Senior Payroll Officer – Centacare

Centacare is looking for an experienced Senior Payroll Officer to join our collaborative payroll team on a 12‑month fixed‑term contract. The role supports a workforce of approximately 4,000 employees across community services in Brisbane, operating in a hybrid format with flexible working days.

As a hands‑on senior payroll officer you will be responsible for end‑to‑end payroll processing, interpreting modern awards, managing complex reconciliations and backpays, providing technical guidance to the team, and contributing to continuous improvement of payroll processes. Your experience should include dealing with large, complex, high‑volume environments, with an understanding of single touch payroll and the SCHADS Award.

Key responsibilities include:

- Running and supporting end‑to‑end payroll processing across a large workforce
- Ensuring payrolls are processed accurately and within critical deadlines
- Interpreting and applying relevant up-to-date awards, enterprise agreements and employment conditions
- Supporting payroll requirements relating to Single Touch Payroll
- Processing complex employee changes, terminations, backpays and payroll adjustments
- Completing payroll reconciliations and investigating discrepancies
- Preparing, reviewing and validating payroll reports
- Using Excel extensively for reconciliations, backpay calculations, data validation and payroll uploads
- Providing technical payroll guidance and support to team members
- Coaching and developing less experienced payroll officers
- Working with employees, managers and internal stakeholders to resolve complex payroll matters




- Identifying opportunities to improve payroll controls, processes and ways of working
- Supporting payroll‑related change management, transformation and HCM initiatives

About Centacare

Centacare is a non‑profit community organisation that supports family and community relationships, particularly where there is vulnerability and disadvantage. Services are available to the entire community regardless of religion, circumstance, ethnicity, economic situation, age, gender or ability. We aim to deliver skilled and accountable services while empowering our clients.

About You

You will ideally bring:

- 4–5+ years of hands‑on payroll experience, ideally in a large or complex organisation
- Strong end‑to‑end payroll experience, including responsibility for running payroll
- Experience working with the SCHADS Award and/or CSA, and previous exposure to payroll transformation or HCM projects
- Strong experience interpreting and applying contemporary awards and employment conditions
- Knowledge of the SCHADS Award, with CSA experience highly desirable
- Strong understanding of Single Touch Payroll requirements
- Experience processing terminations, backpays and complex payroll adjustments
- Strong Excel skills, particularly for reconciliations, backpay calculations, data validation and uploads




- Experience preparing and reviewing payroll reports
- Previous exposure to a larger payroll team or complex organisation is highly regarded
- Experience coaching, training or providing technical support to other payroll professionals
- Exposure to Aurion is an advantage
- Experience supporting change management, payroll transformation or HCM system initiatives is an advantage
- Strong attention to detail and confidence working with complex payroll data
- Ability to manage competing priorities and remain accurate during busy processing periods
- Holding or willingness to obtain a Blue Card

Benefits

- Salary Packaging Perks: Package up to $18,550 of your annual salary tax‑free
- Hybrid Working: Flexible hybrid arrangement with office and work‑from‑home days structured around the payroll cycle
- Flexible Working Hours: Some flexibility around start and finish times
- Training & Development: Excellent opportunities to continue developing payroll knowledge and professional capability
- Employee Assistance Program: Free and confidential counselling available to you and family members
- Transformation Exposure: Opportunity to contribute to payroll process improvement, organisational change and broader HCM transformation initiatives
- Purpose: Ability to contribute to meaningful work that supports individuals, families and communities across Queensland

Commitment to Equality & Diversity

Centacare is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We encourage applications from all individuals, including those from diverse backgrounds.

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📌 End-To-End Payroll Specialist - Hybrid & Collaborative Team (Brisbane)
🏢 u&u. Recruitment Partners
📍 Brisbane