Payroll Team Leader

Payroll Team Leader

Lead a high-performing payroll team supporting one of New Zealand's largest retail workforces. Are you an experienced payroll professional with a passion for accuracy, leadership, and continuous improvement? We're looking for a Payroll Team Leader to join our growing team and play a pivotal role in ensuring the timely and accurate payment of wages and salaries across our retail network and portfolio businesses. This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll specialist who enjoys leading people, improving processes, and partnering with stakeholders across a fast-paced, large-scale organisation.

About the Role

• Payroll Operations
• Lead the accurate and timely processing of weekly, fortnightly, and adjustment payrolls.
• Review payroll reports and payments to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Process new starters, terminations, leave payments, and employment variations.
• Maintain payroll and employee system data integrity.
• Manage ACC claims, parental leave administration, and payroll reconciliations.
• Ensure compliance with payroll legislation, employment agreements, taxation requirements, and Holidays Act obligations.
• Conduct payroll testing and auditing activities to ensure system integrity and legislative compliance.
• Generate payroll reporting and insights for management.
• Team Leadership
• Lead, mentor, coach, and develop payroll team members.
• Plan team workloads and allocate resources to meet business deadlines.
• Monitor workflow, review completed work, and ensure high standards of accuracy.
• Support the team in resolving complex payroll issues and employee queries.
• Deliver payroll training and education to team members and wider business stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Management & Continuous Improvement
• Partner with Operations, Store Management, Supply Chain, Commercial teams, and Head Office stakeholders.
• Provide expert payroll advice and guidance across the business.
• Build strong relationships with external payroll advisors and service providers.
• Identify opportunities to streamline payroll processes, improve efficiencies, and strengthen controls.
• Contribute to payroll system enhancements and large-scale payroll projects.

About You

You are a confident and approachable payroll leader with strong technical expertise and a passion for exceptional customer service. You will bring:

• Minimum 3 years' experience in a senior payroll, payroll officer, or payroll administration role.
• Previous experience leading, mentoring, or coordinating payroll teams.
• Proven experience managing high-volume payrolls of 3,000+ employees.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, employment law, taxation requirements, and payroll best practice.
• Experience using payroll and workforce management systems such as PayGlobal, Xero Payroll, Deputy, or similar.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• High attention to detail and strong organisational abilities.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet strict deadlines.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A proactive, resilient, and solutions-focused approach.

Why Join Us?

Opportunity to lead a critical payroll function within a large and growing retail organisation. Work with a supportive leadership team that values continuous improvement. Influence payroll processes, systems, and business outcomes. Career development and growth opportunities. Collaborative and inclusive team culture. Dynamic, fast-paced environment where no two days are the same.