Payroll Experience Lead

Location: Docklands, Melbourne | Hybrid Work Arrangement

At IDP, we are committed to delivering every employee an exemplary experience, beginning with precision and reliability in the fundamentals. We are seeking a highly skilled and proactive Payroll Experience Lead to assume full accountability for the Australian and New Zealand payroll operations.

This pivotal role involves close collaboration with our outsourced payroll provider to ensure that every payroll cycle is managed with utmost accuracy, compliance, and efficiency, ultimately providing a seamless payroll experience for all our team members.

The successful candidate will act as the organisation’s trusted subject matter expert, spearheading continual enhancements in payroll systems, strengthening controls, optimising processes, and enriching the overall employee experience.

If you are ready to take on a leadership role where your expertise directly influences our workforce's satisfaction and operational excellence, we encourage you to apply. We're looking for candidates who can join us at short notice.

As the Payroll Experience Lead at IDP, your core responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing and directing payroll operations across Australia and New Zealand, maintaining a collaborative partnership with our outsourced payroll provider to ensure optimal delivery and responsiveness.
• Guaranteeing the integrity, accuracy, and compliance of all payroll processing activities, statutory reporting, and fulfilment of local legislative requirements.
• Managing comprehensive payroll governance frameworks, conducting regular audits, reconciling payroll data, and ensuring transparent regulatory reporting to maintain robust control mechanisms.
• Providing expert, up-to-date advice on complex payroll legislation matters including awards, enterprise agreements, superannuation schemes, payroll tax, PAYG, WorkCover, KiwiSaver, and related statutory obligations.
• Fostering strong cross-functional partnerships with the Finance department, People Experience (PX) Systems teams, Rewards specialists, and other key business stakeholders to align payroll initiatives with organisational goals and employee experience objectives.
• Leading projects to refine payroll processes and systems, enhancing automation, efficiency, and service delivery standards while proactively identifying opportunities for continual improvement.
• Championing a culture of compliance, integrity, and excellent service delivery, ensuring the payroll function contributes positively to overall employee engagement and organisational success.

We seek a dedicated payroll specialist who combines deep technical expertise with a genuine commitment to delivering a positive and seamless employee payroll experience. The qualities and skills you will bring to this role include:

• Proven extensive experience managing payroll operations in both Australia and New Zealand, fully conversant with their respective regulatory environments.
• Comprehensive knowledge of payroll-specific legislation, including awards interpretation, enterprise agreements, payroll tax regulations, PAYG obligations, superannuation compliance, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Proficiency with payroll and Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), coupled with advanced skills in Microsoft Excel to efficiently manipulate and analyse payroll data.
• Exceptional attention to detail with a strong governance mindset to ensure compliance and accuracy throughout payroll processes.
• Excellent stakeholder management abilities, capable of communicating complex payroll information clearly and collaborating effectively with diverse teams.

Additional desirable qualifications and experience:

• Experience working with industry-standard platforms such as SuccessFactors, SAP Employee Central Payroll (ECP), HumanForce, or Oracle Fusion.
• Proven capability in managing outsourced payroll providers to achieve consistent service quality and compliance.
• Hands-on experience in payroll system implementations, process redesigns, or automation initiatives.
• Understanding of payroll accounting principles and the ability to generate and interpret payroll analytics to inform business decisions.
• Exposure to international payroll processes, enhancing adaptability and cross-cultural payroll management expertise.

Your combination of technical acumen, proactive approach, and collaborative spirit will enable you to excel in this role, delivering outstanding payroll outcomes that support IDP’s global mission.

At IDP, our purpose is to help people achieve their global education and career goals. As part of our People Experience team, you'll play a critical role in ensuring our employees receive an outstanding payroll experience—every pay cycle, every time. 

Join a collaborative team where your expertise will be valued and your ideas for improvement welcomed. 

Apply today and help us deliver payroll excellence across Australia and New Zealand.