Senior Specialist, Payroll

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:

As a Senior Payroll Specialist, you’ll play a key role in delivering accurate, compliant and timely payroll services for employees across Australia and New Zealand.

Working closely with Human Resources, payroll teams and external providers, you’ll support key areas including compensation, benefits, time management and employee enquiries. As part of a collaborative regional and global team, you’ll also support the Payroll Team Leader and help deliver a seamless, positive payroll experience for employees in Australia and New Zealand.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage accurate and timely end-to-end payroll administration for corporate and retail employees across Australia and New Zealand
• Process variable payments, deductions, leave, terminations and off-cycle payroll adjustments
• Complete payroll validation, reconciliations, exception reviews and control checks to ensure payroll outputs are accurate, compliant and fully supported
• Apply relevant legislation, payroll requirements and company policies, escalating risks or compliance concerns when needed
• Support statutory, compliance and year-end activities, including PAYG withholding, Single Touch Payroll, superannuation, KiwiSaver, payroll tax, reporting and audits
• Assist with time and attendance processes, employee benefits, payroll projects and the implementation of new HR programs
• Contribute to payroll system improvements, testing, parallel payroll runs and system validation
• Identify process risks and improvement opportunities that strengthen payroll controls, service quality and operational efficiency
• Maintain accurate payroll procedures, work instructions and supporting documentation
• Build strong working relationships with Human Resources, employees, external providers and relevant government authorities
• Take ownership of payroll enquiries and cases from initial review through to resolution, ensuring clear communication and timely follow-up
• Support additional payroll activities and country-specific requirements as business needs evolve

KPIs:

• Accurate, complete and on-time payroll delivery against agreed service standards
• Timely resolution and escalation of payroll exceptions, employee enquiries and payroll cases
• Completion of statutory, compliance, audit and year-end activities within required deadlines
• Accurate and up-to-date payroll procedures and supporting documentation
• Successful delivery of agreed payroll process improvements and system changes

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Human Resources
• Finance
• Talent Acquisition
• Procurement
• Compensation and Benefits
• Regional and global payroll teams

External

• Payroll and employee benefits providers
• Superannuation, insurance and KiwiSaver providers
• Government and regulatory authorities
• External auditors
• Tax and compliance advisers

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong practical knowledge of Australian and New Zealand payroll operations, legislation and compliance requirements
• Experience managing end-to-end payroll in a complex or high-volume environment
• Good understanding of PAYG, Single Touch Payroll, superannuation, payroll tax and year-end reporting
• Understanding of the General Retail Industry Award and its payroll implications, including ordinary hours, overtime, penalty rates, allowances and leave
• Retail payroll experience, including time and attendance, allowances, penalty rates, overtime, leave and termination payments
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, with experience reconciling large volumes of payroll data and investigating discrepancies
• Experience using payroll, Human Resources, workforce management or employee case management systems. Exposure to platforms such as SAP, SuccessFactors, Kronos, Datacom or ServiceNow would be beneficial
• Strong attention to detail, numerical capability and analytical problem-solving skills
• A proactive and customer-focused approach, with the ability to take ownership of issues through to resolution
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and meet payroll deadlines
• A continuous improvement mindset, with a focus on strengthening controls and simplifying processes

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• At least three years of hands-on, end-to-end payroll experience across both Australia and New Zealand
• Strong knowledge of Australian and New Zealand payroll legislation, compliance requirements and employment practices
• Strong understanding of Fair Work requirements and the General Retail Industry Award
• Experience managing key payroll activities, including payroll tax, superannuation, KiwiSaver, Single Touch Payroll, year-end processing, audits and remediation
• Experience supporting both corporate and retail employee populations is highly regarded

AT ADIDAS WE HAVE A WINNING CULTURE. BUT TO WIN, PHYSICAL POWER IS NOT ENOUGH. JUST LIKE ATHLETES OUR EMPLOYEES NEED MENTAL STRENGTH IN THEIR GAME. WE FOSTER THE ATHLETE’S MINDSET THROUGH A SET OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE WANT TO ENABLE AND DEVELOP IN OUR PEOPLE AND THAT ARE AT THE CORE OF OUR UNIQUE COMPANY CULTURE: THIS IS HOW WE WIN WHILE PLAYING FAIR.

• COURAGE:Speak up when you see an opportunity; step up when you see a need..
• OWNERSHIP:Pick up the ball. Be proactive, take responsibility and follow-through.
• INNOVATION: Elevate to win. Be curious, test and learn new and better ways of doing things.
• TEAMPLAY: Win together. Work collaboratively and cultivate a shared mindset.
• INTEGRITY: Play by the rules. Hold yourself and others accountable to our company’s standards.
• RESPECT: Value all players. Display empathy, be inclusive and show dignity to all.

At adidas, we strongly believe that embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our culture and talent processes gives our employees a sense of belonging and our brand a real competitive advantage.
– Culture Starts With People, It Starts With You –
By recruiting talent and developing our people to reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities, we foster a culture of inclusion that engages our employees and authentically connects our brand with our consumers.

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