Payroll Specialist

Cleared Recruitment; Canberra; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cleared Recruitment is seeking a skilled professional to lead payroll system upgrade projects, coordinating across Payroll, Finance, HR, IT and external vendors. The role focuses on planning, testing, data validation and ensuring governance, security and compliance throughout the transformation.

The ideal candidate will bring expertise in HRIS/payroll systems analysis, business process improvement and strong stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Current NV1 security clearance.
• Demonstrated experience leading payroll system implementation or upgrade projects.
• Strong understanding of payroll operations, legislation, compliance and governance.
• Experience across HRIS/payroll systems analysis, business process improvement and project delivery.
• Strong business analysis capability, including gathering and translating requirements into practical system and process solutions.
• Experience coordinating system testing, data validation and implementation activities.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities within a complex operational environment.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and reporting skills.
• Australian Citizenship and hold a Defence security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead payroll system upgrade and transformation projects from planning through to implementation and stabilisation.
• Manage project plans, timelines, risks, issues, reporting and key deliverables.
• Coordinate stakeholders across Payroll, Finance, HR, IT, Cyber Security and external vendors.
• Gather and translate business requirements into practical system and process solutions.
• Analyse and improve payroll processes, workflows, controls and system functionality.
• Coordinate system configuration, integrations, testing, data migration, validation and go-live activities.
• Ensure payroll systems and processes support relevant compliance, governance, security and reporting requirements.
• Lead payroll testing activities, including parallel pay runs, reconciliations and data validation.
• Develop process documentation, standard operating procedures and governance frameworks.
• Provide project reporting and data analysis to support senior leadership, decision-making and continuous improvement.

Skills

Payroll systems

Project leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Excel reporting

Business analysis

Data validation

Governance

Tools

HRIS

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Systems & Project Delivery

• Lead payroll system upgrade and transformation projects from planning through to implementation and stabilisation.
• Manage project plans, timelines, risks, issues, reporting and key deliverables.
• Coordinate stakeholders across Payroll, Finance, HR, IT, Cyber Security and external vendors.
• Gather and translate business requirements into practical system and process solutions.
• Analyse and improve payroll processes, workflows, controls and system functionality.
• Coordinate system configuration, integrations, testing, data migration, validation and go-live activities.
• Ensure payroll systems and processes support relevant compliance, governance, security and reporting requirements.
• Lead payroll testing activities, including parallel pay runs, reconciliations and data validation.
• Develop process documentation, standard operating procedures and governance frameworks.
• Provide project reporting and data analysis to support senior leadership, decision-making and continuous improvement.

About You

• Current NV1 security clearance.
• Demonstrated experience leading payroll system implementation or upgrade projects.
• Strong understanding of payroll operations, legislation, compliance and governance.
• Experience across HRIS/payroll systems analysis, business process improvement and project delivery.
• Strong business analysis capability, including gathering and translating requirements into practical system and process solutions.
• Experience coordinating system testing, data validation and implementation activities.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities within a complex operational environment.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and reporting skills.
• Australian Citizenship and hold a Defence security clearance.

Stakeholder Environment

• You will work closely with a broad range of stakeholders including:

Internal:

• Finance and Payroll, People & Culture, Information Technology, Cyber Security, senior leadership, operational teams, Internal Audit and Risk.

External:

• Payroll and HRIS vendors, implementation partners and other technology providers.

Why Consider the Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a significant payroll transformation program within a complex environment, combining project leadership, business analysis, systems implementation and payroll expertise.

The role would suit someone who enjoys working across multiple business functions and can bridge the gap between payroll operations, technology and project delivery.