Payroll Specialist

Hamilton City Council; Waikato; On-site; NZD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Professional development

Wellbeing days

Medical insurance

Annual health checks

Extra annual leave

Eye care support

Local discounts

Job summary

Hamilton City Council is seeking an SAP Employee Central Payroll experienced Payroll Specialist to ensure accurate, on-time payroll in line with employment arrangements and legislative requirements. You will own a range of payroll activities, including processing information, entitlements, reconciliations, and stakeholder support.

Ideal candidate has strong technical payroll knowledge, is skilled with SAP EC Payroll, and can balance accuracy with deadlines and outstanding customer service.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ payroll experience within a medium to large organisation.
• Experience working with multiple collective agreements.
• Strong knowledge of Holidays Act, Employment Relations Act and Privacy Act in payroll.
• Good accounting knowledge, including payroll reconciliations.
• Confident with spreadsheets, data and payroll reporting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work independently.
• Strong communication skills and ability to provide payroll advice.

Responsibilities

• Process payroll information, timesheets and salary changes accurately and on time.
• Ensure employees and Councillors receive the correct entitlements.
• Maintain accurate and secure employee payroll records.
• Apply collective agreements, employment arrangements and relevant payroll legislation.
• Complete monthly payroll reconciliations to the General Ledger.
• Manage PAYE and KiwiSaver payments and filing with IRD.
• Support year-end payroll reconciliation and tax-year processes.
• Respond to payroll enquiries with clear, practical advice to managers and employees.
• Liaise with external organisations (IRD, ACC, Audit NZ, WINZ).
• Keep payroll system settings up to date with changes.
• Contribute to payroll improvements and special projects.

Skills

Payroll accuracy

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Communication skills

Time management

Tools

SAP Employee Central Payroll

Job description

Job Description

He angituutanga: The opportunity

We’re looking for an SAP Employee Central Payroll experienced Payroll Specialist to join our People, Safety & Wellness team and help ensure our people are paid accurately, on time, and in line with their employment arrangements and legislative requirements.

This is a great opportunity for someone who knows payroll inside and out, enjoys solving problems, and takes pride in providing a reliable and helpful service.

Working as part of our payroll team, you’ll take ownership of a range of payroll activities across Council, including:

• Processing payroll information, timesheets and salary changes accurately and on time
• Ensuring employees and Councillors receive the correct entitlements
• Maintaining accurate and secure employee payroll records
• Applying collective agreements, employment arrangements and relevant payroll legislation
• Completing monthly payroll reconciliations to the General Ledger
• Managing PAYE and KiwiSaver payments and filing requirements with IRD
• Supporting year-end payroll reconciliation and tax-year processes
• Responding to payroll enquiries and providing clear, practical advice to managers and employees
• Liaising with external organisations including IRD, ACC, Audit NZ and WINZ
• Keeping payroll system settings up to date with legislative and system changes
• Contributing to payroll improvements and special projects.

Qualifications

Oo puumanawa me oo wheako | Your skills and experience

We’re looking for someone with strong technical payroll knowledge who can balance accuracy and deadlines with great customer service. Experience with SAP Employee Central Payroll is essential.

Ideally, you’ll bring:

• 5+ years’ payroll experience within a medium to large organisation
• Experience working with multiple collective agreements
• Strong working knowledge of the Holidays Act, Employment Relations Act and Privacy Act as they relate to payroll
• Good accounting knowledge, including payroll reconciliations
• Confidence working with spreadsheets, data and payroll reporting
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to getting things right
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work independently
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to provide payroll advice to a range of stakeholders
• A positive, practical and solutions-focused approach.
• Experience in local government or the wider public sector would be useful, but it’s not essential.

Additional Information

He aha te wariu o te utu kaimahi? | What’s the salary?

Circa $90K dependent on skills and experience.

Ngaa waahi whakarato painga kei a maatou: What we offer

We invest in our people, their wellbeing, and their future. That's why we offer a range of benefits designed to support you both inside and outside of work, including:

• We support flexible ways of working that balance individual wellbeing, team and business needs. And great outcomes for our community.
• We support professional development and opportunities to grow your career.
• Two wellbeing days each year to focus on what matters most to you (after one year of service).
• Fully funded Unimed health insurance, including hospital and surgical cover, with discounted rates for family members.
• Free annual health checks and flu vaccinations.
• The option to purchase additional annual leave for greater flexibility.
• Eye care support, including reimbursement towards eye testing and prescription glasses.
• Access to a wide range of local discounts, including gyms, healthcare providers, retail stores, and more.

Applications close on the: 18 November 2026

Note: We will be shortlisting as we receive applications.

Council is committed to honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi through its relationship with Kiingitanga, Waikato Tainui, mana whenua and maataa waka within Hamilton Kirikiriroa.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome on their application via email. Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks and a criminal check. Further background checking will be required when relevant to the role. View more information about these checks, our commitment to the Privacy act and details for international applicants by clicking here

It is important to us that we support you throughout our selection process (interview and assessments). If you have any access needs during this process, let us know in advance so we can make sure these are met.

As a council, we believe in creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and belongs. We value inclusiveness (Kotahitanga) – we respect and value the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents that everyone brings.

This role is being sourced directly. If/where Hamilton City Council requires the support of a recruitment agency, we will seek this support from our panel of selected agencies. Hamilton City Council will not be responsible for, and will not pay, any commissions, fees or other payments related to unsolicited contact.