Group Payroll Manager

We are partnering with a large, nationally recognised New Zealand organisation to recruit an experienced Group Payroll Manager.

This is a unique fixed-term opportunity to lead a significant payroll function through a period of substantial organisational and systems change.

With responsibility for payroll operations supporting more than 6,000 employees, a large payroll services team, and a rapidly evolving payroll operating model, this role offers both strategic influence and hands-on leadership.

About the Role:

Reporting to a Senior People Systems leader, you will provide leadership across a complex payroll environment while ensuring business-as-usual operations remain stable, compliant and customer-focused throughout a major transformation programme.

Leading a large team payroll professionals, including several senior direct reports, you will work closely with business leaders, technology teams and programme stakeholders to navigate significant change while maintaining payroll excellence.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Leading a large Payroll Services function across multiple payroll streams
• Providing leadership, coaching and support to a high-performing payroll team
• Maintaining payroll governance, compliance and risk management standards
• Supporting payroll audit outcomes and continuous improvement initiatives
• Building strong partnerships with senior stakeholders across the business
• Ensuring payroll operations continue to operate effectively throughout a major system implementation and transformation programme
• Contributing to future operating model design and new ways of working
• Driving service delivery excellence while balancing strategic and operational priorities

About You:

You will be an experienced payroll leader who thrives in large, complex environments and can successfully lead people through periods of significant change.

To be successful, you will bring:

• Proven experience leading sizeable payroll teams and functions
• Strong operational payroll expertise within medium to large enterprise environments
• Excellent knowledge of New Zealand payroll legislation and compliance requirements
• Experience leading payroll-related transformation, systems implementations, process improvement or operating model change
• Outstanding stakeholder management and communication skills
• The ability to operate confidently at both strategic and hands-on levels
• Experience influencing senior leaders and driving outcomes in complex organisations
• PayGlobal experience is highly desirable/essential

What's on Offer?

• Fixed-term leadership opportunity
• Leadership of a large payroll function
• Exposure to a large-scale payroll transformation programme
• Opportunity to influence future payroll service delivery and operating models
• Auckland-based role with some flexibility, while maintaining a strong on-site leadership presence
• The chance to make a significant impact during a critical period of business change

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced payroll leader who enjoys complexity, transformation and leading high-performing teams through change.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Adam Napper at Madison Recruitment  on [027 457 2676](tel:027 457 2676), or apply online today. We are looking to move very quickly on this role!