Synopsis
* Driving payroll excellence - leadership, compliance, and innovation
* Join an ambitious and newly uplifted People, Culture and Safety team
* $140,947 - $158,633 (plus 12% Super. + optional ADO)
About The Role
The Payroll Team Leader provides leadership, oversight, and continuous improvement of the City of Melbourne's payroll operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and efficient delivery of payroll services for all employees.
In this business-critical role, you will lead a small team responsible for end-to-end payroll processing for approx. 1800 employees, system administration, and compliance with legislation, enterprise agreements, and internal policies. You'll work collaboratively with Finance and PCS peers, staying ahead of legislative changes and best-practice methodologies to proactively enhance service delivery and strengthen compliance.
As part of our revised structure we have invested in additional resourcing, centred around service excellence, succession planning, audit and compliance. This will support you to champion initiatives that modernise payroll systems and processes, enhance data integrity, strengthen compliance frameworks, and build team capability - making payroll services efficient, customer-focused, and future-ready.
Who We Are. How We Make a Difference.
People, Culture and Safety (PCS) exists to empower our people, leaders and volunteers to be safe, capable and inspired, so the city can flourish today and into 2050. We champion physical, psychological and cultural safety; build a values driven, high performance organisation; and uplift capability and leadership grounded in courage, care and accountability.
By transforming the employee experience, embedding inclusion and belonging, and using data to guide evidence-based decisions, PCS supports Team Melbourne and the city itself to connect and thrive.
Why join Team Melbourne?
Located on the traditional lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation, Melbourne is globally recognised as one of the most liveable, diverse, and dynamic cities.
At the
heart
of it all is the
City of Melbourne
– a passionate, purpose-driven organisation where your work truly matters. As part of
Team Melbourne
, you'll help deliver what's most important to the people who live, work, study, visit and invest in our great city.
We're proud champions of diversity, committed to continuous improvement, and driven by a shared vision for a vibrant and sustainable future.
This is more than just a role – it's your chance to
make a real impact
, contribute to something bigger, and shape Melbourne's future alongside a collaborative and forward-thinking team.
About You
This is an amazing opportunity for an experienced people leader, to add value in a for purpose environment – you will bring:
* Proven experience in payroll leadership and team development.
* Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, enterprise agreements, and compliance frameworks.
* Skilled in HRIS systems (Aurion or similar) and process optimisation.
* Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
* Passion for continuous improvement and delivering exceptional employee experiences.
* Experience leading a team while ensuring service delivery and providing support, direction, and coaching.
* Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to provide accurate, confidential, and sensitive advice to management while building strong, effective relationships across diverse stakeholders.
You are a resilient leader – ready for a challenge, and keen to make a difference
Benefits Of Working With Us
* Attractive remuneration & benefits: Excellent pay package with a range of exciting benefits. Flexible working, study assistance & other great corporate discounts.
* Excellent leave entitlements: Enjoy up to 20 weeks of fully paid parental leave for primary carers, in addition to the government-funded parental leave, with no waiting period to access. Part-time equivalents are also available for added flexibility.
* Career progression: Career development support and opportunities to learn new skills within a creative and exciting environment.
* Work-life balance and hybrid working: We support flexible hours, alternative work arrangements (like ADOs), and hybrid work-from-home options.
How To Apply
We'd love to hear how you can make an impact in this role As part of your application, you will be required to:
* Attach your updated resume
* Include a cover letter (max one page) outlining your relevant experience and why you're a great fit for this role.
Submit your application no later than 11:45pm on
Sunday, February 1, 2026.
A few important things to note – don't miss out
* Applications must be submitted online. Unfortunately, we can't accept applications via email, so please be sure to apply through the official job link provided.
* Apply early This role may close sooner than the listed closing date if we find the right candidate — so don't wait to get your application in.
* We are a child safe organisation. The City of Melbourne has a zero tolerance for child abuse. All employees undergo thorough safety screening, including a Police Check and, for most roles, a Working with Children Check.
Need more info?
Refer to the position description below or contact Alexandra Yosifidis – Head of Talent and People Experience,
Inclusion matters
We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ individuals, and people of all ages and faith backgrounds.
We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support all applicants. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application prompts or inform our Careers team if you're contacted for an interview.