Head of Payroll

Nine is Australia’s largest locally owned media company – the home of Australia’s most trusted and loved brands spanning News, Sport, Lifestyle, and Entertainment. We pride ourselves on creating the best content, accessed by consumers when and how they want – across Publishing, Broadcasting and Digital.

Nine’s assets include the 9Network, major mastheads such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review, radio stations 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR, digital properties such as nine.com.au, 9Now, 9Honey, Pedestrian.TV, Drive, subscription video platform Stan and a majority investment in Domain Group.

Our Purpose: We shape culture by sparking conversations, challenging perspectives, and entertaining our communities.

We bring people together by celebrating the big occasions and connecting the everyday moments. Australia belongs here. We bring our purpose to life via three shared values: We walk the talk, turn over every stone and keep it human.

Job Description

As the Head of Payroll within our finance team, you will lead and inspire the payroll services team, driving transformation and excellence in payroll operations. Your role will be pivotal in mentoring, training, and developing your team to ensure the precise and timely calculation of employee payments within a complex and dynamic environment.

You will also be responsible for fostering robust internal and external client relationships, collaborating with stakeholders across the Nine Group to deliver exceptional payroll services and support the achievement of strategic business objectives. Your leadership will be key in navigating challenges and enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our payroll function.

Day to day you will:

• Ensure payroll operations are timely, efficient, accurate, and compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements across a large and complex environment.
• Develop and maintain payroll schedules and service levels that focus on business needs and the employee experience.
• Ensure all correspondence and payroll data is treated in the strictest confidence.
• Ensure all reports and statistics are accurate and completed and distributed within designated deadlines.
• Manage and prioritise escalations with key internal/external stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and partner with key internal stakeholders such as People and Culture, Finance and Technology to deliver transformation projects.

People leader responsibilities:

• Provide leadership, support and guidance to employees regarding payroll matters.
• Implement innovative and strategic payroll initiatives that align with team goals and improve payroll efficiency.
• Lead the Payroll Services team, fostering an environment that recognises teamwork, strengthens the team and its contribution to the business.
• Manage individual’s performance, development and growth.
• Drive staff training, including exposing the team to various EBAs, agreements, and pay cycles.
• Partner closely with the People and Culture Team to enable a positive and seamless employee experience.

Qualifications

What we would like to see:

• Proven experience in a similar role with a solid understanding of end to end Payroll processing and knowledge of compliance, statutory and taxation requirements.
• Proven experience in payroll management and leadership across large organisations.
• Exceptional people skills including communication and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to develop, motivate and lead teams.
• Detail oriented with exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Experience with HRIS and financial systems integration.
• Time management skills (with the ability to work to unnegotiable deadlines).

Desirable qualifications, experience & skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or a related field.
• Proficiency in payroll software and systems (Chris 21 and Humanforce).

Additional Information

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

We're committed to a safe, respectful and inclusive Nine. From day one, you'll be encouraged to bring your whole self to work and will be supported to perform at your best.

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, and of all ages, genders, nationalities, backgrounds and cultures as we recognise the importance and value of diverse perspectives.

Should you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please advise us when you apply.