Senior Payroll Officer
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About this role
Own the payroll.
Improve the system.
Make sure we get it right.
Real Pet Food Company is looking for an experienced Senior Payroll Officer to take ownership of the end-to-end delivery, governance and continuous improvement of payroll across Australia and New Zealand.
Reporting to the Head of Remuneration & Benefits, you'll be our payroll subject matter expert, responsible for ensuring our people are paid accurately and on time — while making sure our payroll systems, processes and pay rules remain compliant with our Awards, Enterprise Agreements and employer obligations.
This isn't just a payroll processing role.
We're looking for someone who enjoys getting behind the system — understanding how workflows, configurations and pay rules work, identifying what isn't working efficiently and improving it.
What you'll be doing
You'll take ownership of:
End-to-end weekly, monthly and out-of-cycle payroll processing across Australia and New Zealand.
Interpreting and applying Awards, Enterprise Agreements, legislation and employment conditions across our Blue Collar and White-Collar workforce.
Maintaining and updating pay rates, allowances, penalties and payroll rules when Awards, Enterprise Agreements or legislation change.
Ensuring payroll systems and processes accurately reflect our employer obligations and compliance requirements.
Reviewing and improving workflows, system configuration and payroll processes to reduce manual work, errors and risk.
Working closely with system providers, including UKG, to troubleshoot issues, test changes and improve functionality.
Supporting our payroll systems transformation as we implement a new payroll system.
Managing payroll reconciliations, reporting, audits and statutory obligations.
Acting as the escalation point for complex payroll enquiries and investigations.
Identifying opportunities for automation, AI and smarter ways of working.
What you'll bring
You'll be an experienced Senior Payroll Officer with strong experience in a complex blue-collar environment.
You'll have:
5+ years' experience managing end-to-end payroll.
Strong experience interpreting Awards and Enterprise Agreements.
Experience managing complex pay conditions including shift work, overtime, penalties and allowances.
The ability to confidently update payroll systems and pay rules to reflect changes in Awards, legislation and employment obligations.
Strong payroll systems and Time & Attendance experience.
Experience looking beyond the day-to-day process to improve workflows, controls and system functionality.
A strong understanding of payroll compliance, STP, superannuation, payroll tax and other statutory obligations.
Excellent attention to detail, analytical skills and the ability to investigate and resolve complex issues.
A genuine interest in process improvement, automation and technology.
Why join us?
You'll join at an exciting time as we continue to improve and modernise our payroll function and where you'll have the opportunity to make a genuine impact.
At Real Pet Food Company, we believe in Working as a Pack, Making Your Mark, Leading with Passion and Changing the Game.
If you're a payroll expert who knows how to keep things compliant — but also knows how to make them better — we'd love to hear from you.
Why Real Pet Food Company?
This is an opportunity to join a business that is growing, changing and challenging the way things are done.
You’ll have genuine ownership of payroll while working alongside the Head of Remuneration & Benefits and broader P&C and Finance teams to strengthen our payroll function.
With our payroll systems transformation and Payroll Metrics implementation imminent, you’ll be joining at exactly the right time to influence how payroll works in the future.
Our values are at the heart of how we work:
Work as a Pack – collaborate and support each other.
Make Your Mark – take ownership and make an impact.
Lead with Passion – bring energy and expertise to what you do.
Change the Game – challenge the norm and find better ways.
If you’re a payroll specialist who understands blue-collar payroll, Awards and EAs, but also gets excited about process improvement, technology and automation, we’d love to hear from you.
ALSO: Generous benefits!
Anniversary day off
Product discounts
Volunteering days
Novated leases
Rewards program
Parental leave
What’s Next?
This role is a full-time role with an expectation of being on site at our Crows Nest office 4 days a week with 1-day WFH (Thursday or Friday) - but you are welcome to work 5 days on site!
The selection process will include
Two in-person interviews
Psych Assessment
Two reference checks.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Diversity isn’t a buzzword here — it’s part of our DNA. If you require any reasonable adjustments or accessibility support during the recruitment process, please contact people&culture@realpetfoodco.com.au.
Please note: No recruitment agencies will be considered. We kindly ask that unsolicited profiles are not submitted.
Company
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