Principal Payroll Advisor

This is an excellent 18 month fixed term opportunity for an experienced payroll professional to join a high-profile central government agency in a senior operational role.

About The Role

Reporting to the Payroll Manager, you will act as the senior operational lead within a busy shared services payroll function. While the role has no formal direct reports, you will provide day-to-day leadership, technical guidance and practical support to Payroll Advisors.

This is a hands-on role where you will review calculations, resolve complex payroll issues and help ensure payrolls are delivered accurately, on time and in line with legislative requirements. You will work across several government customers, each with different policies and requirements, so sound judgement and strong stakeholder management will be essential.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Reviewing and validating payroll data and complex calculations
• Providing technical leadership, guidance and training to Payroll Advisors
• Managing day-to-day payroll risks, issues and escalations
• Providing hands-on processing support during periods of high workload or absence
• Ensuring payroll services comply with legislation, internal policies and audit requirements
• Managing payroll queries, change requests and overpayment processes
• Working with stakeholders across HR, Finance and customer organisations
• Supporting payroll remediation, process improvement and system initiatives
• Undertaking user acceptance testing and helping implement changes into BAU processing
• Producing payroll reports and supporting improved reporting requirements
  
  

About You

This role will suit an experienced payroll professional who combines strong technical knowledge with the credibility and confidence to lead through influence.

You Will Ideally Bring

• Extensive end-to-end payroll processing and administration experience
• Strong knowledge of New Zealand payroll legislation and compliance requirements
• The ability to review and resolve complex payroll calculations and issues
• Experience providing technical guidance, training or mentoring to payroll team members
• Demonstrated leadership capability, even if you have not previously held formal direct reports
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, remediation or process improvement
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capability
• The ability to manage competing priorities and support others to meet deadlines
  
  

You will be calm under pressure, comfortable making technical judgement calls and willing to step into the detail when the team needs support. This is a senior leadership position within the function, but not a traditional people-management role.

The Benefits

This is an opportunity to secure a genuine senior payroll position where your technical expertise and operational leadership will be used every day. You will benefit from:

• A long, 18 month fixed term engagement, with competitive salary
• Flexible working, including one to two days working from home once established
• Exposure to a complex, multi-customer shared services environment
• The opportunity to contribute to payroll process, system and service improvements
• A potential role in the future development of a broader government shared services model
• Five weeks’ annual leave and a range of wellbeing initiatives
  
  

Contact

About

All inquiries and applications to Archway Recruitment are treated in the strictest confidence. For a confidential discussion and to find out more about this opportunity please contact:

Sam Graham - email sgraham@archwayrecruitment.com or call 021920145

Matthew Greenwood - email matthew@archwayrecruitment.com or call 0220487800

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this job.