We're exclusively partnering with a large, well-known Victorian public health and research organisation to find a Senior Payroll Specialist.

You'll come in as 2IC to the Payroll Manager, alongside a team of 8 Payroll Officers and a Team Leader who runs fortnightly processing for around 4,200 staff. It's not a set-and-forget payroll role. It's technical, it's varied, and there's a real path forward. The Payroll Manager wants someone they can build up for succession into their own role down the track, so if you're ready for that next step, it's genuinely on the table here.

What the role involves:

- Being the go-to for complex payroll queries. That means digging into the problem, picking up the phone, and talking people through it rather than firing off an email.
- Interpreting Enterprise Agreements and Awards across a fairly complex, multi-agreement setup, and giving specialist payroll advice across the organisation.
- Validating end of employment payments, off-cycle payments and payroll adjustments, and keeping payroll master data and controls in good shape.
- Keeping an eye on payroll processing as it runs and flagging risks early rather than after they've become a problem.
- Working closely with the business and People & Culture on payroll issues that need someone credible and calm under pressure, plus liaising with external agencies and vendors when needed.
- Spotting recurring issues and addressing these with solutions, whether that's a process fix or a system tweak.




- Helping the team move away from paper-based processes as they roll out a new rostering system, including supporting testing and implementation along the way.
- Giving technical guidance and coaching to the Payroll Officers and pitching in on workload coordination when the Payroll Manager needs a hand.
- Supporting internal and external audits and helping keep payroll governance tight and above board.

What's on offer:

- $110,000 to $120,000 plus super, depending on experience
- 5 weeks of annual leave
- ADOs
- Salary packaging
- 4 days in office, 1 day working from home
- A Payroll Manager who's invested in developing their 2IC
- Central Melbourne location

Who we're after:

- Someone with solid technical payroll knowledge, confidence interpreting EAs and Awards, and a proven ability to sort out complicated queries.
- You'll need to be comfortable building trust with stakeholders and having the harder conversations when they come up.
- Experience with SuccessFactors ECP (Employee Central Payroll) is essential.
- Someone who's worked in high-volume, fairly complex payroll environments and isn't fazed by a busy fortnightly cycle.
- A natural problem solver who's just as comfortable coaching a junior team member through an issue as they are handling it themselves.

Apply:

We're running this search exclusively with the organisation. If you'd like the full picture on the org, the team, and why this one's a good move, apply or message us directly and we'll talk you through it.

📌 Senior Payroll Specialist (Melbourne)
🏢 Ambition
📍 Melbourne