Payroll Operations Lead

The Next Step; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Next Step Recruitment is seeking a Payroll Operations Lead in Sydney, NSW, Australia. This initial 3–4 month contract role will lead and develop a team of Payroll Officers while ensuring accurate, compliant payroll operations within a complex environment.

You will partner with HR and Finance to drive process improvements, system enhancements, and operational efficiencies. The role requires ADP payroll experience, strong governance, and a detail-oriented approach.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading payroll teams in medium to large organisations with a mix of blue and white collar employees.
• Strong ADP payroll experience and ability to navigate system enhancements.
• Deep understanding of awards, Enterprise Agreements, allowances and payroll compliance.
• Experience supporting shift-based and rostered workforces.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with complex payroll reconciliations.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight across payroll operations.
• Support and develop a team of Payroll Officers.
• Ensure payroll compliance with legislation, awards and company policies.
• Act as the escalation point for complex payroll matters.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and support payroll transformation activities.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance and operational stakeholders to strengthen payroll processes and controls.
• Support payroll system enhancements, testing and optimisation projects.
• Maintain a strong focus on payroll accuracy, compliance and operational excellence.

Skills

People leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Attention to detail

Tools

ADP payroll system

Excel (Advanced)

Job description

Payroll Operations Lead The Next Step Recruitment Sydney, NSW, AU

Job Description

About the Role
An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Payroll Operations Lead to join a large and complex organisation during a period of ongoing payroll improvement and transformation. This is an initial contract role (3 - 4 months) with the potential to transition into a permanent position for the right person.

Leading a team of Payroll Officers, you will be responsible for overseeing payroll operations, ensuring payroll is processed accurately, compliantly and in accordance with relevant legislation, awards and Enterprise Agreements. While the team performs the day-to-day payroll processing, you will provide leadership, governance, technical expertise and support across a highly complex payroll environment.

The role will also partner closely with senior stakeholders to identify opportunities for process improvement, system enhancements and operational efficiencies. This role is not responsible for actually processing the payrolls.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight across payroll operations.
• Support and develop a team of Payroll Officers.
• Ensure payroll compliance with legislation, awards, Enterprise Agreements and company policies.
• Act as the escalation point for complex payroll matters.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and support payroll transformation activities.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance and operational stakeholders to strengthen payroll processes and controls.
• Support payroll system enhancements, testing and optimisation projects.
• Maintain a strong focus on payroll accuracy, compliance and operational excellence.

About You

You are an experienced payroll leader who thrives in complex environments and enjoys balancing operational oversight with process improvement.

You will bring:

• Proven experience leading payroll teams within medium to large organisations with a mix of blue and white collar employees
• Strong ADP payroll experience, with the confidence to navigate the system and support system enhancements.
• Deep understanding of awards, Enterprise Agreements, allowances, overtime and payroll compliance requirements.
• Ideally experience managing payroll functions supporting shift-based and rostered workforces.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience working with complex payroll reconciliations.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• A calm, patient and highly detail-oriented approach.
• The ability to effectively manage competing priorities in a complex environment.

If you are a technically strong payroll leader with ADP expertise and experience navigating complex payroll environments, we would love to hear from you.

This contract is an ASAP start and is offering a hybrid work environment with 3 days in the office and 2 days WFH.

The office is based in a central location within Sydney CBD. 3 - 4 month contract role with potential to go permanent.

For specific questions about this role, please contact Vicki Treeby at *******@thenextstep.com.au