Lead Payroll Specialist, HSC

Guiding the future of NSW education

Position details

• Clerk Grade 9/10


• Full-time, Salary: $133,348 to $146,945 p.a. plus employer’s contribution to superannuation and leave loading


• Temporary role of up to 2 years


• Close to Wynyard station & hybrid work arrangements available


• Contact for enquiries: [email protected]

About us

At the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), we are dedicated to carrying out meaningful work that drives improvements and elevates student achievement across NSW, now and into the future.

We accomplish this by supporting all school sectors with high-quality syllabuses, assessment (including managing the HSC and NAPLAN), teaching standards (e.g., accrediting teachers) and school environments (including setting and monitoring school standards).

NESA is a unique organisation in NSW (of around 740FTE staff) with significant state-wide impact, visit our website to learn more about the important work we do.

About the role

As the Lead Payroll Specialist, HSC, you will play a critical role in leading the delivery of payroll services for approximately 15,000 casual workers supporting the Higher School Certificate (HSC) program. You will partner with internal stakeholders and Government Shared Services (GSS) to ensure payroll processes are accurate, compliant, efficient and customer focused.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced payroll professional who thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. You'll have the opportunity to lead a seasonal payroll team, drive continuous improvement initiatives, influence business processes, and deliver services that directly support one of NSW's most significant education programs. The role offers variety, leadership responsibility, stakeholder engagement and the chance to contribute to service excellence and operational innovation.

On a day-to-day basis you will be responsible for:

• Leading and supporting a seasonal payroll workforce during peak HSC operational periods


• Leading and managing the annual delivery of casual payroll services, ensuring accurate and timely payments in accordance with Award and legislative requirements.


• Building strong relationships with key stakeholders across NESA and Government Shared Services to support payroll delivery, manage risks and resolve issues.


• Coordinating payroll operations, advisory services, payments and reimbursements to ensure key deliverables are achieved within agreed timeframes and budgets.


• Acting as the escalation point for complex payroll enquiries and providing accurate advice and solutions.


• Leading business process reviews and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, cost management and service delivery.


• Identifying and managing the impacts of process and system changes and implementing effective action plans.


• Developing and maintaining operational documentation, procedures and guidance materials to support consistent service delivery.


• Monitoring performance metrics and preparing reports, audit documentation and compliance reporting to support informed decision-making and legislative compliance.

To be successful, you will need:

• Proven experience delivering payroll services within a high-volume, fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy, compliance and customer service excellence.


• Demonstrated success managing competing priorities and tight deadlines while delivering accurate and compliant payroll outcomes in accordance with Award and legislative requirements.


• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to build trusted relationships, collaborate effectively and influence outcomes across diverse stakeholder groups.


• Experience leading teams and coordinating resources to achieve business objectives .


• Demonstrated ability to identify opportunities for process improvement and implement practical solutions that enhance efficiency and service delivery.


• Strong communication, problem-solving and negotiation skills, with the ability to resolve complex payroll enquiries and issues.


• Demonstrated experience in the delivery of payroll services in a high-volume, fast-paced environment where practices must adhere to defined and sometimes complex requirements.


• Demonstrated ability to apply problem-solving, negotiation and written communication skills to resolve complex payroll queries and issues.


• Intermediate/advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency and the ability to extract relevant data through reporting and dashboards.


• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline or demonstrated equivalent relevant professional experience.

We invite you to download the role description for additional information on the position.

At NESA you will benefit from:

• An organisation where your contribution has a big impact.


• An enviable CBD location (all modes of transport nearby, and excellent coffee and eateries) with refurbished offices.


• Flexible working arrangements and generous leave entitlements.


• Access to discounted health and fitness memberships via Fitness Passport, an employee assistance program and annual flu vaccinations.


• Salary packaging options.


• Working in a purpose driven and ethical organisation with committed colleagues. 

Ready to join us?

Key information: If you are a current NESA employee or from another NSW government agency who use SuccessFactors for recruitment, it’s important to apply through SuccessFactors to ensure your application reaches our system in the right place. If you need advice on that process follow this guide.

For all other candidates:

Select “Apply now” and attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages). Also address the 2 targeted questions below in your online application (maximum of 500 words per response - approximately):

• Describe your experience delivering payroll services in a high-volume environment. How have you ensured accuracy, compliance and timely outcomes while managing competing priorities and tight deadlines?


• Provide an example of a complex payroll issue you have resolved. What was your approach, how did you engage stakeholders and how did you ensure compliance with relevant awards and legislative requirements? What was the outcome?

Advice on applying for NSW Public Sector roles

If you need reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process and workplace, please reach out to [email protected]

Close date: Sunday 9 August 2026 at 11.59pm AEST

Thank you for your interest, we look forward to receiving your application.

Important information

NESA’s Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

All children and young people have the right to be respected, feel safe, be safe, and protected from harm. NESA is committed to child safety and child safe practices underpinning our purpose of helping children and young people leave school, ready to take advantage of life’s opportunities and rise to its inevitable challenges. 

We particularly welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people of all ages, genders, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For ongoing roles, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Australian Temporary Residents may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position.

A Talent Pool (valid for 18 months) may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles