Payroll & Benefits Administrator

Robots and Pencils•Calgary, AB

4d•Remote

About The Position

Robots & Pencils is an applied AI engineering firm building the next frontier of business architecture. We design and ship AI co-workers that integrate into enterprise operations and deliver measurable results for our clients. We're all in on AWS, combining deep UX capability with senior engineering talent to get AI into production fast and keep it there. We’ve earned the trust of leaders across Consumer Products and Retail, Education, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Manufacturing and more, and earned a reputation as the nimble alternative to traditional global systems integrators. Founded in 2009, with delivery centers in Canada, the United States, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, we are smaller, faster, and more senior by design. Our teams average 15+ years of experience. We move fast, sweat the details, and build things that actually ship. We're looking for a Payroll & Benefits Administrator to keep semi-monthly payroll accurate and on time across Canada and the U.S. You'll own the day-to-day mechanics of the job — entering and verifying employee data in the HRIS and payroll systems, processing benefits and pension transactions, and staying compliant across multiple jurisdictions — plus the reporting, reconciliations, and year-end filings that keep the business audit-ready. You'll report to the Payroll & Benefits Manager, North America, and work closely with the Talent (HR) Manager, Talent Engagement Specialist, IT, and Finance. This role is remote-first and detail-heavy — you'll manage a high volume of sensitive data without losing accuracy, and you'll do well here if you're precise, discreet, and energized by making a fast-moving payroll operation run cleanly.

Requirements

Diploma or degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Payroll, Business Administration, or a related field
3–5 years of hands-on payroll and benefits administration experience, ideally spanning both Canada and the U.S.
Working knowledge of payroll legislation, tax compliance, and employment standards in Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions
Experience with payroll/HRIS systems such as ADP or BambooHR, and full-cycle payroll processing
Experience administering benefits, wellness programs, and pension plans
High attention to detail and strong reconciliation instincts — you catch the missing hour and the duplicate entry before anyone else does
Discretion and professionalism handling sensitive payroll and employee data
Strong Excel skills and comfort working across HR and payroll systems
Ability to manage competing deadlines and stay composed under pressure

Nice To Haves

Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) designation, obtained or in progress
Experience with Slack and SharePoint, including Slack workflow builder

Responsibilities

Enter and verify employee data changes in the HRIS/payroll system — new hires, terminations, address changes, direct deposit details, and tax forms
Coordinate and administer semi-monthly payroll for salaried and hourly employees across Canada and the U.S., ensuring accuracy and compliance with local laws
Run pre-payroll reports for regular and off-cycle payrolls, and prepare termination documentation, for review by the Payroll & Benefits Lead
Validate timesheets and hours worked, and run routine payroll reconciliations to catch missing hours or duplicate entries
Prepare annual tax documents (T4s, W-2s, ROEs) and support year-end reporting, journal entries, and payroll tax reconciliation across both countries
Process benefits and pension transactions — new enrollments, life event updates, terminations — and support pension contribution file uploads to providers
Balance and reconcile benefit invoices for Canada and U.S. group plans, and maintain time-off accrual accuracy through routine audits and system syncs
Maintain accurate, synced employee and compensation data across HRIS, payroll, and benefits systems, and generate regular headcount, cost, and leave reporting
Respond to employee payroll and benefits inquiries promptly and professionally, escalating complex issues to the Payroll & Benefits Lead when needed
Liaise with benefits providers on day-to-day requests — ID cards, coverage confirmations — and support wellness program communications and participation tracking
Support new hire and open enrollment logistics, and partner with HR and Payroll/Benefits leadership on leave management, including maternity and medical leave
Prepare responses to Unemployment Insurance requests and support workers' compensation reporting, filings, and audits in both Canada and the U.S.
Flag process inefficiencies and gaps as you find them, and work with HR and Payroll/Benefits leadership to fix them
Maintain strict confidentiality and data-privacy discipline as the person closest to sensitive payroll and benefits data
Support audits and internal reviews by pulling accurate, well-organized data on request