Payroll Team Leader

At GHD, we don’t just believe in the power of commitment, we live and breathe it every day

That’s why we pledge to support and empower all of our people to make a positive impact when working with the right technology and training as you bring ideas and projects to life. 

Together with your colleagues, clients and partners, you'll make an impact that is felt by all. See where your commitment could take you. 

Payroll Team Leader – Australia

Who are we looking for?

We're looking for an experienced Payroll Team Leader to lead a team of Payroll Officers in delivering accurate, timely, and compliant payroll services across GHD Australia. Reporting to the Australia Payroll Manager and working closely with Payroll Analysts, this role is central to managing day-to-day payroll operations, ensuring legislative compliance, and driving continuous improvement across processes, systems, and team capability.

This is a great opportunity for a people-focused payroll lead who thrives in a fast-paced, transformation-oriented environment and is passionate about delivering a positive payroll experience for every employee.

About the role

You'll lead a geographically dispersed team, balancing operational delivery with coaching, stakeholder engagement, and process improvement. You'll play a key role in stabilising and evolving our Australian payroll operations as we continue to invest in automation, controls, and best-practice ways of working.

In this role, you will:

• Supervise, support, and develop a team of Payroll Officers to ensure efficient and accurate payroll delivery.
• Oversee end-to-end payroll processes, ensuring accurate pay calculations aligned with policies, legislation, taxation, superannuation, and reporting obligations.
• Act as the escalation point for complex payroll issues, employee queries, and cross-functional matters involving HR, Finance, and other Departments.
• Monitor team workloads, prioritise tasks, and manage deadlines to consistently meet payroll cycles and SLAs.
• Provide advice and guidance to the Australia Payroll Manager, proactively identifying risks, control gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Partner with the Australia Payroll Manager to implement scalable solutions, including process automation, system enhancements, and reconciliation tools.
• Develop, mentor, and empower team members 
• Ensure all payroll documentation, SOPs, and controls are up to date and audit ready, supporting internal and external audit requirements.
• Collaborate with global payroll peers to share best practices and support enterprise-wide payroll initiatives.
• Support change management activities related to payroll transformation and process redesign.

What you'll bring

• 7+ years' experience in payroll, with 2+ years in a supervisory or team lead role.
• Strong understanding of Australian payroll legislation, Awards, PAYG, superannuation, payroll tax, and STP compliance.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to coach, mentor, and motivate a dispersed team.
• Experience managing high-volume payroll operations and resolving complex queries.
• High attention to detail with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in SAP or ADP GlobalView payroll systems
• Exposure to process improvement or payroll transformations are highly valued.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build trust across HR, Finance, and business leaders.
• Sound understanding of internal controls, governance, and audit frameworks.
• Resilience, adaptability, and a continuous improvement mindset.
   

Why join us?

At GHD, you'll be part of a global payroll team that values collaboration, integrity, and innovation. You'll have the opportunity to shape the future of payroll in Australia—driving stabilisation, transformation, and a high-performing team culture—while working alongside talented professionals across the globe.

If you're a proactive leader with strong communication skills, proven analytical and problem-solving capabilities, and a passion for developing people, we'd love to hear from you.

This role can be located in any GHD office throughout Australia 

Interested? Apply by Thursday 30th July

GHD is an equal opportunity employer, and we want everyone to be able to fully participate in our recruitment process. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of all identities.

GHD embraces hybrid work arrangements to create a work environment focused on well-being, flexibility and productivity where our people can thrive. This supports the diverse needs of our workforce while balancing the benefits of remote working with the value of face-to-face collaboration in the office.

We respectfully ask that no agency resumes be presented at this stage.

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