Payroll & Remuneration Manager

Ambition Recruitment; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus 10-20%

Hybrid work arrangement

Senior leadership role

Job summary

Ambition Recruitment’s client in Sydney CBD is seeking an experienced Payroll & Remuneration Manager to lead the payroll function across multiple business units with a 5-person team. The role requires strong compliance, remuneration expertise and stakeholder collaboration to deliver accurate fortnightly payroll.

The position offers a hybrid work pattern (3 days in office, 2 days from home), a competitive package and bonus potential tied to performance, with a focus on governance and process

Qualifications

• Proven payroll leadership in a complex environment.
• Experience with remuneration and benefits initiatives.
• Strong leadership with payroll team management experience.
• Extensive knowledge of Awards, Enterprise Agreements and IR legislation.
• Strong payroll compliance, auditing and governance experience.
• Advanced understanding of payroll legislation and best practice controls.
• Experience with ADP Payforce highly advantageous.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to work operationally while providing strategic leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end payroll across multiple business units.
• Manage a team of 5 with leadership and mentorship.
• Ensure accurate and timely fortnightly payroll.
• Drive payroll compliance, audit readiness and governance activities.
• Oversee onboarding, terminations, leave management and payroll controls.
• Lead payroll reconciliations, EOFY activities and statutory obligations.
• Partner with People & Culture, Finance and operations stakeholders.
• Support payroll system initiatives and process improvement projects.
• Provide remuneration and benefits expertise and contribute to remuneration framework development.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Payroll compliance

Remuneration management

Stakeholder management

Process improvement

ADP Payforce

Tools

ADP Payforce

Job description

$180,000 - $190,000 + Super + Bonus | Sydney CBD | 2 Days WFH

Drive payroll excellence, remuneration initiatives and reward frameworks

Lead a payroll team delivering payroll with strong payroll compliance expertise

A rare opportunity to lead payroll and remuneration in a key leadership role focused on compliance, process improvement and team development!

THE CLIENT

A well-established national organisation is seeking an experienced Payroll & Remuneration Manager to provide leadership across its payroll function.

This is a hands‑on leadership role suited to someone who enjoys balancing operational payroll delivery, stakeholder management, compliance, and process improvement initiatives.

BENEFITS

Competitive package

• Annual bonus potential of 10-20%

Senior leadership role with a voice and 'seat at the table' driving positive change

Hybrid working arrangement with 3 days in the office and 2 days from home

• Opportunity to influence payroll governance, compliance and process improvements
• Exposure to large-scale payroll operations and complex industrial environments
• Fantastic team‑oriented culture with strong leadership and support
• Collaborative People & Culture leadership team

THE ROLE

• Lead the end-to-end payroll function across multiple business units

Manage a team of 5, leadership and mentorship

Ensure accurate and timely fortnightly payroll

Drive payroll compliance, audit readiness and governance activities

• Interpret and apply Awards, Enterprise Agreements and industrial instruments
• Oversee onboarding, terminations, leave management and payroll controls
• Lead payroll reconciliations, EOFY activities and statutory obligations
• Partner closely with People & Culture, Finance and operational stakeholders
• Support payroll system initiatives and process improvement projects
• Provide remuneration and benefits expertise and contribute to remuneration framework developmeTHE

PERSON

Proven Payroll Management experience within complex environment

Experience with Remuneration and benefits initiatives

• Strong leadership capability with experience managing payroll teams
• Extensive knowledge of Awards, Enterprise Agreements and Industrial Relations legislation
• Strong payroll compliance, auditing and governance experience

Advanced understanding of payroll legislation and best practice controls

Experience with ADP Payforce highly advantageous

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Ability to work operationally while providing strategic leadership

Full Australian working rights required