Payroll Officer

Energy Queensland; Cairns Regional; Hybrid; AUD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work options up to 50% remote

Professional development opportunities

Safety-first culture and EAP

Job summary

Energy Queensland is seeking a Payroll Officer to manage payroll for a large workforce across multiple sites, ensuring accurate, compliant and timely payments. The role emphasizes customer service and data integrity.

Based at Cairns or other major regional locations, the position offers flexible work options and professional development within a supportive, safety‑driven culture.

You will work with SAP/Ellipse payroll and Excel to deliver high‑quality payroll services across the business.

Qualifications

• Certificate IV in Payroll Administration or equivalent experience.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, taxation and superannuation.
• Experience with payroll systems and MS Office, especially Excel.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Australian citizenship, permanent residency, or unrestricted work rights.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate payroll and employee records while ensuring compliance with legislative, industrial and organisational requirements.
• Support the delivery of payroll processing activities and associated reporting requirements.
• Investigate and resolve payroll enquiries while partnering with stakeholders to achieve accurate payroll outcomes.
• Analyse payroll data and identify opportunities to improve processes, reporting and service delivery.

Skills

Payroll administration

Customer service

Data analysis

Attention to detail

Education

Certificate IV in Payroll Administration

Business/HR qualification (optional)

Tools

SAP Payroll

Ellipse Payroll

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Energy Queensland and our operational brands, Energex, Ergon Energy Network, Ergon Retail and Yurika, are at the forefront of powering progress across the state.

As Australia’s largest government-owned electricity organisation, we deliver reliable energy to over two million customers while leading Queensland’s renewable energy future.

With more than a century of experience behind us, you’ll find meaningful work that makes an impact—whether you’re growing your career or mastering your craft. Join a team driving change for today and tomorrow. Your future starts here.

Your opportunity

Join our People, Property & Safety Division as a Payroll Officer and become part of a collaborative, values-driven team that plays a critical role in ensuring our employees are paid accurately, compliantly and on time.

Based at one of our major Energy Queensland locations – Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Toowoomba or Brisbane (Newstead) – this position may also be considered at other Energy Queensland locations for exceptional candidates, subject to operational requirements and workspace availability.

You’ll use your payroll and customer service expertise to deliver high-quality payroll services across a large and diverse workforce while building strong stakeholder relationships and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives. Working within a collaborative and values-driven team, you’ll have the opportunity to help enhance payroll services and deliver exceptional outcomes across the business.

Amplify your impact

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Maintain accurate payroll and employee records while ensuring compliance with legislative, industrial and organisational requirements.
• Support the delivery of payroll processing activities and associated reporting requirements.
• Investigate and resolve payroll enquiries while partnering with stakeholders to achieve accurate payroll outcomes.
• Analyse payroll data and identify opportunities to improve processes, reporting and service delivery.

What's on offer?

At Energy Queensland, we believe in supporting every aspect of your career and personal life. Here’s what you can expect:

• Flexibility that works: Flexible working arrangements, including up to 50% work-from-home options where operationally suitable.
• Grow as you go: Access professional development opportunities, training programs and LinkedIn Learning.
• Feel safe and supported: Enjoy a safety-first culture and access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Program.

Explore our benefits webpage to see how Energy Queensland supports and empowers your journey.

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for someone who can combine payroll expertise with strong customer service, problem-solving and attention to detail. You’ll ideally bring:

• Relevant payroll administration experience together with a Certificate IV in Payroll Administration (or equivalent experience).
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation and practices, including taxation, superannuation, industrial instruments and compliance requirements.
• Strong experience working with payroll systems and Microsoft Office applications, including Excel.
• Strong attention to detail, investigative skills and the ability to identify and resolve payroll issues.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• A collaborative and customer-focused approach, with the ability to build effective working relationships and handle confidential information professionally.
• Australian or New Zealand citizenship, permanent residency, or unrestricted work rights in Australia.

We’d also love you to have:

• Tertiary qualifications in business administration, human resources or a related discipline, or a Certificate III in Business or Financial Services.
• Experience working in end-to-end payroll processing.
• Exposure to multiple industrial instruments, enterprise agreements or award-based payroll environments.
• Experience with systems such as SAP Payroll, Ellipse Payroll or other enterprise payroll platforms.
• A demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement and identifying opportunities to enhance payroll processes.

What matters most?

For us, it’s our values:

We're Safe - We Belong - We Grow - We Deliver

If you’re going to be part of our team, these should matter to you too.

The future of energy is here. It just needs you.

If you use AI tools to support your application, ensure it reflects your experience and authentic voice.

At EQL, it’s important that everyone belongs

We value the differences individuals contribute to our workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and identities. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels safe, respected and empowered to thrive.

here to view more information on diversity and inclusion at Energy Queensland.