Payroll Team lead

New Zealand Government Joba; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Southern Timaru Hospital is seeking a Payroll Team Lead to head payroll for 80 hours per fortnight. You will lead a team of 3 Payroll Officers, ensure timely, accurate processing, and collaborate with HR on payroll impacts.

This permanent, full-time role is based in Canterbury with standard hours and opportunities to influence improvements. Applicants must be eligible to work in New Zealand and apply online by the closing date.

Qualifications

• Experience with collective agreements (advantageous in health)
• Extensive knowledge of NZ Payroll legislation
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop staff around new technology and processes
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders across HR and payroll

Responsibilities

• Lead a local team of 3 Payroll Officers
• Manage day-to-day payroll processing with timeliness and accuracy
• Collaborate with HR to understand and manage payroll impacts
• Drive continuous improvement through team forums and initiatives

Skills

Payroll knowledge

Leadership

Stakeholder effort

Communication

Job description

# Payroll Team lead at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Southern, Canterbury## Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role* Timaru Hospital* 1 FTE / 80 hours per fortnight* Permanent positionHealth New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.**About the Role**Health NZ is in a unique phase where we are developing and progressing opporunities at the district level.* This is a permanent role, working 80 hours per fortnight (1 FTE), Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8.30AM to 5.00PM.* Lead our local team of 3 Payroll Officers* Manage the day to day payroll processing including the timeliness and accuracy* Work with all other areas of HR to ensure that impacts on payroll are managed and understood* Continuous improvement is seen as a regular part of what the team does and forums are in place to encourage contribution from the wider team on improvement initiatives**About the Location**Timaru is a special coastal port city in South Canterbury, famous for Caroline Bay's stunning beach, striking Edwardian bluestone architecture, and unique rolling hills formed by an ancient volcano. It blends a warm, family-friendly seaside vibe with rich heritage and easy access to the Southern Alps.Timaru Hospital is a vital regional facility in South Canterbury known for combining a community-focused, provincial scale with comprehensive secondary-level care, a 24-hour district trauma service, local oncology and critical care units, and a unique supportive lifestyle environment for its medical staff. The hospital provides secondary services to the district population of approximately 50,000 people, has 130 beds.**About you*** Experience working with Collective agreements, advantageous if this is in health.* Extensive knowledge of NZ Payroll related legislation, experience with payroll systems and experience* Excellent written and oral communication skills,* Demonstrated ability to engage with and develop employees' skills around the use of new technology, when working with wide ranging levels of IT competency,* Proven ability to lead and drive collaboration with stakeholders.*The successful candidate must be eligible to work in New Zealand or hold a valid NZ visa at the time of applying.***Working at Health New Zealand**Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community**.**We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.**How to Apply**To apply please click '**apply now**.' All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by **4 October 2026.** If you have any questions about the role, please contact Becky Allen at [e-mail] We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.## Ngā taipitopito tūranga mahi | Job details| | || --- | --- || Employer: | Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Southern || Location: | Canterbury || Position type: | Permanent Full time || Category: | || Date listed: | 23-Sep-2026 || Salary range: | N/A || Closing date: | 04-Oct-2026 || Reference: | 1944397 || Attachment: | Payroll Team Lead.pdf (PDF, 337KB)Job Description |