Administrative Lead, Payroll & Accounting

JOB TITLE

Administrative Lead, Payroll & Accounting

EMPLYMENT STATUS

Union, HEU

WAGE CLASSIFICATION

Community Collective Agreement, Wage Grid 40: $38.55-$40.28/hour, 1.0 FTE, 37.5 hours per week

REPORTS TO

Executive Director

POSTING ID

2026-06

START DATE

June 1, 2026 (Proposed)

HOURS

37.5 hour week, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, some flexibility required*

LOCATION

Flexible & Hybrid (Home Office & CMHA Lower Mainland Downtown Vancouver Office)

About You

Are you looking to be part of a team where you can further develop your skills as a financial leader? Or maybe you’ve acquired years of experience in either the for-profit or non-profit world, and you’re looking to settle into a role and team that is deeply values aligned. Whatever the case, here is how we see this next member of the CMHA Lower Mainland Team:

You are someone who thrives in work that is steady, detail-focused, and deeply relied upon by others. You bring strong competency in accounting and financial operations and take pride in getting things right, especially when accuracy, compliance, and people’s pay and benefits are on the line. You are comfortable working within established systems but you also appreciate the opportunity to improve and build new and more efficient ones. You’re confident in navigating and tracking important details including those related to collective agreements. You remain calm and focused when timelines are tight or pressure is high because you understand the difference between resisting false urgency and operating quickly when your work impacts other humans. You approach feedback and evolving ways of working with openness and curiosity, and you know when to resolve issues independently and when to pause, ask questions, or adapt as circumstances change. You value collaboration and clear communication, and you bring a respectful, steady presence to sensitive or time sensitive financial questions in a mission driven organization.

About CMHA Lower Mainland

We are transforming mental health and wellness practice for individuals, communities, and organizations through programs and services that are rooted in innovation, inclusion and collaboration. Our core priority is people first. We are here to help people. Our programs and services are intended to improve people’s lives. It is people, our team members, partners, volunteers and donors, who make that support possible.

The guiding principles of our teamwork are Intersectionality, Access, Leadership, Connections.

About the Role

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Payroll & Accounting Administrator plays a key role in maintaining financial accuracy, compliance, and operational continuity across the organization.

The Payroll & Accounting Administrator is responsible for the accurate and timely administration of payroll and core accounting operations, including accounts payable and receivable, payroll processing, statutory and benefit related deductions, vacation accruals, employee expense management and oversight, and financial reporting as it relates to program delivery.

This role supports month end and year end financial routines, including audit functions, and contributes to the preparation of financial statements, budgets, and related service and program reporting.

The Payroll & Accounting Administrator works collaboratively with members of the Senior Management Team and provides payroll related and administrative support to Human Resources as required.

As a key point of continuity in day-to-day financial operations, the Payroll & Accounting Administrator ensures payroll and accounting activities are completed in accordance with legislation, collective agreements, and internal controls.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration, Reporting & Compliance

• Process payroll accurately and on schedule, including required manual adjustments, in compliance with internal policies and procedures.
• Transmit payroll files to financial institutions and reconcile payroll deductions, disbursements, and remittances to the Receiver General for Canada.
• Maintain accurate and complete payroll records, including employment changes, WCB claims, retroactive payments, and employee benefit entitlements, ensuring consistency with internal policies and documentation standards.
• Track, calculate, and reconcile vacation accruals, usage, carryover, and payouts, ensuring alignment with payroll records, employment terms, collective agreements, and internal policy requirements.
• Post payroll entries to the general ledger and ensure payroll data is balanced, accurate, and compliant with applicable collective agreements and internal policies, applying provisions related to wages, benefits, leave entitlements, and remittances, and flagging discrepancies or issues for review.
• Complete year end payroll reporting, including T4/T5/T2200 slips, summaries, and supporting working papers, in line with regulatory and internal requirements.
• Prepare and review payroll reports, investigate discrepancies, and escalate complex or unresolved issues in accordance with established escalation protocols.

Financial Operations & Asset Management

• Process and reconcile accounts payable and receivable, ensuring invoices are coded accurately, approved in accordance with internal policies, and paid on time by cheque, EFT, or other methods of payment.
• Perform monthly account reconciliations and support bank deposits, bank statement reviews, and general journal entries.
• Support closing month-end activities and contribute to the preparation of regularly scheduled financial statements.
• Collect, compile, and maintain financial data to support budgeting, audits, payroll related reporting, and reporting to funders and internal management.
• Support the tracking and development of regularly scheduled program financial statements for funding partners that meet contract and compliance criteria.
• Track and support the receipt, invoicing and overall management of participant subsidies across CMHA Lower Mainland programs.
• Track and maintain fixed asset records, including laptops, phones, and related equipment, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Ensure asset information is current and coordinate updates with IT service providers and internal teams as required.
• Support the approval and payment of staff expenses via the designated expense management platform taking care to flag any discrepancies or departure from internal policy and controls.

General Duties

• Attend staff meetings and participate in cross functional collaboration as required.
• Contributes to the continuous improvement of payroll and accounting processes, including documentation, workflows, and internal controls.
• Work closely with Human Resources to support employee onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Update and maintain employee profiles in Payworks, including benefits enrollment, leave reporting, and pension information.
• Respond to internal and external payroll and accounting inquiries in a timely and professional manner, resolving issues where possible and escalating as appropriate.
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive payroll and financial information.
• Support compliance with organizational policies, funder requirements, and applicable employment and payroll legislation.
• Submit activity reports, timesheets, and expense claims in accordance with organizational timelines.
• Provide backup and cross coverage support for other members of the Finance team as required.
• Participate in special projects and perform other related duties as assigned, in alignment with the functions and responsibilities of the accounting team.

Your Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum five years’ experience in related accounting roles with payroll and accounts payable responsibilities.
• Post secondary degree in a financially relevant field and/or combination of education, training and experience determined to be equivalent to a degree
• Accounting designation is an asset
• High Level of Proficiency in Excel, QuickBooks Online, Sage 300, and Microsoft Outlook.
• Highly effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to build positive relationships with employees, managers, funders, and external partners.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills with ability to prioritize tasks.
• Eligible for a fidelity bond and committed to maintaining confidentiality.
• Experience in a unionized environment.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Competence in financial calculations and accounting practices.

Additional Requirements

• Successful completion of a criminal record check, including a vulnerable sector screening, as a condition of employment.
• Verification of education and employment credentials as part of the hiring process.

Nice-to-Haves

• CPA designation and/or training or enrollment in the CPA program.
• Experience working in Payworks (HRIS).
• Experience working with FLOAT (payments and expense management platform)
• Certification or enrollment in the Canadian Payroll Association program, or equivalent education or experience.
• Experience in a not-for-profit organization.

Inclusive Hiring at CMHA Lower Mainland

CMHA Lower Mainland is committed to fostering a workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from people who identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA plus community, and people with lived or living experience of mental health challenges. We are committed to equitable hiring practices and will provide reasonable accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process in accordance with the BC Human Rights Code. If you require accommodation, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

How and Where We Work

This is a hybrid role that is primarily based out of the employee’s home office, with in-person presence required from time to time (minimum one day a week in downtown CMHA office to support on-site accounting functions.) The necessary hardware and equipment (including computer and phone) will be provided for use at home and is supported by an external IT team as well as a robust suite of digital tools, policies, and a VPN to support security and confidentiality. The role will include working from CMHA Lower Mainland’s downtown Vancouver office on a weekly basis to support accounting tasks, training and other in-person meetings. *While standard hours of work are Monday to Friday during regular business hours of 9 am to 5 pm, some flexibility outside of these hours may be required at times to ensure timely and accurate payroll processing and reporting deadlines. Any and all work applied that is flexible and falls outside of regular working hours will align with current collective agreement requirements.

Compensation, Benefits and Vacation

This position is unionized and compensated in accordance with the applicable collective agreement. The current wage range for this role falls under Wage Grid 40, $38.55-$40.28 per hour, based on experience and qualifications, and in alignment with the collective agreement in effect at the time of hire. Benefits, vacation entitlements, and other terms and conditions of employment are provided in accordance with the collective agreement.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter directly to us by email to careers@cmhalm.ca with the subject line: Payroll & Accounting Administrator. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Deadline to apply

May 15th, 12 PM (Noon) PST