Team Lead, Payroll at Trans Mountain

Trans Mountain Corporation operates Canada’s only pipeline system transporting oil products to the West Coast. We deliver approximately 890,000 barrels of petroleum products each day through a dual pipeline system of more than 1,150 kilometres of pipeline in Alberta, British Columbia and Washington state.

Trans Mountain also operates a state-of-the-art loading facility, Westridge Marine Terminal, with three berths providing tidewater access to global markets.

As a federal Crown corporation, Trans Mountain continues to build on more than 70 years of experience delivering operational and safety excellence through our crude oil pipeline system.

With our expanded pipeline system now in place, Trans Mountain provides enhanced direct access for Canadian crude oil to world markets. The expansion realizes a world-class system for oil transport, developed to Canada’s high standards within one of the most stringent regulatory regimes in the world, creating long-term economic benefits, enhanced marine protection, enhanced safety and emergency management capabilities, and enhanced skilled-worker capacity building in communities and Indigenous groups.

Our Core Values

Trans Mountain’s core values – Safety, Integrity, Respect and Excellence – guide our every step. Each obstacle we’ve overcome or success we’ve experienced has been the result of a shared commitment to living these values every day. Together, we’re focused on doing the right thing for each other and our communities.

The Team Lead, Payroll is responsible for overseeing payroll operations for Canadian and U.S. employees, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with all legislative and

internal policies. This role combines leadership with cross-functional collaboration and drives continuous improvement in payroll systems and processes.

This position will be located at our Calgary Head office and is an office-based position, and reports to the Manager, HR Operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for leading, coaching, and supporting payroll team members to ensure high performance and engagement. They set team goals, monitor key performance indicators such as payroll accuracy and processing time, and ensure cross-training among team members. Additionally, they are accountable for ensuring up-to-date process documentation and supporting succession planning through regular reviews and updates.
• This role oversees the end-to-end payroll processing for both Canadian and U.S. employees, ensuring full compliance with federal, provincial, and state legislation. The Team Lead is also responsible for designing schedules that support compliance, auditing payroll processes, policies, and controls to ensure accuracy and data integrity, and staying informed of legislative changes that may impact payroll. They approve payroll runs and ensure timely remittances and reconciliations.
• Identifies and implements improvements to payroll workflows and system configurations, including platforms such as ADP, GNA and ServiceNow. They troubleshoot payroll and HR data issues, enhance communication across teams, and lead payroll-related projects such as system upgrades, process changes, and policy rollouts. They are also responsible for maintaining and testing the payroll business continuity plan.
• Acts as the primary contact for internal and external payroll audits. They collaborate with HR, Finance, and operational leaders to resolve issues and improve service delivery. Additionally, they ensure proper electronic filing of employee data.
• Provides payroll data and insights to support budgeting, Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) reporting, vacation and overtime tracking, and payroll dashboards. They also design and maintain reports that support decision-making across departments.
• This role oversees vacation tracking, vacation carry forward, liability reporting, taxable benefits and updates to related policies.
• Develop and maintain payroll and IT controls related to HR data access and compliance, particularly within the payroll systems. The Team Lead ensures the secure handling of employee data and compliance with privacy regulations.
  
  

Qualifications And Professional Experience

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field (preferred).
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in payroll operations, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or team lead role.
• Payroll Leadership Professional designation (formerly Certified Payroll Manager Certification) is required.
• CPHR (Chartered Professional in Human Resources) designation strongly preferred.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and staying current with legislative changes (e.g., seminars through the National Payroll Institute).
• Expertise in full-cycle payroll processing for Canadian and U.S. employees, including Year-end processing and reconciliations for payroll.
• Strong understanding of Canadian payroll legislation and compliance requirements.
• Proven ability to minimize compliance risk through accurate reporting.
• Advanced knowledge of ERP systems and their integrations.
• Understanding of HR operations, including data maintenance and IT interfaces for onboarding and offboarding.
• Familiarity with ServiceNow workflows and experience with year-end payroll processing, audits and reconciliations.
• Ability to develop orientation and training materials using PowerPoint.
• Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in HRIS systems.
• Collaborative leader with a passion for mentoring, coaching, leading, fostering teamwork and guiding others; capable in navigating and facilitating difficult conversations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across teams.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and sound decision-making skills.
• Exceptional analytical, prioritization, and organizational skills.
• Thrives under pressure, adept at managing strict deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Critical focus on accuracy and detail, with the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, agile, dynamic, and multi-tasking environment.
  
  

Application

Candidates may submit their application in English or French. To apply in French, please use our French careers site: Careers (French)

We Build Careers and Pipelines That Last

Our story is about determination, resourcefulness and resilience. It’s about charting our own course, finding innovative solutions to challenging problems and doing the right thing. It was true when Trans Mountain became a company in 1951 and it’s just as true today. We welcome new members to our team that embrace the qualities in our story, that thrive on the new path and directions we take. Our culture is one of care and taking our responsibilities seriously. If you would like to contribute to our culture, then join our journey.

A Rewarding Opportunity

We offer:

• Valuable experience providing opportunity for professional development and career advancement;
• An opportunity to engage with and learn from some of the most talented and experienced people in the business;
• Competitive compensation;
• Comprehensive benefits programs including flexible benefits, pension and savings plans;
• A place to share a sense of purpose and build relationships;
• Meaningful work that makes a difference;
• An opportunity within the Canadian energy industry.
  
  

We value:

• The health, safety and wellness of everyone working in our company;
• Meaningful participation from Indigenous and local communities;
• The commitment and resilience of our people;
• Collaboration and achieving success together.
  
  

In keeping with Trans Mountain’s commitment to maximize benefits for communities, priority will be given to qualified candidates from Indigenous, local and regional communities along the Trans Mountain pipeline corridor.

In Alberta, the pipeline system spans the traditional territories of Treaty 6, 7 and 8, and the Métis Nation of Alberta (Zone 4).

In British Columbia, the system crosses the traditional territories of numerous First Nations that are affiliated with the Secwepemc, Dakelh (Carrier), Nlaka'pamux, Syilx/Okanagan, Interior and Coast Salish, Stó:lo, as well as the Métis.

Trans Mountain also operates through 15 First Nation Reserves located within the region spanning the BC interior through Fraser Valley.

Our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)

Trans Mountain is committed to fostering inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. The diverse viewpoints and cultural knowledge that our employees bring to work enrich our organization’s collective cultural understanding, which is reflected in the work we do every day. We strive to create an environment that is free of barriers to promote full participation in the workplace. Trans Mountain welcomes new team members from traditionally underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.