Payroll Team Lead – Drive Accuracy & Improvements

Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand; Hamilton; On-site; NZD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in Hamilton is seeking a Payroll Team Leader to oversee a busy payroll operation for a large workforce. You will lead day-to-day payroll processing, ensure accuracy and timeliness of pay runs, and manage payroll controls.

You will lead 12 direct reports, coach the team, drive process improvements, and collaborate with HR, Finance, and external agencies. This is an office-based role in the Waikato region, requiring strong leadership in a complex environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in payroll administration and/or large enterprise payroll systems supporting a sizeable workforce.
• Strong knowledge of New Zealand payroll legislation, including the Holidays Act and KiwiSaver requirements.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop team performance.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and payroll systems experience.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate payroll operations to ensure accurate and timely pay runs.
• Manage payroll controls, reporting, auditing, and exception processes.
• Support, coach, and develop payroll team members to achieve operational goals.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance payroll efficiency and reduce risk.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external agencies to support payroll service delivery.

Skills

Payroll leadership

NZ payroll legislation

Advanced Excel

Stakeholder management

Payroll systems

Tools

Payroll software

ERP systems

Job description

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in Hamilton is seeking a Payroll Team Leader to oversee a busy payroll operation for a large workforce. You will lead day-to-day payroll processing, ensure accuracy and timeliness of pay runs, and manage payroll controls.

You will lead 12 direct reports, coach the team, drive process improvements, and collaborate with HR, Finance, and external agencies. This is an office-based role in the Waikato region, requiring strong leadership in a complex environment.