Payroll Compliance Lead

Make a meaningful difference with us

We’re looking for a payroll professional who thrives on compliance, continuous improvement and solving complex payroll challenges. Join our Payroll team and play a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity, accuracy and compliance of payroll operations across a large and complex organisation.

 As a Payroll Compliance Lead, you will lead payroll compliance initiatives, drive process optimisation, support system enhancements and partner with stakeholders across Payroll, People & Culture, Finance and Digital & Technology. You will provide expert guidance on payroll legislation while helping shape a culture of compliance, accountability and continuous improvement.

Please note, this position is Full Time. Flexibility is important to us, and we know it is to you too. This role supports hybrid working by agreement.

Your part in our UnitingCare team:

• Lead payroll compliance activities including audits, reconciliations, regulatory reporting and governance initiatives.

• Ensure payroll operations remain compliant with relevant legislation including superannuation, taxation, QLeave, Fair Work requirements and employment standards.

• Drive process optimisation, root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen payroll outcomes.

• Partner with Payroll, Finance, People & Culture, Workforce Integration and Digital & Technology teams to improve service delivery and compliance outcomes.

• Lead payroll system improvements, testing, reporting and compliance-related projects.

• Coach and support Payroll Compliance Officers while fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture.

What makes a difference for us?

• Extensive payroll experience within a complex and high-volume environment.

• Strong understanding of payroll compliance, governance and legislative requirements including superannuation, taxation, workers compensation, QLeave and employment obligations

• Experience working across multiple entities, business units or customer groups within a complex payroll environment.

• Previous leadership experience, including coaching, mentoring or managing payroll professionals.

• Demonstrated experience leading payroll projects, compliance reviews, audits, system implementations or process improvement initiatives.

• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across Payroll, Finance, People & Culture and Digital & Technology teams.

• Strong analytical capability, including reconciliations, investigation of payroll discrepancies and root cause analysis.

• Experience developing reporting, dashboards and data-driven insights to support business decisions.

Highly regarded:

• Experience with Chris21, Aurion and/or other enterprise payroll systems.

• Experience developing and implementing governance frameworks, compliance controls or audit programs.

• Experience leading payroll transformation, system enhancement or process optimisation initiatives.

• Experience dealing with complex payroll matters including Workers Compensation, QLeave and legislative compliance requirements.

• Qualifications in Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, Business or a related discipline.

What makes a difference for you?  
 The opportunity to be part of the second-largest Queensland employer who has been leading by example for more than 100 years. Joining our team, you’ll be welcomed as part of the UnitingCare family. We’re a proud not-for-profit with more than 16,500 staff and 9,000 volunteers across our brands of BlueCare, Lifeline, ARRCS, The Wesley Hospital, Buderim Private Hospital, St Stephen’s Hospital, and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital.    

• Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance  

• Access to salary packaging, meal and entertainment benefits - up to $15,900 per year tax free as well as up to $2,650 of your pre-tax income to pay for meal and entertainment benefits. To learn more about this benefit watch the video via the following link: Salary Packaging Explained      

• A recognition and rewards platform, providing employee discounts at hundreds of retailers, including everyday expenses, holidays, health insurance, annual awards celebration, wellbeing and employee assistance programs   

• 12 weeks paid parental leave and 2 weeks paid partner leave, available after 6 months’ service, in addition to the government scheme   

• Diversity and inclusive leave, offering paid gender affirmation leave and cultural leave options (paid and unpaid) for those who may celebrate Lunar New Year, Diwali, Ramadan, NAIDOC weeks and other significant cultural events   

• Career development opportunities to challenge yourself, grow and make a meaningful difference    

• A positive and inclusive team based on respect, shared standards, strong values and a commitment to serving others  
   

Child safe, Child friendly  

UnitingCare is committed to being a Child Safe, Child Friendly organisation and will:   

• Provide welcoming, safe and nurturing services for children   

• Implement measures to prevent child abuse and neglect within our services  

• Appropriately and immediately address child abuse and neglect if it does occur 

• Abide by the Child Safe Standards and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme   

Diversity & Inclusion    

Our approach is simple – everybody is welcome here.  At UnitingCare, diversity is at the core of our who we are, our mission and our values. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees no matter their sex, race, culture, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. Demonstrating our commitment to reconciliation and building long-term employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, UnitingCare strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for this position.     
 
Safe workplace    

We work hard to make our services welcoming and safe for every person. We are united in keeping children, young people and the elderly safe from harm, within our services, workplaces and the communities we support. We are committed to speaking up loudly for their safety.    
 
Commitment to Safeguarding 

We are committed in creating services and workplaces that are welcoming and safe for every person. We work together to protect children, young people, adults and the elderly from harm within our services and the communities we support. We speak up for their safety to ensure their voices are heard. Our recruitment and workplace practices reflect our dedication in preventing abuse, harm and exploitation across UnitingCare.