About Us:
As one of the fastest growing cities in Alberta, the City of Airdrie is a recognized leader in building a vibrant and sustainable community through innovation.
At the City of Airdrie, incredible opportunities happen every day in a flexible work environment that is tailored to each department. Our inclusive culture and values create a workplace where we welcome aspiring, driven and creative individuals to help us accomplish our business and community goals. We are supportive of one another, and we have fun while we serve our community. We are passionate about improving the lives of our residents through care and respect; that is the foundation of our organization. At the City of Airdrie, we learn, grow and accomplish great things together. We’re proud to foster a workplace culture built on dedication, teamwork, and genuine care. Our commitment to creating a positive environment is reflected in our employee feedback from the 2025 Employee Engagement Survey, with 92.8% of employees saying they enjoy their work, and 92.6% feeling equipped with the resources they need to stay safe on the job.
If you have a passion for building a better community and are ready to join the excitement, we’d love to hear from you!
The Opportunity:
The Senior Payroll Specialist is a key contributor responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing within a complex environment. This role supports advanced payroll activities, including year-end processing, reconciliations, audit support, and resolution of complex payroll issues. Working closely with the Team Leader, Payroll, the position applies in-depth knowledge of payroll legislation, Pension administration and best practices to maintain compliance and operational excellence.
This role requires strong experience in pension administration, particularly with the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP), including use of the employer portal, processing buybacks, managing leaves without pay, and completing year-end pension reconciliations and reporting. The role plays a critical part in ensuring accuracy and alignment between payroll and pension data.
As a senior team member, this position provides guidance and technical support to the Payroll Specialist and Payroll Advisors on complex payroll matters. It also supports audit activities by preparing documentation, responding to auditor inquiries, and resolving discrepancies.
In addition, the Senior Payroll Specialist supports statutory reporting requirements and contributes to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance payroll accuracy, efficiency, and internal controls.
Responsibilities include:
- Execute and support complex payroll processing activities, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to established policies, collective agreements, and legislative requirements
- Execute and coordinate year-end payroll processing and reconciliations, including T4 preparation, pension and benefit reconciliations, WCB reporting, and statutory filings, ensuring accuracy and audit readiness
- Manage and execute LAPP-related processes, including employer portal transactions, pension buybacks, leave without pay (LWOP) reporting, and year-end pension reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and compliance
- Support internal and external audit activities by preparing required documentation, respond to audit information requests, and addressing findings in collaboration with the Team Lead
- Independently investigate and resolve complex or high‑risk payroll issues of a technical and transactional nature
- Act as a senior technical resource for the Payroll Specialist and Payroll Advisors by providing guidance on complex transactions, calculations, and payroll scenarios, without formal supervisory or People-Management responsibility
- Identify payroll system issues, data inconsistencies, or process gaps, and recommend improvements to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and internal controls; support payroll projects and provide advanced validation and issue resolution during peak processing periods
You Bring:
- Post Secondary education in Business Administration, Accounting, Human Resources, or related field is an asset
- Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) designation required
- Payroll Leader Professional (PLP) – Considered an asset
- Minimum 5 - 7 years’ experience in a full cycle pay
- Advanced knowledge of Canadian payroll legislation and payroll compliance requirements
- Demonstrated hands-on experience with the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP), including employer portal use, pension buybacks, leave without pay (LWOP) administration, and year-end reconciliation and reporting
- In‑depth knowledge of year‑end payroll processes, including T4 reporting, pension reconciliations, WCB reporting, and statutory filings
- Knowledge in Human Capital Management systems and report writing tools
- Highly proficient with computer skills and technology, including Microsoft Office including Excel
- Strong experience supporting or leading payroll and pension audits, including documentation preparation, reconciliation analysis, and issue resolution
- Analytical, problem solving and troubleshooting skills
- Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a fast-paced environment
- Highly self-motivated and self-directed
- Demonstrates a strong commitment to meeting deadlines and ensuring work is completed accurately and on time
- Maintains a high level of customer service with a focus on delivering timely, helpful, and respectful support
- Ability to build and maintain strong collaborative relationships within the team
- Maintains confidentiality and consistently demonstrates ethical behavior when handling sensitive payroll and employee data
We Offer:
Along with a competitive compensation program and City paid health and dental premiums, our employees also enjoy:
- Excellent health, dental, paramedical, and benefits plan
- Career development and tuition reimbursement
- Employee discounts, gym membership, social events, and health & wellness initiatives
Continuous learning through training and development is encouraged as are flexible work arrangements, when possible. We recognize that our people work best when they feel engaged in their environment and appreciated for their efforts and our overall benefits package reflects that.
Additional Information:
This is a 24-month temporary role scheduled at 37.5 hours per week. An extension of the term is dependent on operational needs.
Please include a cover letter along with your resume.
Next Steps:
Candidates are invited to apply online. We only accept resumes and additional application documents through our online recruitment system. In-person applications, email or other online forms will not be considered.
If you require an accommodation during any part of the application or hiring process, please contact us at [email protected] and we will work with you to meet your needs.
The City of Airdrie is committed to fostering a workplace culture where belonging, equity, accessibility, and diversity are deeply ingrained into all parts of the City, where employees feel they belong, are treated with respect, and where everyone can thrive and contribute to the City’s success.
Postings close at 10:00 PM MT (Mountain Time) on the closing date listed in the posting. We recommend applying as soon as possible as we are not able to accept late applications.
Please review the job competition carefully and be sure to attach any specifically requested documentation in the My Documents section of your application.
Interviewing and hiring may commence prior to the posted closing date.
Thank you for your interest in the City of Airdrie.
