• Permanent full-time opportunity | Based in NSW, WA or VIC
• Flexible hybrid working arrangement with national leadership impact
• Lead payroll operations, governance and transformation across a complex national organisation

About the role:

BaptistCare is seeking an experienced Head of Payroll to lead our complex national payroll function across Australia. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, you will provide strategic and operational leadership of payroll services while ensuring accuracy, compliance, governance, and exceptional service delivery for more than 12,000 employees.

This is more than a traditional payroll leadership role. As BaptistCare continues to evolve as a newly unified national organisation, you will play a critical role in stabilising and optimising payroll operations while helping shape the future state payroll function, systems, governance frameworks and operating model.

You will lead payroll strategy, compliance, remediation activities, process standardisation, and major payroll transformation initiatives, including significant ERP/HCM implementation and optimisation programs. Working closely with Finance, People & Culture, Workplace Relations, Technology and Operational leaders, you will provide expert advice, strengthen payroll controls and ensure sustainable compliance across a highly complex, multi-jurisdictional environment.

About you:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in business, accounting/finance or demonstrated equivalent competency.
• Significant experience leading a large, complex, multi-site payroll function supporting 10,000+ employees.
• Extensive knowledge of payroll legislation, awards, enterprise agreements, taxation, superannuation, leave entitlements, penalties, allowances and termination payments.
• Demonstrated success establishing payroll governance frameworks, controls, assurance processes, audit programs and risk management practices.
• Experience leading payroll remediation programs, underpayment reviews, compliance investigations and engagement with regulators and external advisors.
• Proven experience leading the payroll workstream of major ERP/HCM implementations, including discovery, design, configuration, integrations, testing, data migration, parallel payrolls and stabilisation.
• Strong process design and continuous improvement capability, with experience implementing national standards and operating models across complex organisations.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge appropriately and clearly communicate payroll risks, accountabilities and recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead high-performing teams, build capability, develop leaders and foster a culture of accountability and service excellence.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making capability.
• Ability to operate credibly with Executive stakeholders and translate complex payroll matters into practical business outcomes.

Highly regarded:

• Experience within aged care, healthcare, community services or another highly regulated, award-intensive environment.
• Experience leading payroll functions during large-scale business transformation, mergers or organisational change.

If you're a strategic payroll leader passionate about driving payroll excellence, strengthening compliance and shaping the future of a national payroll function, we'd love to hear from you.

About Us:

BaptistCare is a leading purpose-led care organisation, guided by our Christian identity and serving people and communities across Australia for more than 110 years. We support people to live better through aged care, home care, retirement living, community services, disability support and housing.

We know that life’s challenges can make our world feel smaller. With the right people alongside us, it can feel more connected, supported and hopeful again.

That’s what we work towards every day - enriching lives through communities of care. Today, more than 70,000 customers, 12,000 employees and close to 2,000 volunteers are part of our communities across Australia. 

If you would like to be considered for this role, please click ‘’Apply’’ and attach your resume.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as applications may be reviewed prior to the closing date. Closing Date is subject to change without notice. 

Successful applications will be subject to a variety of background checks including a police background check via our online police check system.

BaptistCare – Inspired by Jesus to champion care for all.

Please note: This position is being managed directly by our internal Talent Acquisition team. We respectfully request that recruitment agencies refrain from contacting any employees directly as all communications must go through the Talent Acquisition. Unsolicited candidate profiles or CVs from recruitment agencies will not be accepted. Thank you.