Payroll Manager

Randstad; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

ACHA Health in Adelaide is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to establish and lead its in-house payroll function for a large, high-volume healthcare workforce. You will report to the Chief People Officer and drive end-to-end payroll delivery, including Workday implementation readiness and testing.

You will lead a team, implement controls, and ensure governance and continuous improvement in payroll operations within a complex environment.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated payroll leadership experience.
• Experience leading end-to-end payroll operations.
• Strong knowledge of Australian payroll legislation and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the insourced payroll function.
• Manage end-to-end payroll delivery for a complex workforce.
• Lead implementation readiness and testing for Workday.
• Build and develop payroll teams.
• Establish controls, reconciliations, and reporting.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Team leadership

Attention to detail

Stakeholder management

Tools

Workday

Job description

About ACHA Health

Adelaide Community Healthcare Alliance Incorporated (ACHA) is South Australia's largest locally based private hospital group, operating Ashford Hospital, Flinders Private Hospital and The Memorial Hospital. With a proud community-based and not-for-profit heritage spanning more than 105 years, ACHA employs approximately 2,500 people and is recognised for its professionalism, compassion and culture of continuous improvement.

Shape the future of payroll at ACHA

ACHA is embarking on an exciting transformation as we bring our People & Culture and payroll capabilities in-house. As part of this journey, we are seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to establish and lead our newly insourced payroll function, taking ownership of end-to-end payroll delivery for a complex healthcare workforce.

Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, this is a hands-on leadership role combining strong technical payroll expertise with the opportunity to build a team, shape service delivery and establish the processes, controls and standards that will support payroll into the future. Joining ahead of our Workday payroll go-live in April 2027, you will play a pivotal role in implementation readiness, parallel payroll testing and transitioning payroll to a fully in-house operating model.

About you

You are an experienced, technically strong payroll leader who is equally comfortable leading a team, working through complex payroll issues and driving improvements. You’ll bring a hands‑on approach, strong attention to detail and the confidence to take ownership of payroll delivery in a complex, high-volume environment.

Your experience and expertise will include:

• Leading end-to-end payroll operations and managing and developing payroll teams
• Interpreting and applying complex Enterprise Agreements, awards, allowances, penalties and overtime provisions
• Payroll system implementations, transformation projects or major system upgrades
• Strong knowledge of Australian payroll legislation and compliance, including PAYG, superannuation, taxation and STP requirements
• Establishing payroll controls, reconciliations, reporting and processes that support accuracy, governance and continuous improvement

Why Join ACHA?

This is a rare opportunity to make your mark by building a new payroll function and shaping both the employee experience and how payroll is delivered across a large and diverse healthcare organisation. As a member of the People & Culture leadership team, you'll join a collaborative and values‑driven organisation where leaders are approachable, relationships matter and there is a strong connection between the work we do and the care delivered to patients every day.

experience 5 years

key responsibilities

• Establish and lead newly insourced payroll function
• Manage end-to-end payroll delivery for complex workforce
• Lead implementation readiness and testing for Workday
• Build and develop payroll teams
• Establish controls, reconciliations, and reporting

qualification

• Demonstrated payroll leadership experience
• System implementation or upgrade experience