Payroll Specialist

R.M.Williams; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development opportunities

Product allowance

40% employee discount

Annual bonus scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Paid parental leave

Paid volunteer leave

Private health partnership

Job summary

R.M.Williams is seeking an experienced Payroll Specialist to join our People & Safety team. You will oversee end-to-end payroll across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, ensuring accuracy, compliance and on-time payments while partnering with leaders across Finance, Retail and Manufacturing.

Reporting to the Senior Payroll & Compliance Manager, you will lead payroll operations, governance and system improvements, mentor colleagues and drive continuous improvement to payroll

Qualifications

• 6+ years' payroll experience in a complex, multi-payroll environment.
• Strong knowledge of Australian payroll legislation and multi-jurisdictional payroll.
• Experience with payroll, HRIS and time and attendance systems.
• Understanding of awards, taxation and compliance requirements.
• Advanced Excel skills including reporting and data analysis (Power Query).
• Experience mentoring or coaching others.
• Excellent attention to detail and problem-solving.
• Ability to communicate complex payroll matters to diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end payroll across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
• Ensure payroll transactions are accurate, compliant and timely.
• Review outputs, reconciliations and payroll controls.
• Manage complex payroll calculations, enquiries and escalations.
• Support taxation, superannuation, leaves, reporting and third-party payments.
• Assist with payroll planning and workload management.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and technical support.
• Act as senior escalation point for payroll matters.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across payroll activities.
• Support onboarding and payroll process documentation.
• Ensure compliance with payroll legislation and instruments.
• Support audits and remediation programs.
• Identify payroll risks and mitigation.
• Monitor legislative changes and implement updates.
• Build relationships and provide payroll advice to leaders.
• Deliver payroll reporting and insights.
• Identify workforce trends and improvement opportunities.
• Lead efficiency and accuracy improvement initiatives.
• Support optimisation of payroll systems (HRIS, time and attendance, self-service).
• Coordinate payroll testing and validation for system enhancements.
• Maintain payroll calendars and documentation.

Skills

Payroll expertise

Attention to detail

Stakeholder communication

Tools

HRIS

Time and attendance systems

Excel

Power Query

Job description

Position Summary

At R.M.Williams, we've been crafting products of purpose since 1932. What began in the Australian outback has grown into an iconic brand recognised around the world, with a commitment to quality, authenticity and excellence in everything we do. We're looking for an experienced Payroll Specialist to join our People & Safety team and play a critical role in delivering accurate, compliant and people-focused payroll services across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Reporting to the Senior Payroll & Compliance Manager, you will oversee and coordinate end-to-end payroll operations across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring our people are paid accurately, compliantly and on time. You'll act as a trusted payroll expert, partnering closely with leaders across Finance, Retail, Manufacturing, Corporate and People & Safety while contributing to payroll governance, continuous improvement initiatives and strategic workforce projects.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

• Coordinate end-to-end payroll processing across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
• Ensure payroll transactions are processed accurately, compliantly and within agreed timeframes.
• Review payroll outputs, reconciliations and payroll controls prior to completion.
• Manage complex payroll calculations, enquiries and escalations.
• Support statutory obligations including taxation, superannuation, pensions, leave payments, reporting and third-party payments.
• Assist with payroll planning and workload management across payroll cycles.

Leadership & Technical Expertise

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and technical support to key stakeholders.
• Act as a senior escalation point for payroll matters.
• Promote accountability, collaboration and knowledge sharing across payroll-related activities.
• Support onboarding, capability building and documented payroll processes.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with relevant payroll legislation, industrial instruments and employment obligations across all jurisdictions.
• Support internal and external audits, remediation programs and compliance reviews.
• Identify and mitigate payroll risks, errors and control gaps.
• Monitor legislative changes and implement payroll process and system updates.

Business Partnership & Reporting

• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across the business.
• Provide practical, commercially focused payroll advice to leaders and employees.
• Deliver payroll reporting, insights and analysis to support decision-making.
• Identify workforce trends, payroll risks and opportunities for improvement.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead initiatives that improve payroll efficiency, accuracy, controls and employee experience.
• Support optimisation of payroll, HRIS, time and attendance, and employee self-service systems.
• Coordinate payroll testing and validation for system enhancements.
• Maintain payroll procedures, controls, calendars and documentation.

Experience / Technical Requirements

You'll Bring

• 6+ years' payroll experience in a complex, multi-payroll environment.
• Strong knowledge of Australian payroll legislation and experience managing payroll requirements across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience working with payroll, HRIS and time and attendance systems.
• A strong understanding of awards, employment obligations, taxation and compliance requirements.
• Advanced Excel skills, including reporting, data analysis and Power Query.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or supporting others.
• Exceptional attention to detail and problem-solving capability.
• The ability to communicate complex payroll matters clearly and confidently to a broad range of stakeholders.

What we offer

• Be part of an established and iconic Australian brand with long term career development opportunities
• Generous product allowance
• 40% employee discount
• Annual bonus schemeFlexible working arrangements
• Paid parental leave
• Paid volunteer leave
• Exclusive private health partnership

About R.M.Williams

Since 1932, R.M.Williams has answered a call for hardwearing, timeless products that can hold up against the harsh conditions of the Australian outback - and look good whilst doing it. Our bestselling leather boots and belts are still crafted by hand in Adelaide, South Australia, alongside an ever-growing range of apparel, accessories and lifestyle products. At the heart of everything we do is a simple promise of loyalty and endurance; a commitment that our products will accompany their wearer on all of life’s great journeys. Reginald Murray ‘RM’ Williams always said, ‘it’s the people who make a company’ and we stand by that statement today, with a global network of teams that feels like family. A culture of growth, development and team spirit is central to our success.

R.M.Williams appreciates the importance and value of a diverse workforce and is committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all employees and to provide employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at R.M.Williams are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, colour, religion or belief, sex, gender identity, national origin or family or parental status. R.M.Williams will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.