and pension impacts during leaves.
Interpret and respond to inquiries about benefits and pension.
Research errors, adjustments, and discrepancies; follow up with solutions.
Manage Early Retiree Benefit plan premium submissions.
Employee Health Administration (15%)
Work with Employee Health Services (EHS) to obtain and monitor information impacting pay and benefits.
Manage highly confidential information and employee interactions.
Review employee absence data to determine if a deduction in pay is required.
Review employee return-to-work information to confirm accurate pay adjustments.
Pension Services (15%)
Provide monthly remittance statements to meet time-sensitive deadlines.
Submit requests for payments to Financial Services for processing.
Research and calculate prior service information for pensionable service costings.
Distribute pensionable service costings for leaves of absences.
Provide monthly calculations, remittances, and reporting requirements for the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP).
Analyze prior service costings and evaluate options for purchasing to enable informed decisions by employees.
Consultation and Communication (10%)
Respond to a range of questions and requests for information.
Manage inquiries to ensure timely, accurate, and appropriate responses.
Provide help-desk services by responding to questions and assisting users in navigating the self-service site.
Develop information tools to advise employees of updates impacting pay and earnings.
Build positive relationships with stakeholders to support best HR practices.
Department Activities and Professional Development (10%)
Establish effective policies, procedures, and systems ensuring best practices are followed.
Evaluate reporting functions in the unit and recommend changes for improvement.
Research opportunities to streamline administrative processes using emerging technology.
Provide support during peak workloads, special projects, and absences.
Maintain technical knowledge through various activities.
Stay updated on trends with other Divisions, professional organizations, and government agencies.
Qualifications:
Diploma in Business Administration or related field. Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) designation from the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA).
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of payroll, benefits, and pension policies, procedures, and processes.
Understanding of collective agreements, HR policies, Employment Standards Act, FOIPP legislation, financial policies related to HR program administration.
Strong written and oral communication skills for conveying complex information clearly.
Excellent time management and organizational abilities to meet deadlines.
Effective teamwork skills to build positive working relationships with others.
Strong analytical skills for problem-solving and attention to detail with numerical accuracy.
Continuously seek innovative ways to improve work performance, anticipate change, challenge the status quo.
Act with integrity, seek personal growth opportunities based on core values.
Build emotional resilience, seek feedback to positively impact others' performance.
Develop effective relationships by actively listening to diverse viewpoints.
Make decisions based on future trends aligned with organizational mission.
What we offer:

• Make a real difference: Your expertise directly impacts the success of the division's administrators, teachers, students, and parents.
• Be part of a dynamic team: Be part of a collaborative team that works with many diverse groups and builds meaningful connections.
• Continuous learning: Embrace new technologies and challenges, growing your technical skillset through provided training opportunities.
• 100% employer-paid benefits, including: Health, Vision, and Dental.
• A Health/Wellness Spending Account.
• EFAP - Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• 7-hour workdays, 35 hours per week for a 1.0 FTE.
• Competitive salary and pension.

Edmonton Catholic Schools is committed to maintaining a respectful and inclusive workplace that welcomes and values candidates from diverse backgrounds. We hire employees of all faiths for non-teacher positions.
As a Catholic School Division receiving public funding, our schools and departments are imbued with our Catholic Faith. Candidates are expected to exhibit respect and sensitivity towards our Catholic beliefs and practices embraced by both students and staff.
Edmonton Catholic Schools offers a comprehensive benefits program based on contract status as part of its total compensation package.
Before employment, successful candidates will be required to submit a Police Information Check and Intervention Record Check dated within six months of hiring.
Due to the high volume of applications received, only qualified candidates who are shortlisted will be contacted.