Payroll Manager

Absolute Executive Recruitment Pty Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Absolute Executive Recruitment Pty Ltd is seeking a senior payroll leader to establish and run the payroll function as the business scales across Australia and Asia. This role will decide on in-house vs outsourced delivery, select systems, and build the team and processes required to support growth.

You will implement governance, ensure Award compliance across regions, and partner with HR and Finance to deliver accurate, timely payroll reporting while shaping the delivery model by region.

Qualifications

• Experience leading payroll across Australia and APAC.
• Deep knowledge of Awards and jurisdictional compliance.
• Proven track record in scaling payroll functions in high-growth settings.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll including in-house vs outsourced delivery decisions.
• Establish payroll governance, controls and documentation from the ground up.
• Develop and present a payroll strategy and roadmap by region.
• Prepare payroll reporting for Head of Finance and partner with HR/Finance on related queries.

Skills

Multi-country payroll

Award compliance

Provider management

Strategic leadership

Job description

About the Company

Our client is a fast-growing, well-backed business with an expanding footprint across Australia and Asia. Operating in a dynamic, high-growth sector, the business is scaling quickly, with a culture that keeps decision-making fast. This is a genuine opportunity to build a function from the ground up and shape how the Payroll function operates as it grows.

About the Role

This newly created position will establish and lead the payroll function as the business scales its workforce across Australia and Asia. This is as much about building the tools, processes and controls the function needs as it is about running day-to-day payroll delivery. You'll operate in a still-forming systems environment, with the mandate to shape whether payroll is run in-house or outsourced, and to build whatever is required to support that decision.

Duties

• Own the end-to-end payroll function — including the in-house vs outsourced decision, systems selection, migration and team build-out
• Ensure statutory and Award compliance across all regions, and establish payroll governance, controls and documentation from the ground up
• Develop and present a payroll strategy and roadmap, backed by an evidence-based recommendation on delivery model by region
• Prepare payroll reporting for the Head of Finance and leadership, and partner closely with HR and Finance on related queries and projects

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience managing multi-country payroll, ideally including Australia and APAC, with strong knowledge of Awards and jurisdictional compliance
• Experience managing outsourced payroll providers, with the judgement to assess when in-house delivery makes sense
• Track record establishing or uplifting a payroll function in a high-growth or scale-up environment
• Commercial, detail-oriented and self-directed, with the confidence to advise senior stakeholders autonomously