Senior Payroll Officer

Australian Energy Regulator; Canberra; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) is hiring a Senior Payroll Officer in Canberra to lead complex APS payroll processing across the employee lifecycle, ensuring accuracy in pay, deductions and entitlements. You will handle terminations, leave liabilities, backpay and amendments, while upholding compliance and data integrity.

You will mentor colleagues, provide guidance on payroll issues, and drive continuous improvements to optimise payroll workflows in a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of APS payroll processing experience.
• Proficient in MS Excel.
• Ability to interpret legislation and enterprise agreements.
• Strong data integrity and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage and quality assure complex payroll processing across the employee lifecycle, including fortnightly pay runs, terminations, leave liabilities, tax, superannuation, backpay, workers compensation, overpayments, transfers and other adjustments.
• Investigate and resolve payroll anomalies, apply employment conditions and provide clear advice to employees, managers and stakeholders, including modelling remuneration packages for Public Office Holders.
• Maintain payroll compliance, controls and data integrity through reconciliations, reporting, documentation, audits, risk monitoring, system reviews and user acceptance testing.
• Support the Assistant Director and payroll team by providing technical guidance, mentoring and quality assurance, while implementing continuous improvements that strengthen payroll practices.

Skills

Payroll processing

Microsoft Excel

Attention to detail

Communication

Tools

Payroll software

Job description

JOIN OUR TEAM

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) works to make energy consumers better off, now and in the future. We focus on ensuring a secure, reliable and affordable energy future for Australia as it transitions to net zero emissions.

We regulate electricity networks and covered gas pipelines, in all jurisdictions except Western Australia. We set the amount of revenue that network businesses can recover from customers for using these networks.

From 1 July 2026, the AER structurally separated from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and transitioned into a standalone non-corporate Commonwealth entity with its own accountable authority, staff and budgetary control.

The separation of the AER from the ACCC is a significant regulatory reform aimed at improving the governance and operational autonomy of the AER, and is an exciting time to join us and help shape our new agency.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As Senior Payroll Officer, you will:

Key responsibilities include:

• Manage and quality assure complex payroll processing across the employee lifecycle, including fortnightly pay runs, terminations, leave liabilities, tax, superannuation, backpay, workers compensation, overpayments, transfers and other adjustments.
• Investigate and resolve payroll anomalies, apply employment conditions and technical expertise, and provide clear advice to employees, managers and stakeholders, including modelling remuneration packages for Public Office Holders.
• Maintain payroll compliance, controls and data integrity through reconciliations, reporting, documentation, audits, risk monitoring, system reviews and user acceptance testing.
• Support the Assistant Director and payroll team by providing technical guidance, mentoring and quality assurance, while implementing continuous improvements that strengthen consistent, efficient and sustainable payroll practices.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We invite applications from people with the following experience, skills and attributes:

• At least 4 years’ experience processing APS payroll through a payroll software solution and proficient Microsoft office skills, in particular MS Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to apply best practice payroll processes and controls as well as work with detail and resolve complex and/or sensitive payroll issues
• Demonstrated ability to independently interpret complex payroll scenarios, perform manual calculations, validate system outcomes and identify discrepancies.
• Demonstrated ability to design and maintain excel based payroll calculators, templates, tools and other practical solution to support accurate and efficient payroll processing
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply legislation, enterprise agreements, determination, policies and APS payroll requirements.

ELIGIBILITY

• Australian Citizenship – our successful candidate must be an Australian Citizen
• Security clearance – our successful candidate is required to hold, or have the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the required level
• Employment check – your suitability for employment will be assessed through a screening process.