Senior Payroll Officer

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure staff are paid accurately, on time, and in line with legislation.
• Maintain high‑quality payroll data and provide trusted advice to employees.
• Support system updates, improvements, and payroll module development.

Join a skilled payroll team delivering accurate pay, strong support, and continuous improvement across a dynamic, values‑driven organisation.

Step into a role where precision meets purpose. As a Senior Payroll Officer, you’ll be part of a high performing team that keeps our organisation running smoothly - ensuring every employee is paid accurately, supported confidently, and cared for with expertise.

Working closely with the Payroll Manager, the Payroll team delivers a responsive, accurate, and customer‑focused payroll service for the organisation. This role ensures employees are paid correctly under legislation and their employment agreements, maintains the integrity of payroll data, and provides high‑quality support and advice to staff and managers. The position also contributes to payroll system development, supports smooth transitions as employee changes occur, and helps implement legislative and contractual updates.

Additional responsibilities include participating in divisional forums and serving as a backup master‑user for the HRIS to ensure continuity and best‑practice payroll operations.

• A tertiary qualification at Degree level in an appropriate discipline or equivalent in relevant experience.
• Specialist training in an HRIS or alternatively a Payroll module of an HRIS.
• Payroll qualification/accreditation.
• At least six years working in Payroll development and delivery.
• Experience in Payroll administration and management in a large (400+ staff) organisation.
• Excellent knowledge of relevant legislation.
• Experience in using Alesco software, Discoverer and Groupwise.
• Strategic as well as operational thinker.
• Extremely accurate with strong attention to detail.
• Enjoys investigating and resolving issues.
• Committed to customer service.

Ara Institute of Canterbury is a vibrant and progressive tertiary institute providing world‑class, tertiary‑level education throughout the Canterbury and Waitaki region. Our talented employees, innovative business collaborators and supportive community partners are passionate about the role they play in our learners' success. Ara is committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and delivering services in a manner that responds with excellence to the needs of Māori learners and their whānau, as well as the aspirations of iwi and Māori communities throughout our catchment (including Māori employers).

To deliver effectively on this commitment, Ara recognises the need for a culturally competent and confident workforce vertically and horizontally across our organization.

We accept applications via our online application system. For any other queries, please email Recruitment.nz.