Finance & Payroll Assistant (TERM)

About us:

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

Your opportunity:

The newly amalgamated Department of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies is a dynamic and inclusive community of scholars dedicated to exploring the literatures, cultures, and languages of Italophone, Lusophone, and Hispanophone communities around the globe. Located in Toronto—a city with vibrant and well-established communities from these linguistic and cultural backgrounds, the Department serves as an important bridge between the University and the diverse populations it represents. It offers four undergraduate programs and graduate programs in both Spanish and Italian. As part of the University of Toronto, one of the world’s foremost institutions for teaching and research, the Department benefits from exceptional campus resources, including a world-class library system with outstanding collections that support our areas of study and scholarship.

Reporting to the Department Manager, the Finance and Payroll Assistant serves as the first point of contact for general financial and payroll enquiries and supports the department in the accurate and timely processing of financial and payroll transactions. The incumbent is responsible for reviewing and processing invoices, expense reimbursements, payroll transactions, and related financial documentation. The role involves reconciling salary and non-salary expenses, identifying and resolving discrepancies, and ensuring compliance with the University Guide to Financial Management, applicable policies, collective agreements, and regulatory requirements. The incumbent works closely with faculty, staff, students, and internal University contacts to provide timely and professional support.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring, recording, reconciling and/or reporting on trust accounts
• Reconciling accounts
• Processing expense reimbursements
• Preparing and/or processing journal entries
• Verifying the accuracy and completeness of information
• Entering salary and/or personnel information in HRIS
• Troubleshooting and resolving payroll discrepancies
• Liaising with internal contacts to resolve accounting, payroll and/or HRIS processing issues

Essential Qualifications:

• Advanced College Diploma (3 years) in Accounting or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum three years of demonstrable experience in the financial administration of operating and grant accounts.
• Experience in processing purchasing orders in CAD and foreign currency
• Experience using a range of enterprise systems including: FIS, HRIS, Usource, ERDD, MS Outlook, Excel, Sharepoint, OneDrive.
• Experience working with digital files; maintaining digital filing system and uploading documents in SAP in a paperless office.
• Experience with processing payroll; liaising with internal & external contacts to resolve payroll and/or HRIS processing issues.
• Experience processing accounts payable/receivable, payroll, and expense claims according to the University Guide to Financial Management and HR policies.
• Experience monitoring, recording, reconciling and/or reporting on funding accounts for grants and operating accounts
• Experience verifying supporting documentation of all FIS and HRIS entries are attached to financial records before processing.
• Experience handling sensitive and/or confidential information.
• Experience identifying and resolving individual financial and payroll discrepancies
• Experience liaising with internal and external contacts to facilitate purchasing and/or procurement processes
• Keeping well-informed on changes to policies, procedures, collective agreements, and applicable legislated requirements
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify, analyze, and resolve discrepancies
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing demands and meet deadlines
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to provide professional and responsive service to faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and follow through on assigned responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Assets (Nonessential):

• Experience administering NSERC and CFI is an asset.
• Familiarity with payroll processing for USW casuals, CUPE U1, CUPE U3, and CUPE U5.
• Proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian is an asset.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Accountable
• Diligent
• Efficient
• Meticulous
• Organized
• Proactive
• Problem solver
• Resourceful

NOTE: This is a term role ending June 2027.

Closing Date: 11/04/2026, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW
Appointment Type: Budget - Term
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 09 -- $70,633 with an annual step progression to a maximum of $90,329. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Finance/Budget/Planning/Audit

Lived Experience Statement

Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.

Indigenous Substantiation Process

The University of Toronto has implemented a process to substantiate Indigenous Membership/Citizenship/Enrolment for candidates who identify as Indigenous. For more information about this process, please refer to the Indigenous Substantiation Website.

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