Payroll Technical and Compliance Specialist

Canterbury District Health Board; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking an experienced Payroll Technical and Compliance Specialist to provide technical expertise across payroll systems, configuration changes and legislative compliance.

You will ensure payroll system changes are thoroughly tested, validated and compliant with relevant legislation, including holidays acts and tax requirements, working with Payroll Systems and People & Culture teams to maintain data integrity and strengthen controls.

Qualifications

• Graduate or postgraduate qualification in IT or related discipline.
• Five years' payroll experience in a large, complex environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll legislation including Holidays Act 2003 and related acts.
• Proficiency with MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Experience with payroll system testing, data validation and QA.

Responsibilities

• Provide assurance that payroll system configuration changes comply with employment, tax and payroll legislation.
• Oversee testing, QA and documentation validation for payroll system changes.
• Monitor payroll data integrity across systems (PSe, Leader, WFD) and investigate discrepancies.
• Develop and validate payroll exception reports and pay-cycle checks.
• Ensure controls to minimise errors, detect fraud and manage compliance risks.
• Support Holidays Act 2003 compliance reconciliations and explain outcomes to stakeholders.
• Provide technical advice and resolve complex payroll system and data issues.
• Review payroll procedures and deliver training to strengthen capability.
• Identify opportunities to automate processes and improve functionality.
• Liaise with system vendors and stakeholders for issues and system improvements.
• Provide specialist payroll advice to projects involving payroll systems, processes or data.
• Advise on process changes from legislative updates and system enhancements.

Skills

Payroll experience

Legislation knowledge

Data analysis

Stakeholder communication

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Education

Graduate or postgraduate qualification in IT or related discipline

Tools

AMS Leader Leave Manager

PSe

UKG Workforce Dimensions

Job description

Payroll Technical and Compliance Specialist

• Permanentfull time working 40 hours per week

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in theprinciples of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health systemthat serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Payroll Technical andCompliance Specialist to provide technical expertise and assurance acrosspayroll systems, configuration changes and legislative compliance.

In this important role, you will ensure payroll systemchanges are thoroughly tested, validated and compliant with relevantlegislation, including the Holidays Act 2003 and other employment and taxrequirements. You will work closely with the Payroll Systems team and widerPeople and Culture (P&C) teams to maintain data integrity, strengthencontrols and ensure payroll processes deliver accurate and timely payments.

As a subject matter expert, you will also support training,resolve complex payroll and system issues, contribute to projects and identifyopportunities to improve processes through automation and continuousimprovement.

Key Responsibilities

• Provideassurance that payroll system configuration changes comply with relevantemployment, tax and payroll legislation.
• Overseetesting, quality assurance and documentation validation for payroll systemchanges, ensuring outcomes meet requirements before implementation.
• Monitorpayroll data integrity across PSe, Leader and Workforce Dimensions (WFD),investigating discrepancies and addressing data anomalies.
• Develop,review and validate regular payroll exception reports and pay-cycle checksto identify errors, inconsistencies and potential risks.
• Ensureappropriate controls and checks are in place to minimise payroll errors,detect potential fraud and manage compliance risks.
• SupportHolidays Act 2003 compliance reconciliations and explain outcomes toemployees, managers and payroll teams.
• Providetechnical advice and resolve complex payroll system and data issues.
• Reviewpayroll procedures and manuals and deliver training to strengthen teamcapability and ensure consistent practices.
• Identifyopportunities to automate processes, improve system functionality andenhance the efficiency of payroll operations.
• Liaisewith system vendors and relevant stakeholders to resolve issues andsupport ongoing system improvements.
• Providespecialist payroll advice and expertise to projects involving payrollsystems, processes or data.
• Advisethe Payroll and wider P&C teams on process changes arising fromlegislative updates and system enhancements.

About You

You will be an experienced payroll professional with strongtechnical knowledge, a sound understanding of legislative compliance and theability to analyse complex system and data issues. You will be confidentworking with multiple stakeholders, providing clear advice and supporting teamsto achieve accurate, compliant payroll outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Arelevant graduate or postgraduate qualification in IT or a relateddiscipline.
• Atleast five years' payroll experience within a large, complex payrollenvironment.
• Asound understanding of payroll legislation, including the Holidays Act2003, Wages Protection Act, Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act,and KiwiSaver Act.
• StrongMicrosoft Office skills, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Experiencewith payroll system testing, data validation, reconciliations and qualityassurance.
• Stronganalytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigatecomplex payroll issues and identify practical solutions.
• Excellentcommunication skills and the ability to explain technical and legislativematters clearly to different audiences.
• Acommitment to implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in practice.

Experience with AMS Leader Leave Manager, PSe and UKGWorkforce Dimensions would be advantageous.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuringexcellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce thatis diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand andservice our community.We welcome applications from our diverse Māori,Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.