Product Owner (HR Technology - Dayforce Time & Attendance)

Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.

The IT Product Owner, HR Technology is accountable for end-to-end ownership, configuration, and continuous improvement of Human Resources technology solutions, with primary accountability for Dayforce Time & Attendance and payroll-adjacent capabilities.

This role serves as the single functional owner for assigned HR systems and acts as the primary liaison between Human Resources, Payroll, Operations, Digital Products, IT, and third-party vendors. The position balances product ownership responsibilities with hands-on operational accountability to ensure system stability, regulatory compliance, and business-readiness within a complex, unionized, and highly operational environment.

The Product Owner operates within an Agile delivery model and contributes to the delivery of scalable, secure, and user-focused solutions that support Air Canada’s workforce and operational objectives.

Responsibilities:

Product Ownership & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a primary point of contact for stakeholders, providing functional leadership and decision-making related to system capabilities and enhancements.
• Ensure backlog is aligned with stakeholder needs and product manager vision to maximize the value delivered by the team.
• Work closely with relevant stakeholders to collect and use information for improved operational performance in the Air Canada Corporate Space with a focus on time and attendance.
• Assess, document, and communicate business, operational, and compliance impacts of proposed system changes.

Dayforce Functional & Operational Ownership

• Own functional configuration of Dayforce Time & Attendance, including pay rules, work schedules, time policies, attendance rules, and time-off programs.
• Responsible for day-to-day time administration activities, exception management, punch corrections, and support for complex scheduling scenarios.
• Maintain Dayforce security and role-based access related to time entry, approvals, and reporting.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex or high-risk issues related to Time & Attendance functionality.

Compliance, Controls & Reporting

• Ensure system configurations comply with employment standards, collective agreements, payroll governance, and internal control requirements.
• Produce, validate, and analyze time, attendance, overtime, and payroll-related reports to support operational oversight and audit activities.
• Support internal and external audit engagements by providing data, analysis, and subject matter expertise.

Delivery, Testing & Agile Execution

• Translate business needs into clear functional requirements and user stories.
• Provide ongoing functional clarification and decision support throughout delivery cycles.
• Plan and lead User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and regression testing for enhancements, configuration changes, and vendor releases.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives, in alignment with Digital Products delivery practices.

Change, Support & Continuous Improvement

• Support vendor upgrades, patch releases, and deployment of new functionality.
• Contribute to end-user enablement through documentation, training materials, and stakeholder communications.

• Identify and implement opportunities to improve business processes through automation, configuration optimization, and effective use of data.

   

Qualifications

Responsibilities:

• Postsecondary education in Information Systems, Business, Human Resources, Accounting, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in a Product Owner, Business Analyst, Consultant or HR Technology role within a large or complex organization.
• Hands-on experience supporting or administering Dayforce WFM, with functional experience in Time & Attendance.
• Proven experience configuring Dayforce Time & Attendance in regulated and/or unionized environments.
• Working knowledge of payroll operations, integrations, upstream and downstream system dependencies, and reporting impacts.
• Experience with SDLC tools like JIRA and Confluence.
• Self-motivated and independent worker.
• Possess investigative nature and be self-motivated.
• Be results oriented with proactive and methodical approach to problem solving.
• Able to multi-task and work under pressure against tight deadlines and changing priorities.
• Must be a team player with ability to work closely with diverse groups and working styles.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective business relationships.
• Ability to follow processes and directives.
• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and audit support.
• Experience working in Agile delivery environments, including backlog management, requirements definition, and testing coordination.
• Proficiency with work management and documentation tools such as Jira and Confluence.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with a proven ability to collaborate effectively across teams
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to translate business requirements into effective system solutions.
• Ability to balance strategic ownership with operational accountability.
• Demonstrate punctuality and dependability to support overall team success in a fast-paced environment.

Assets

• Experience supporting payroll cycles or payroll close activities.
• Experience working within a 24x7 operational or unionized environment.
• Exposure to airline, transportation, or large-enterprise HR systems.

Conditions of Employment:

Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest at the time any offer of employment is made and are responsible for obtaining any required work permits, visas, or other authorizations necessary for employment. Prior to their start date, candidates will also need to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the country of interest.

Linguistic Requirements

Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.

Diversity and Inclusion

Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.

Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.