Senior Payroll Officer

Location: Melbourne's Western Suburbs
Employment Type: Full-Time - 3 month temporary contract
Reporting To: Payroll Manager

About the Organisation

Our client is a highly regarded global organisation with a strong presence in Australia and an established operation based in Melbourne's Western Suburbs. As the business continues to grow, they are seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Officer to join their finance team and play a key role in delivering a high-quality, accurate, and compliant payroll function.

This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll professional who enjoys working in a fast-paced, complex environment and is looking to join a collaborative team within a large, globally recognised business.

The Role

Reporting to the Payroll Manager, the Senior Payroll Officer will be responsible for the accurate and timely processing of payroll across the organisation, ensuring employees are paid correctly and all payroll activities comply with relevant Australian legislation, awards, enterprise agreements, and company policies.

You will work closely with internal stakeholders across Finance, HR, People & Culture and the wider business, providing payroll expertise and supporting the continuous improvement of payroll processes and systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end payroll processing function across multiple pay cycles.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, efficiently, and within required deadlines.
• Process new starters, terminations, transfers, leave, allowances, deductions, overtime and other payroll adjustments.
• Utilise Chris21 payroll software to process payroll and maintain accurate employee records.
• Review and validate payroll data prior to processing and payment.
• Ensure compliance with Australian payroll legislation, taxation requirements, superannuation, awards and enterprise agreements.
• Complete payroll reconciliations and investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Prepare and maintain accurate payroll reports and documentation.
• Manage payroll-related queries from employees and internal stakeholders in a timely and professional manner.
• Work closely with HR and People & Culture teams to ensure employee data is accurately maintained.
• Support payroll reporting, audits and year-end activities, including payment summaries and relevant statutory reporting requirements.
• Maintain accurate payroll records and ensure appropriate payroll controls are followed.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, systems and procedures.
• Assist with payroll projects, system upgrades and process improvement initiatives.
• Provide guidance and support to other members of the payroll team where required.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced payroll professional with strong knowledge of Australian payroll legislation and end-to-end payroll processes.

You will ideally have:

• Previous experience in a Senior Payroll Officer or similar payroll position.
• Strong end-to-end payroll processing experience.
• Hands-on experience using Chris21 payroll software is essential.
• Sound knowledge of Australian payroll legislation, taxation and superannuation requirements.
• Experience working with awards and/or enterprise agreements.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Excellent reconciliation and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and meet strict payroll deadlines.
• A proactive and process-focused approach to your work.
• The ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders across a large organisation.
• High level of confidentiality and professionalism when handling sensitive employee information.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience working with payroll systems and HRIS platforms.