The Company
This well-established Australian organisation has a long and successful history, a national footprint and a workforce of approximately 2,000 employees operating across a complex, multi-site environment.
With significant investment being made in its people, systems and processes, the business is now seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead its national payroll function.
Operating within the trades and services sector, the payroll environment is complex, with multiple EBAs, Awards and employee classifications. This is far more than a BAU payroll management role, the business is looking for an experienced payroll leader who understands the realities of complex industrial payroll and can continue to drive transformation, governance, compliance and process improvement.
The Role
Reporting to the National HR Manager, you will take ownership of the national payroll function, leading the team while ensuring accurate, timely and compliant payroll delivery across multiple pay cycles, EBAs and employee classifications.
You will inherit a payroll environment that has already begun its transformation journey, with the opportunity to continue strengthening processes, controls, systems and capability across the function. The role will have a strong focus on payroll governance, compliance, remediation and the ongoing optimisation of the recently implemented payroll system.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading and managing the national payroll function across a complex, multi-site workforce
- Ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing across all payroll cycles
- Managing compliance across multiple EBAs, Modern Awards and employee classifications
- Maintaining strong payroll governance frameworks, controls and audit readiness
- Leading payroll remediation, compliance reviews and corrective action initiatives
- Overseeing internal and external payroll audits
- Driving the continued optimisation of the newly implemented Payroll System, including upgrades, testing and system integrations
- Identifying and implementing process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy and compliance
- Reviewing payroll reconciliations, reporting, workflows and exception management
- Leading, mentoring and developing the payroll team
- Building strong relationships across HR, Finance, Operations and senior leadership
- Providing expert payroll advice across complex industrial and legislative matters
The Candidate
We are looking for an experienced Payroll Manager who has operated within a large, complex and EBA-heavy payroll environment. You will understand that payroll within a trades-based workforce brings its own level of complexity, multiple EBAs, Awards, allowances, penalties, overtime, varying employee classifications and industrial conditions.
You will bring:
- Strong experience managing payroll across multiple, complex EBAs
- Experience within trades, construction, infrastructure, engineering, manufacturing, facilities management or a similarly complex operational workforce will be highly regarded
- Demonstrated experience leading payroll remediation, compliance reviews or correction projects
- Strong knowledge of Awards, industrial instruments, allowances, penalties, overtime and complex employee classifications
- Experience leading and developing payroll teams within a large or multi-site organisation
- Strong payroll governance, audit and compliance experience
- A track record of driving change, transformation and continuous improvement
- Experience with payroll system implementation, optimisation, testing or integration projects
- Excellent stakeholder management skills and the confidence to partner with HR, Finance, Operations and senior leaders
The Benefits
- Senior leadership role with ownership of a national payroll function
- Salary up to $190,000 + Super
- Performance bonus of approximately $20,000–$40,000
- Genuine payroll transformation and change opportunity
- Opportunity to shape payroll governance, systems and processes
- Lead and develop an established payroll team
- Work within a large, complex organisation where payroll is recognised as a critical business function
- Opportunity to have a visible and lasting impact across the organisation
This role is suited to a Payroll Manager who genuinely understands complex industrial payroll. You may come from trades, construction, infrastructure, engineering or another EBA-heavy environment where payroll is anything but straightforward. If you’ve successfully navigated complex EBAs, led remediation or compliance initiatives and enjoy improving the way payroll operates, this is an opportunity to make a genuine impact.
At Elements Recruitment we exist to help people find the right place and help businesses grow with the right people. That’s why we welcome candidates from all walks of life and offer adjustments if needed. If there’s anything we can do to make the recruitment process more comfortable or accessible for you let us know.
