Payroll and Finance Consultant – Cole School Experts

Use your school payroll and finance experience in a specialist consulting role

Flexible working | National clients | Growing team

Cole School Experts is the leading provider of payroll, accounting and consultancy services to Independent Schools across Australia and New Zealand. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for an experienced Payroll and Finance Consultant to join our specialist team.

If you love the education sector, are passionate about improving payroll and finance operations, and want to use your expertise across multiple schools and systems, this role offers variety, challenge and the opportunity to make a genuine impact. You’ll work with schools to strengthen compliance, governance, financial controls, reporting, and operational efficiency while delivering meaningful outcomes for clients.

About the Role

As a Payroll and Finance Consultant, you will provide specialist payroll and finance consulting services to school clients across Australia. The role combines Payroll and Finance Health Checks, compliance reviews, business process reviews, system implementations, client advisory services, and project-based consulting work.

You’ll work closely with our Head of Software and Consultancy, other consultants, Payroll team, Finance Team, clients and service providers to deliver high-quality support and strategic solutions.

Primary Purpose

In this role, you will:

- Conduct Payroll Health Checks for schools, including process, system configuration and compliance reviews.
- Conduct Finance Health Checks, assessing financial controls, reporting and operational efficiency
- Provide specialist payroll and finance consulting across a range of client projects
- Assist clients with payroll compliance, complex calculations, reconciliations and remediation activities
- Support clients to improve finance processes,



month-end procedures, budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting
- Deliver training to clients and colleagues
- Develop and implement payroll and finance policies, controls and best-practice processes.
- Provide strategic payroll and finance advice to clients.
- Maintain professional accreditation and technical knowledge.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for:

- Interpreting multiple Awards/Enterprise Agreements and current statutory legislation.
- Investigating and reporting on client payroll processes, system setup and compliance.
- Review finance operations including financial reporting, reconciliations, internal controls, delegations, budgeting, forecasting and governance practices.
- Assessing finance and payroll system configuration, utilisation and business practices.
- Preparing detailed Health Check reports and practical recommendations.
- Supporting clients with remediation and implementation of recommendations.
- Delivering project work, including implementation of outsourced finance, payroll and HR systems.
- Working with vendors to ensure quality, compliance, system testing and implementation outcomes.
- Collaborating with leadership to plan client engagements, project objectives and deliverables.

Objectives of the Role

As an important part of the Cole team, you will:

- Build strong relationships with colleagues and leadership to support business operations.
- Demonstrate professionalism with clients — be attentive,



reliable and committed to understanding their needs.
- Expand your knowledge, contribute to team discussions and support a collaborative, inclusive culture.
- Bring innovation, ideas and continuous improvement to your work.
- Embody what makes Cole distinctive: our people are our specialists. “Together we are awesome.”

What You’ll Bring

- Strong experience in school payroll, school finance, or both (essential).
- Sound understanding of payroll compliance, Award/EBA interpretation and employment legislation.
- Experience reviewing finance operations including financial reporting, reconciliations, month-end processes, budgeting, internal controls and governance.
- Experience conducting reviews, audits, Health Checks or business process improvement initiatives
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify risks, investigate issues and develop practical recommendations
- Excellent report-writing skills with the ability to present findings clearly to clients
- High-level organisational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- A collaborative mindset and willingness to support others.
- Experience with school finance, payroll and HR systems will be highly regarded

Other Requirements

You may be required to visit schools onsite. Applicants must be able to obtain:

- National Police Check
- Working With Children Check

Why Join Cole?

- Work with a highly skilled team of specialists
- Versatile and supportive environment
- Professional development encouraged
- Diverse work across multiple schools and systems
- A workplace that genuinely values people

How to Apply

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in the role.

📌 Payroll and Finance Consultant – Expression of Interest (Australia)
🏢 School Experts Group
📍 Australia