Senior Manager, Payroll

Company Overview

Thank you for your interest in the Shaw Festival

Discover more about working at the Shaw Festival by visiting our Welcome Website at welcome.shawfest.com

As one of the world’s leading theatre companies and Niagara’s 20 largest employers, The Shaw is dedicated to an ongoing process of increasing diversity and inclusion in our audiences, our programs, and in all of our hiring for staff, artists, and in the recruiting of board members.

The Shaw is committed to a future when our theatres joyously draw on and include all peoples, fully reflective of the world around us. As such, the Shaw Festival is an equal opportunity employer committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process. We encourage and invite applications from applicants who identify as Indigenous, Black or as persons of colour (IBPOC), the LGBTQ2+ communities and those identifying as gender fluid.

In accordance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and in keeping with our wish to ensure a fully inclusive environment, please advise Human Resources if you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process. We will be happy to assist.

We acknowledge and honour the land upon which we gather as the historic and traditional territory of First Nations peoples. In particular we recognize and thank the Neutral Nation, the Mississauga and the Haudenosaunee for their stewardship of these lands over millennia.

Job Description

Position:  Senior Manager, Payroll
Department:  Finance
Reports to:  Associate Director, Finance/Controller
Location:  Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Work Hours:  Mon-Fri, 9am–5pm (with some flexibility), requirement to work additional hours at certain times of the year
Salary Range:  $80,000–$86,500/annually plus benefits and RRSP (3 month waiting period)
Vacation: Two weeks’ vacation annually prorated for 2026

Position Summary
The Senior Manager, Payroll (SMP) provides essential support to the Associate Director, Finance/Controller and Director of Human Resources and is responsible for the efficient and effective processing of the Shaw Festival Theatre’s weekly payroll processing, currently in the range of $23 – $25 million per annum with an average number of payees per week of 380.The fulfilment of the duties and responsibilities outlined below require an in-depth knowledge of Canadian payroll earnings, deductions, remittances, legislation, and a superior knowledge of Dayforce cloud-based payroll processing platform.

Key Responsibilities
The responsibilities entail performing daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks for the department:
• Weekly payroll processing, supported by the Payroll & Project Coordinator (P&PC). The Shaw has a highly complex payroll incorporating the following payroll groups: non-union full-time and part-time employees (salary and hourly, year-round and seasonal), five different union collective agreements each with unique earnings and deductions, and independent/self-employed contractors such as actors, musicians, directors, designers, and choreographers.  Each of these work groups has externally governed payment rules which guide earnings, vacation pay, and deductions and none are the same.
• Preparation of weekly payroll journal entry and remittances
• Monthly remittance of all deductions and Shaw contributions for compliance purposes. These include required union payments for retirement programs, dues, training, health and other benefits, and employer required payments such as WSIB, EHT, RRSPs, benefits, and Actors’ Fund.
• Monthly reconciliation of approximately 30 payroll G/L accounts
• Preparation of manual journal entries to correct prior entries that were mis-posted, as well as for payroll funds transfers, manual cheques/wires, and month/year-end entries.
• Responsible for managing one direct report, the Payroll and Project Coordinator (P&PC).
• Administration of employee benefits
• Prepare and submit monthly government statistical forms (ie Statistics Canada) and annual payroll statistical information for Shaw Festival’s major operating grants such as head count by department and total compensation.
• Reply to requests for information from CRA and Service Canada.
• Year-end compliance filing and audit which includes the review and correction of T4, T4A, and T4A-NR slips prior to submission for processing and distribution to payees. Reconcile CRA payroll accounts to Dayforce reports. Prepare and submit WSIB & EHT year-end reconciliations.  Reply to auditor sample requests by providing documentation and clarification when needed.
• Provides support to the Associate Director, Finance/Controller, Director of Finance, the Director of Human Resources, and company members.
• Responsible for staying current with all legislative and contractual changes that affect payroll processing and advise senior management of impactful changes.

Required Qualifications
• Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certificate or equivalent course completion
• Post-secondary education in payroll and accounting, and 5 years of experience in a related role
• In depth knowledge of a major vendor payroll platform such as Dayforce or ADP.
• Advance working knowledge of Excel
• Good working knowledge of Word and MS Outlook
• Excellent analytic and data entry skills with significant attention to accuracy and completeness
• Working knowledge of accounting system an asset
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work independently, set priorities and meet deadlines
• Ability to interact professionally with internal and external people
• Ability to deal with highly sensitive and personal information in a confidential manner (Finance Confidentiality Policy)