The role / impact
As the Senior Payroll Manager for the APAC region, you will lead the operational excellence of our payroll function, ensuring precision and efficiency for our people across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Working closely with the GM of Payroll, you will navigate a rapidly changing legislative landscape to ensure every deliverable meets the highest standards of compliance.
Your focus will be on moving the team away from manual data entry and toward a sophisticated validation model by leveraging automation and AI. You will play a vital role in championing payroll governance and strategic regional growth, ensuring our processes remain robust as we continue to scale as a global SaaS company.
The team / how they connect
You will lead a capable and diverse team of payroll professionals across Melbourne and New Zealand, fostering a culture of coaching, empowerment, and psychological safety. This role acts as a critical partner to our People Experience and Finance teams, ensuring the end-to-end employee journey is supported by timely and accurate information.
The team is currently working on / Initially, you will focus on
Stabilising and refining the recently implemented Ramco payroll system to eliminate teething issues and improve process effectiveness.
Preparing our systems and people for the transition to 'payday super' legislation and other evolving Fair Work and ATO requirements.
Implementing automated integration solutions, potentially using AI, to streamline data flow between Workday and our payroll engines.
Enhancing process documentation and issue registers to drive maturity and reduce recurring operational bottlenecks.
Where and how you can work
We embrace a hybrid working model that balances the flexibility of remote work with 'boost days' in the office to collaborate, connect, and nurture our team culture.
Here are some of the things we are looking for
You bring a deep understanding of Australian payroll legislation, including Fair Work rules, long service leave, and superannuation requirements.
A natural ability to lead and coach other leaders, with a focus on human-centric management and supporting team growth.
You possess a mindset geared toward automation and systems integration, looking for ways to use technology to solve complex manual challenges.
Experience navigating the fast-paced environment of a global organisation, ideally within the SaaS or technology sector.
Your communication style allows you to distill intricate technical payroll or tax information into clear, actionable insights for diverse stakeholders.
You value partnership and collaboration, building strong relationships across Finance and People teams to ensure seamless delivery.
Apply even if your experience isn't a perfect match! At Xero, we hire based on your skills, passion, and the unique perspective you can bring to enhance our culture and team.
Skills Required
- Deep understanding of Australian payroll legislation (Fair Work, long service leave, superannuation).
- Proven experience leading and coaching payroll leaders/teams.
- Mindset and experience with automation and systems integration, including leveraging AI.
- Ability to communicate complex payroll and tax information clearly to diverse stakeholders.
- Experience operating in a fast-paced global organisation.
- Collaborative approach working closely with Finance and People teams.
Xero Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is extensive in the U.S., including 21 days of annual leave, 10 wellbeing days, five “Xtra” days, three year‑end company holidays, and a paid volunteer day. Feedback suggests this structure provides meaningful flexibility for rest and personal needs.
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Parental & Family Support — Primary caregivers receive 26 weeks fully paid leave and partners receive six weeks, with additional family‑forming support available. Feedback suggests this depth of caregiver support stands out within the package.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Employees have access to Modern Health coaching/counseling, Carrot fertility benefits, and an employer‑funded ThrivePass wellbeing allowance. Feedback suggests these offerings create a holistic wellbeing layer beyond standard medical coverage.
Xero Insights
What We Do
Xero is small business accounting software that provides a platform on which businesses can build a fully integrated solution. It’s designed to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. Xero minimises tedious admin by automating routine tasks, delivers valuable insights when needed, and brings together business data, trusted advisors, and powerful apps in one intuitive platform. By alleviating pain points, Xero empowers small business owners to supercharge their business, simplifying the complex and freeing up time from manual admin so they can focus on what really matters to build the business they’ve always envisaged.
Why Work With Us
Xero is a human-centric organization where you’ll have a tangible impact on the success of small businesses and their communities, globally. Our team of energised, forward-thinkers work to make life better for our customers and each other every day. We’re also always committed to supporting you with a flexible environment.
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Xero Teams
Xero Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Join us from home or at one of our beautiful workspaces. Xero has offices in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Singapore, and South Africa.
