About the role
In this leadership role, you will lead the payroll team and drive continuous process improvement initiatives. This includes leveraging technology to empower managers and simplify payroll for everyone. You'll also play a key role in implementing a new rostering and time and attendance system, further enhancing the City's commitment to modern, effective workforce management.

Work type: Permanent, fulltime position
Classification: $144,144 base + 11% Superannuation

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and mentoring the payroll team, fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment.

• Facilitating ongoing interface between the human resources and finance systems to ensure seamless data flow and accuracy.
• Driving the implementation of continuous process improvement initiatives to enhance the operation of the payroll processing function. Identifying opportunities for increased efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensuring that the payroll processing function adheres to all relevant internal and external processes, procedures, and legislative requirements. Stay up to date with changes in legislation and adjust payroll processes accordingly.
• Maintaining the integrity of payroll data through regular verification and audits. Implement robust data quality controls to minimise errors.
• Developing and overseeing internal control checks, including detailed records of weekly, monthly, and yearly compliance checks. Take proactive measures to mitigate compliance risks.
• Generating various payroll reports using a reporting solution, providing valuable insights to support decision-making. 
• Managing all superannuation funds for the organisation, ensuring timely and accurate contributions.
• Providing expert advice to People and Culture department, People Leaders, and Employees on payroll issues, including Award and Enterprise Agreement interpretation and applicable legislation as it relates to the payroll processing function.
• Monitoring team performance, carrying out regular 1-1s with each team member and conduct Performance Development Reviews.

About you
To be successful in this role, you will have a proven track record of substantial payroll management and leadership experience in a related or similar role.

Essential Experience:

• Proficiency in leading a payroll team or function, with a focus on inspiring the team to foster a collaborative and high-performing work environment.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills are essential, showcasing your capacity to establish and maintain effective working relationships not only within the payroll team but also across the entire organisation.
• A demonstrated ability to think critically and strategically, identifying opportunities for process improvement initiatives that enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness including implementation of a time and attendance, rostering solution.
• Extensive experience in providing both payroll and helpdesk services.
• Exceptional organisational skills of the highest order are required, as you will be responsible for managing complex payroll processes and ensuring accuracy.
• Proven extensive experience working in a team environment to achieve organizational goals and objectives.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• Certification in payroll management (e.g., Certified Payroll Professional - CPP) is highly desirable.

If this sounds like the role for you, then click apply now! 

Create our future together at the City of Greater Geelong
At the City of Greater Geelong, we are committed to working together for a thriving community. We do this by delivering over 130 services to our rapidly growing population and working hard to protect and improve what it is that makes Greater Geelong on Wadawurrung Country such a great place to live, work and study.  

We’re going through an exciting period of change that will help us serve our community better. From digital modernisation to the contemporary, sustainable office we've built in Central Geelong, now more than ever is a great time to join our team at the City of Greater Geelong.

Our Community is made up of diverse people from all walks of life, and it’s important to us that our workforce represents and celebrates this strength.

We encourage great people from all backgrounds to join us. We encourage authenticity, because inclusion makes us stronger. 

If you’re excited about working together to create a Clever and Creative Greater Geelong, and joining a workplace where all people can thrive, then hit apply – we’d love to meet you!

We particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with diverse culture and linguistic backgrounds and people with disability.

A career with us
Central Geelong-based City employees are now based in our new Civic Precinct, Wurriki Nyal. Meaning ‘speak and talk together’ in local Wadawurrung language.  Wurriki Nyal sets the benchmark for what a sustainable, inclusive and culturally safe workplace can be, including industry leading sustainability standards, a flexible and people-focused design, safe and inclusive spaces and public realm.

We’re committed to supporting better accessibility for our customers and our people.  We encourage you to talk to us about any adjustments or additional support you may require during the recruitment process, as well as how this role can be flexible for you. 

We offer:

• salary sacrificing and novated lease options
• cultural and ceremonial leave
• study leave
• paid parental leave (16 weeks primary and six weeks secondary) and superannuation payments on all 52 weeks primary parental leave
• IVF, surrogate and miscarriage bereavement leave
• training and career development opportunities
• a healthy and safe environment
• our employee wellbeing program
• corporate membership rates at Swim Sport and Leisure facilities
• unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning 

Applications and Enquiries

Click the Position Description link to view more information about this position.

Enquiries: Sonia Cheema | Talent Acquisition Specialist | sonia.cheema@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Click the Apply button to submit your application or find out more about this opportunity. If we can assist you with any reasonable adjustments in order to submit your application for this role, please contact the Talent Acquisition team via email at careers@geelongcity.vic.gov.au noting your preferred method of communication and contact details and a member of the team will be in touch.

We collect demographic data to help us learn who our advertisements are reaching and how we can reach an even more diverse audience.  We are committed to building a more diverse team. Your responses to our demographic questions are strictly confidential and will not be individually shared.