Payroll Specialist – Controls & Assurance

Parramatta CBD | Hybrid working | 3 days office / 2 days WFH | Permanent

We encourage early applications, as interviews may commence before the closing date.

Payroll is more than processing — it’s about getting the controls, compliance and governance right.

At Uniting, we’re looking for a Payroll Specialist – Controls & Assurance to help strengthen the accuracy, integrity and governance of our payroll environment.

This is a specialist controls and assurance role, working independently from day-to-day payroll processing. You’ll focus on identifying risks, testing controls, analysing data, investigating issues and driving improvements across the end-to-end payroll lifecycle.

This role could be for you even if payroll isn't your background. We’re open to candidates from non-traditional payroll backgrounds. While payroll exposure would be beneficial, it is not essential.

We’re particularly interested in people who have experience in Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance, Financial Controls, Assurance, Governance, Payroll Remediation or Process Improvement and who bring a strong analytical mindset.

If you enjoy investigating issues, working with data and systems, testing whether controls are working effectively and finding ways to improve processes, this could be an opportunity to bring your skills into a payroll environment.

What You’ll Be Doing

- Controls & assurance: Plan and perform control testing and assurance activities across the payroll lifecycle, identifying control weaknesses, gaps and opportunities for improvement.
- Risk management: Identify, assess and monitor payroll-related risks, higher-risk transactions and emerging issues, recommending preventative and corrective actions.
- Payroll assurance: Perform independent pre-pay-run checks and validate payroll calculations, payments, deductions and adjustments. Investigate exceptions, anomalies and variances before payroll is finalised.
- Data analysis & investigation: Analyse payroll and financial data to identify trends, anomalies, discrepancies and potential control issues, using data to support evidence-based recommendations.
- Financial controls: Perform and review reconciliations, including payroll-to-GL and other financial interfaces, and work with Finance to investigate and resolve discrepancies.
- Audit & governance: Support internal and external audit activities through control testing, evidence gathering, analysis and documentation. Maintain clear audit trails, procedures and control documentation.
- Remediation & improvement:



Identify root causes of issues and work with stakeholders to implement sustainable remediation actions and strengthen processes and controls.
- Reporting & insights: Prepare clear reports, findings and recommendations for Payroll leadership and relevant stakeholders, translating complex information into practical actions.
- Stakeholder partnership: Work collaboratively with Payroll, Finance, People Experience, People Systems & Governance and Internal Audit to strengthen payroll governance and continuously improve our processes.

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for a controls, assurance or risk professional with strong analytical and investigative capability. You may come from payroll, but you could equally come from audit, risk, compliance, financial controls or another relevant discipline.

You’ll Ideally Have

- 1–3 years’ experience in Internal Audit, Risk, Compliance, Controls, Assurance or a related discipline.
- Experience performing controls testing, assurance activities, risk assessments or compliance reviews.
- Strong analytical and investigative skills, with the ability to identify anomalies, understand root causes and recommend practical solutions.
- Experience working with systems, data and technology, ideally including exposure to ERP, HRIS or financial systems.
- Experience with financial reconciliations and/or financial controls.
- Strong report writing skills, with the ability to clearly document findings, risks, recommendations and outcomes.
- Excellent stakeholder communication skills and the confidence to ask questions, challenge processes and raise issues when something doesn’t look right.
- Strong attention to detail, sound judgement and the ability to work independently.
- Advanced Excel and data analysis capability.
- Experience in payroll, payroll remediation or payroll controls would be beneficial, but is not essential.

Qualifications

We’re particularly interested in candidates with qualifications in disciplines such as:

- Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting, Auditing or similar
- Bachelor of Business – Risk Management, Compliance or similar
- Accounting, Audit, Risk, Compliance, Governance or related disciplines.

A CIA qualification, or someone currently working towards their CIA, would be highly regarded.

Payroll Experience Is Not a Prerequisite





We want to be clear — this is not a traditional payroll processing role.

We’re less focused on finding someone who has spent 5–10+ years processing payroll and more interested in someone who understands controls, assurance, risk, audit, governance, compliance and continuous improvement.

You could be an Internal Auditor looking to apply your skills in a new environment, a Risk & Compliance qualified with solid analytical capability, a Financial Controls specialist, or someone who has worked on payroll remediation or process improvement projects.

If you have a strong controls and assurance background, are comfortable working with data and systems, and have the curiosity to understand how payroll works, we want to hear from you.

Payroll knowledge can be developed. The ability to investigate, analyse, challenge and strengthen controls is what matters.

In Return, You’ll Enjoy

- Access to not-for-profit salary packaging, helping you pay less tax and take home more of your income. Better still, your full annual benefit is available from 1 April 2026, allowing you to maximise your tax savings from the start of the FBT year.
- Access to Fitness Passport, providing discounted access to hundreds of gyms, pools, and fitness facilities across Australia to help you live your best life.
- Additional paid leave options, including the opportunity to purchase extra annual leave.
- Exclusive employee discounts through our U Rewards program.
- The chance to do meaningful work every day for an organisation committed to inspiring people, enlivening communities, and confronting injustice.

Our Commitment

Uniting NSW.ACT contributes to the work and mission of the Uniting Church in NSW and the ACT through social justice advocacy, community services, and spiritual care. We provide care and support for people through all ages and stages of life, with a focus on people experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability. Our purpose is to inspire people, enliven communities, and confront injustice.

Uniting is a Child Safe Organisation committed to promoting the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of children and young people.

Empowered by diversity

At Uniting, inclusion isn’t just something we value, it’s how we work. We welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, and identities and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people of all ages, cultural back

If you require adjustments to participate in our recruitment process, please let us know.

Join more than 12,000 employees working together to inspire people, enliven communities, and confront injustice.

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📌 Payroll Specialist - Controls & Assurance (Parramatta)
🏢 Uniting
📍 Parramatta