Eba & Payroll Compliance Specialist

Downer; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work 2 days in office

Job summary

Downer is seeking a Payroll Specialist for a 12-month contract in the Hills District. You will own the Australian payroll and manage processing through ADP for ~120 permanent employees plus casual/site-based staff during peaks.

You will drive process improvements, ensure compliance with payroll/superannuation rules, and collaborate with Finance and HR on reporting. Hybrid role with 2 days in the office.

Qualifications

• Strong Australian payroll experience ownership
• Experience managing payroll for casual, hourly‑paid or blue‑collar workforces
• Strong knowledge of Australian payroll legislation and compliance
• Experience with awards, overtime, allowances and variable pay
• Experience with ADP highly regarded
• Exposure to SAP/SuccessFactors, DayForce or similar systems
• Strong attention to detail and organisational skills
• Ability to work independently and confidently manage competing priorities
• Excellent communication skills with tradespeople, site teams and employees

Responsibilities

• Own the Australian payroll function and act as local payroll expert
• Manage and validate payroll information for processing through ADP
• Handle payroll information and timesheets for permanent and casual/site-based employees
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of overtime, allowances, travel and meals
• Collaborate with operational sites to ensure timely timesheet submission
• Respond to payroll queries and resolve issues efficiently
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual processes and improve payroll efficiency
• Ensure compliance with Australian payroll and superannuation requirements
• Work with Finance and HR on payroll, compliance and reporting requirements
• Build strong relationships with site teams and a trades-based workforce

Job description

Payroll Specialist – 12-Month Contract $90,000 – $100,000 + Super | Hybrid | Hills District

Take ownership of Australian payroll and make a real impact locally.

An exciting opportunity is available for an experienced Payroll Specialist to take ownership of Australian payroll within a global organisation.

This role will manage payroll across a diverse workforce of approximately 120 permanent employees, plus casual and site-based employees during busy periods.

The successful candidate will be trusted to take ownership of the Australian payroll function, identify inefficiencies, improve processes and provide practical solutions.

About the role

• Take ownership of the Australian payroll function and act as the local payroll expert
• Manage and validate payroll information for processing through ADP
• Manage payroll information and timesheets across permanent and casual/site-based employees
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of overtime, allowances, travel and meal-related payments
• Work closely with operational sites to ensure accurate and timely timesheet submission
• Respond to payroll queries and resolve issues efficiently
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual processes and improve payroll efficiency
• Ensure compliance with Australian payroll and superannuation requirements
• Work closely with Finance and HR on payroll, compliance and reporting requirements
• Build strong relationships with site teams and employees, including a trades-based workforce

About you

You will be an experienced Australian payroll professional who is confident taking ownership of a payroll function and can hit the ground running. You will be trusted to manage the Australian payroll function and provide confidence to HR and Finance that payroll is in good hands.

You will ideally bring:

• Strong Australian payroll experience ownership
• Experience managing payroll for casual, hourly‑paid or blue‑collar workforces
• Strong knowledge of Australian payroll legislation and compliance
• Experience with awards, overtime, allowances and variable pay
• Experience with ADP highly regarded
• Exposure to SAP/SuccessFactors, DayForce or similar systems
• Strong attention to detail and excellent organisational skills
• The ability to work independently and confidently manage competing priorities
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to deal with tradespeople, site teams and employees at all levels
• A practical, solutions‑focused approach to problem solving
• The resilience and confidence to handle challenging conversations when required

Most importantly, you will be someone who knows payroll and takes ownership.

Rather than simply identifying an issue, you will naturally think: “How can we improve this?”

Why join?

This is a great opportunity to join a global organisation with genuine scope to influence how Australian payroll operates.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Take ownership of a newly localised Australian payroll function
• Make tangible improvements to processes and efficiencies
• Work closely with senior HR and Finance stakeholders
• Build relationships across a large operational and trades‑based workforce
• Gain exposure to complex casual and outage payroll
• Potentially take on additional APAC payroll responsibilities over time
• Have your expertise trusted and your ideas heard

We would love to hear from you. If you’re an experienced Payroll Specialist looking for an opportunity where you can genuinely own a function, improve processes and make an impact, we’re eager to discuss.

• Hybrid working 2 days per week in office