Payroll Services Team Leader and Senior Team Leader

Job Details

EMPLOYMENT TYPE - Ongoing Full time

LOCATION - ACT

AFP BAND & SALARY - AFP Band 7 ($123,420 - $132,185) and AFP Band 8 ($132,185 - $143,883)

JOB REFERENCE NUMBER - 15687

This advertisement is to fill current vacancies and create a merit list for future ongoing or non-ongoing vacancies arising over the next 12 months.

Did you know?

The mission of the Australian Federal Police is to provide dynamic and effective law enforcement to the people of Australia. It provides policing throughout Australia in relation to the prevention and detection of crimes against the Commonwealth, its laws and integrity, and community police services to the Community of the ACT.

Working for the AFP provides you with a diverse and rewarding career. Whether you immerse yourself in a position on the frontline, or provide critical operational or professional support, the work you do makes a big impact on the people of Australia. 

We’re committed to looking after you, with some of the best benefits and conditions in the industry – including (but not limited to):

• Six weeks (30 days) of paid annual leave per year + additional paid Christmas stand down


• 4 extra days of mandatory rest leave per year


• 18 days of paid personal leave per year


• Generous superannuation of 15.4%


• 18 weeks paid Parental Leave for Primary Caregiver (and 11 weeks for Secondary Caregiver) + additional unpaid leave entitlements for up until 24 months from the child’s date of birth or placement


• Generous salaries and incremental salary progression governed by the AFP Enterprise Agreement 


• Flexible and hybrid working arrangement that provides work/life balance


• Health & wellbeing services – with a focus on early intervention, education and prevention


• Access to ongoing training and professional development opportunities

What is the role?

A challenging opportunity is available for team leaders to use their leadership knowledge, experience and skills to lead payroll teams in the Australian Federal Police that promote innovation and strong relationships with stakeholders.

Payroll Services sits within Business Services, which is a multifaceted branch within the Chief Financial Officer Command. The AFP Payroll Services team delivers fortnightly pays to over 8,500 employees using SAP. We have a complex and fast-paced operating environment, and there is never a dull day and always something new to learn.

In Payroll Services our work is the administration of conditions of service and entitlements for AFP employees including processing of pay, leave, and superannuation.  We foster an environment of ongoing improvement of systems and processes to provide a high quality, accurate and timely service to the AFP and its members.

Both Senior Team Leader and Team Leaders oversee teams within Payroll Services, ensuring accurate and efficient payroll outcomes for AFP employees. They accomplish this by guiding their teams, managing skills, resources, and workloads to deliver high-quality results. These roles are crucial for developing staff, supporting change management, continuous improvement and fostering a positive culture that values each individual's talents and perspectives.

They promote innovation and ongoing improvements in workflows, systems, and processes. They build strong relationships both within their teams and with external partners, working collaboratively as part of the Payroll Services Leadership team to adapt to shifting priorities in a busy environment.

Their responsibilities include helping team members grow their abilities and confidence, organising and allocating tasks, handling complex payroll issues, reviewing work, and leading in priority projects. Team Leaders ensure results are achieved following the regulatory framework, the AFP Code of Conduct, and AFP Governance Instruments.

What can be challenging?

Payroll Services is a fast paced, dynamic place to work. Some cases are quite intricate and complex, requiring liaison with other areas within the AFP and externally to correctly interpret and implement entitlements, governance and legislation. Given the sensitivities of the organisation, having strong communication skills and being able to deal with difficult and emotional conversations is required.

The high volume, high paced environment requires Team Leaders to be aware of the pressures of the workload on their team. It is critical that Team Leaders are able to work with their team to support them to build and demonstrate resilience and provide support and guidance in managing issues and challenges.

Team Leader roles provide opportunities to extend beyond payroll processing and provide a significant contribution to the delivery of high profile or complex projects. This involves combining project management skills and alignment with the fortnightly payroll delivery cycles.

As a Team Leader in the AFP you will play a pivotal role in developing people, managing change and influencing behaviours that lead to a supportive culture that respects the perspectives, talents and value of each individual. Consistent with the AFP values, AFP leadership philosophy, organisational reform agendas, AFP corporate business plans and your Performance Development Agreement, it is expected that you will deliver on the core responsibilities and meet any requirements of the position as outlined below.

You will also be required to contribute to the achievement of outcomes in accordance with the regulatory framework, the AFP Code of Conduct and the AFP Governance Instruments.

What does success look like in these roles?

• Collaboratively working with Payroll Services leadership team to achieve high quality payroll outcomes aligned to AFP priorities.


• Developing team members to build their technical capabilities and ability to work effectively as a team to achieve outcomes.


• Interpretation and application of the AFP’s Enterprise Agreements, relevant legislation and governance to provide direction and advice on complex queries to AFP Employees and Payroll Team Members.


• Regular positive engagement with key stakeholders.


• Delivering on agreed outputs and outcomes to projects and activities.


• Being open to constructive feedback and valuing differing opinions and ideas.


• The ability to convey messages effectively and sensitively across multiple audiences, which may include executive and ill or injured AFP employees.


• Leading the development and implementation of improvements within the team, systems and processes.


• Demonstrating adaptability and resilience in dynamic, complex environments, and enjoy facing new challenges each day.

What will you do?

There are currently two different positions roles within Payroll Services. Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Team Leader Payroll Service - Band 7

• Provide leadership as part of a team, to contribute to organisational outcomes.


• Guide and manage team members responsible for delivery of Payroll Services.


• Engage with stakeholders to manage, prioritise and align payroll activities, systems and processes.


• Undertake processing activities in accordance with relevant governance, frameworks and timeframes.


• Delivering quality service and professional practices and standards including the application of legislation, policy and employment instruments.


• Communicate payroll outcomes both in writing and verbally to employees, management and in formal briefs.


• Influencing and implementing business improvements related to operational practices, procedures and guidelines.


• Maintaining currency in subject matter expertise through on-going professional development and learning opportunities.


• Undertake general administrative duties associated with payroll activities.

Senior Team Leader Payroll Service – Band 8

• Provide senior leadership as part of a team, to contribute to organisational outcomes.


• As a senior member of the Payroll Services Leadership group, you are required to identify and lead process improvements aligned with organisational priorities.


• Guide and manage team members responsible for the delivery of Payroll Services.


• Engage with stakeholders to manage, prioritise and align payroll activities, system and processes to influence Payroll capability development.


• Lead and manage Payroll related project.


• Delivering quality service and professional practices and standards including the application of legislations, policy and employment instruments.


• Communicate payroll outcomes both in writing and verbally to employees, management and in formal briefs.


• Influencing and implementing business improvements related to operational practices, procedures and guidelines to manage risks and improve quality.


• Undertake complex payroll processing cases, including calculating employee entitlements in complex and sensitive cases.


• Maintain currency in subject matter expertise through on-going professional development and learning opportunities.


• Undertake general administrative duties associated with payroll activities

Essential Requirements

• 
  

  Essential Requirements – Band 7

  
  
  
  
  • Australian citizenship.
  
  
  • A Negative Vetting 1 (Secret) security clearance or the ability to obtain one.
  
  
  • Contemporary Payroll, Superannuation, Human Resources and/or corporate experience.
  
  
  • Demonstrated leadership experience – Minimum 3 years
  
  
  • Experience with Payroll Systems such as SAP or similar
  
  
  • Problem solving / analytical skills
  
  
  • A high level of communication skills
  
  
  
  

   

  
  

  Essential Requirements – Band 8

  
  
  
  
  • In addition to Band 7 essential requirements
  
  
  • Demonstrated Project Management skills and experience
  
  
  • Demonstrated leadership experience – Minimum 5 years
  
  
  • Ability to influence and mentor
  
  
  • Demonstrated strategic thinking and ability to apply this in a delivery environment
  
  
  
  

Desirable requirements

• Tertiary qualifications in relevant field.


• Relevant qualification or extensive experience and knowledge in area of expertise.

Additional Information

• These roles are AFP Band 7 and AFP Band 8 roles


• This role is located in ACT and applicants must be based in ACT or relocate at own expense


• When applying you will be asked to nominate which band level/s you wish to be considered for. Note you will only be assessed against the band level/s you select.

Selection Criteria

• Achieve results


• Communicates with influence


• Contributes to strategic thinking


• Cultivates productive working relationships


• Shows personal drive and integrity

Application

Please submit the following documents via our Jobs portal prior to the closing date and time:

• Resume/CV - This will form the basis for determining your suitability against the position requirements and give the panel a clear outline of your current knowledge and qualifications along with previous experiences. Please include your work history, responsibilities and achievements.


• Applicant pitch (maximum two pages). Ensure your pitch tells us why you are the best fit for the role, with examples that demonstrate your capabilities addressing the selection criteria, role requirements and work level standards for the role. If you wish to be considered for both band levels your pitch should address the work level standards of the highest band.

Only complete applications will be considered. Please review and ensure the uploaded documents are correct for this application after submitting your application.

Employment Suitability

Should you successfully progress from the application stage all applicants must:

• Complete an Employment Suitability Questionnaire (ESQ) and provide a traffic history check and proof of Australian citizenship. This aids in the assessment of your character and your ability to comply with the AFP's professional standards both in an official and private capacity. Please review our AFP Character Standards to ensure that you meet our requirements before you submit your application. Applicants will not receive feedback if they are unsuccessful at this gateway.


• Have your fingerprints taken if an offer of employment is made.


• Undertake mandatory drug testing for illicit drugs. This sample could include; urine, saliva or hair.


• Satisfactorily undertake a security clearance to the level specified for the position.

Recruitment Process

Applicants who have demonstrated their suitability for employment through their resume and application, may be asked to complete additional assessments or activities to determine suitability for the role. This may also include a formal interview. Using the relevant AFP work level standards as a guide, you may be asked a range of questions to demonstrate your skills and abilities. These could include behavioural based scenario questions. Read our guides for applicants to find out how to prepare for your interview.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We’re all individuals and we love that. At the AFP we value the different perspectives, approaches and lived experiences of our people, and recognise that our collective intelligence and diversity is what makes us stronger. As such, we encourage applications from people from all walks of life, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, First Nations people, women, the LGBTQIA+ community and people with disability.

Contacts and Closing Information

Contact Officer:  Miles Humphrey,

Contact Officer Phone:  0251274127, ​

Contact Officer Email:  [email protected]

Applications Close: 11:59pm (AEDT) 04/03/2026

To view our other employment opportunities, please visit our career site.

www.afp.gov.au