Senior Payroll Specialist – Flexible Hours

New Zealand Government; Wellington; On-site; NZD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing and employee benefits

Flexible start/finish times

On-site team environment

Job summary

Transpower, located in Wellington, is seeking a specialist payroll expert to ensure accurate and timely payment for over 1,100 employees, including shift workers. You will work with HR, Finance and IT while supporting reporting, audits and process improvements.

From day one you will manage fortnightly and off-cycle payrolls, advise on complex payroll questions, and help automate payroll processes. A confident, service‑minded professional with NZ payroll knowledge is essential.

Qualifications

• Five years of payroll experience with NZPPA certification or equivalent.
• Advanced knowledge of NZ payroll legislation and leave entitlements.
• Experience providing payroll reports to HR, Finance and legal teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage fortnightly and off-cycle payroll, including changes, leave, deductions and HRIS records.
• Provide payroll advice and internal/external reporting with confidentiality and audit-ready records.
• Process related payments to statutory and external entities and support year-end activities.
• Support general ledger reconciliations and payroll system upgrades or changes.
• Identify automation opportunities and train colleagues to build payroll knowledge.

Skills

Payroll expertise

Attention to detail

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

NZPPA certification or equivalent

Tools

Dayforce aPay

Oracle

Job description

Transpower, located in Wellington, is seeking a specialist payroll expert to ensure accurate and timely payment for over 1,100 employees, including shift workers. You will work with HR, Finance and IT while supporting reporting, audits and process improvements.

From day one you will manage fortnightly and off-cycle payrolls, advise on complex payroll questions, and help automate payroll processes. A confident, service‑minded professional with NZ payroll knowledge is essential.