Position Title: EL1 Payroll Project Manager
Duration: Approx 4 months (with potential to extend up to 6 months)
Location: Sydney, NSW (Open to remote for the right candidate)
Hourly Pay Rate: $85.11 - $97.63 plus 12% super

Role Overview
The Payroll Project manager is responsible for the accurate and safe transition of payroll services to a new provider/platform.

The role will also drive the action findings from a payroll audit to ensure the accurate payment of payroll and employee entitlements in parallel to the transition.

During the transition, the project manager will also oversight the relationship with the existing payroll provider, addressing ongoing issues and escalations and ensuring safe processing of payroll until the cutover date.

The payroll project manager will plan and execute the seamless movement of payroll services or systems, ensuring operational continuity, compliance, and clear communication with employees and stakeholders. This role involves managing risks, designing and implementing new processes, training users, and providing escalation support to guarantee a smooth transition to new payroll platforms or providers.

• Project Management: lead the planning, execution, and monitoring of payroll transition project.
• Risk & Issue Management: identify, manage, and mitigate risks and issues that could impact the transition.
• Process improvement: develop and implement new or improved payroll assurance processes and controls based on a recent audit.
• Stakeholder Communication: keep all stakeholders (clients, internal teams) informed and prepared for the transition through clear communication and training materials.
• System & Tool Implementation: oversee the setup and validation of new systems, tools, and processes.
• Operational Readiness: ensure the payroll operations are ready and sustainable after the transition.

Key Responsibilities

Transition management

• Plan, schedule and deliver the transition to a new payroll provider/platform in line with new provider processes.
• End-to-end accountability, including provider management, testing, and post-go-live support.
• Identifying potential risks and mitigation strategies to ensure the smooth delivery of the project.
• Execute data migration and validation plan, including reconciliation of historical payroll data.
• Management of data quality.
• Coordinate User Acceptance Testing and parallel pay runs to ensure accuracy before go-live.
• Oversee relationship with new payroll provider.

Short term improvement

• Reconcile employee leave balances (e.g. LSL, parental leave, personal leave, cultural and reservist leave) through existing provider.
• Support or lead implementation of internal payroll audit recommendations.
• Ongoing provider relationship management and ongoing BAU (during transition)
• Ongoing relationship management with Aurion, including escalation of errors
• Close out outstanding payroll tickets and track resolution times.
• Record and manage new employee payroll requests and associated processing time.

Proposed KPIs:

• Zero missed pay cycles during transition.
• 100% reconciliation of leave and super balances pre-migration.
• Transition to the new payroll platform on time
• 100% data migration.

Required skills:

• Strong and demonstrated project management experience
• Strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills
• Ability to quickly identify issues, escalate risks and implement mitigations before they impact project performance
• Demonstrated ability to manage system transitions, or the transition to a shared services arrangement.
• Confident with analysing and ensuring accuracy of data

Desirable Skills (but not mandatory)

• Familiarity with payroll legislation, enterprise agreements, and compliance obligations.
• Experience using Aurion or similar HRIS/payroll platforms.
• Prior experience in the public sector (Commonwealth, state, or local government) is preferred.

ELIGIBILITY

• Australian citizenship is essential.
  
  

Apply now or contact Aiden on 6260 8888 at SOS Recruitment for a confidential discussion.

PLEASE NOTE: Applications for this role will close on 20 August 2025. If your application is received after this date, we’ll be happy to keep your CV on file for similar opportunities that may come up. We encourage you to apply, even if the closing date has passed.

SOS Recruitment is committed to the principles of workplace diversity and equity in employment and we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disabilities, women, people with family responsibilities, people with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs and LGBTIQ people.