Team Leader, Payroll | Manukura, Utu Kaimahi

Te Puni Kōkiri; Wellington; On-site; NZD 124,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Childcare allowances

Optical discounts

Hauora/wellbeing

Te reo Māori proficiency

Medical insurance discounts

Flexible working options

Te reo Māori training

Study assistance

Enhanced parental leave provisions

Job summary

Te Puni Kōkiri in Wellington seeks an experienced payroll leader to manage payroll services, ensure compliance with NZ tax and employment rules, and guide HRIS development. You will lead a small team of Payroll Advisors and partner with senior leaders to align payroll with recruitment, finance, and policy priorities.

This role supports upcoming legislative reforms, drives automation, and delivers reliable payroll data to enable better decision-making while upholding our commitments to Māori

Qualifications

• Extensive payroll leadership experience including managing a payroll function.
• Strong knowledge of NZ payroll, tax, holidays and leave legislation.
• Ability to lead transformation projects and drive system improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small Payroll Advisors team delivering accurate payroll services.
• Drive payroll and HRIS transformation and system enhancements.
• Ensure organisational readiness for Employment Leave Act 2026 and compliance.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Team leadership

NZ payroll knowledge

MYOB/PayGlobal experience

HRIS systems

Stakeholder management

Tools

MYOB/PayGlobal

HRIS systems

Job description

• Opportunity to drive payroll and HRIS transformation
• Ensure organisational readiness for the Employment Leave Act 2026
• Lead a small team of competent Payroll Advisors

Te Puni Kōkiri leads policy advice to the Government on Māori development, and Iwi and Māori relations with the Crown. To do this effectively we must position ourselves to elevate our monitoring and mentoring responsibilities and emphasise our role in holding other agencies to account for delivery of public services to, for and with Māori.

The People, Capability and Culture directorate (part of the Governance and Corporate puni) develops strategic initiatives, provides change support, and delivers advice, policies and procedures that ensure Te Puni Kōkiri has the organisation, culture, and people capability to support delivery it’s strategy and the Government’s outcomes and priorities.

We’re looking for a Manukura, Utu Kaimahi | Team Leader, Payroll. This role reports to the General Manager, People, Capability & Culture and provides leadership and accountability for payroll services, payroll-related employment compliance, and the strategic development of payroll and HR information systems.

Te whai wāhitanga | The opportunity

Leading a small operational team, you'll ensure the delivery of accurate and compliant payroll services while driving the strategic development of payroll and HR information systems across Te Puni Kōkiri. You'll play a key role in preparing the organisation for upcoming legislative reforms, leading HRIS improvements, and integrating payroll systems with recruitment, finance, and other business functions.

As a member of the People, Capability & Culture leadership team, you'll partner with senior leaders across the organisation to provide trusted advice, manage operational and programme risks, and deliver solutions that improve the employee experience and strengthen organisational capability.

The likely appointment range is $124,242 - $138,046, based on skills and experience. The full grade for this role is $124,242 - $165,657, with a mid-point of $138,046.

This role will require the satisfactory outcome of a credit check.

For more information about the skills and experience required for this position, please see the job description below.

Mōu | About you

We're looking for an experienced payroll leader, who combines deep technical expertise with strategic thinking and strong people leadership skills. You will have significant payroll experience, including leading a payroll function. It’s important that you’re comfortable stepping into the operational when required, as you will need to step into doing the doing and supporting the team, as and when required. Ideally, you will have experience with MYOB/PayGlobal and you will have led payroll/HRIS system enhancements, automation, or integration projects. You must have strong knowledge of New Zealand payroll, tax, employment, holidays and leave legislation as well as experience delivering complex legislative, system, policy, or organisational change programmes. Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills are also important in this role, to enable you to influence and advise senior leaders.

Tāu e whai ai | What you will get in return

Te Puni Kōkiri is a diverse and rewarding working environment full of passionate kaimahi focused on creating solutions that will help our communities. We are guided by our values of te wero, manaakitanga, he toa takitini and ture tangata.

There is more to life than just work and we encourage our kaimahi to maintain the right balance between mahi and their personal lives. Your whānau is just as important as you, so we're committed to providing incentives and opportunities that help our kaimahi and their whānau to thrive, including:

• A range of allowances including childcare, optical, hauora/wellbeing and te reo Māori proficiency
• Medical insurance discounts
• Flexible working options
• In house te reo Māori training
• Kaimahi development and career options, including study assistance
• Enhanced parental leave provisions

Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development

We are committed to our vision of 'Thriving Whānau' - when whānau are thriving, so do their communities, hapū, iwi and all of Aotearoa. Te Puni Kōkiri leads policy advice to the Government on Māori development, and Iwi and Māori relations with the Crown. Our people are at the heart of the work we do – using our approaches to improve outcomes to, for and with Māori, and to drive our efforts to build an Aotearoa where whānau can all stand, thrive and belong.

Find out more about Our Story

We invite applications from individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We believe that diversity fuels innovation and enriches our collective strength. Your unique perspectives, skills, and heritage contribute to our mission of advancing Māori aspirations and well-being.

Ka aukati ngā tono hei te Hanarei 22 Noema ā te 11.55pm |