Payroll Team Leader at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury, Christchurch

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Christchurch - Corporate Office - Oxford Terrace
• Full time permanent position working 40 hours per week

Health New Zealand is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

Health New Zealand is seeking an experienced and motivated Payroll Team Leader to lead a team of specialist payroll and administration staff responsible for the accurate and timely delivery of payroll and HR administration services across a large and complex national environment.

This role plays a critical part in ensuring payroll processing is delivered efficiently, compliantly, and to a high standard of customer service. You will lead day-to-day payroll operations, support continuous improvement initiatives, oversee data integrity and compliance activities, and provide leadership and development to your team.

You will also act as a key escalation point for complex payroll matters and work collaboratively with HR teams, managers, and external agencies to ensure seamless service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Lead and manage daily payroll processing activities, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Ensure payroll deadlines and query resolution targets are consistently met
• Provide coaching, support, and ongoing training to payroll team members
• Act as an escalation point for complex payroll queries and issues
• Support team capability development through cross-training and upskilling initiatives
• Conduct regular performance and development conversations with staff
• Ensure all team members have current development plans in place
• Participate in payroll-related projects and system implementations as required

Payroll & Data Integrity

• Ensure payroll and employee data within PSe is accurate and reliable - transitioning to AMS Leader later in the year.
• Support configuration changes and systems enhancements within PSe (AMS Leader and UKG Dimensions (Mahi e Taea)
• Monitor exception reporting and address data anomalies promptly
• Ensure timely data verification and quality control processes are completed

Risk, Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Undertake regular compliance and fraud detection checks
• Ensure payroll processing complies with the Holidays Act 2003, collective agreements, and internal policies
• Support a culture of accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with managers, employees, HR teams, and external stakeholders
• Ensure all communication is professional, accurate, and timely
• Work collaboratively with HR Consultants, Recruitment, AskHR, and wider HR teams to deliver seamless payroll and HR administration services
• Liaise with government agencies and external organisations including Inland Revenue, NZ Immigration, NZ Police, and Professional Registration Boards as required

About You

You will be a highly experienced payroll professional with strong leadership capability and a passion for delivering exceptional service in a complex environment.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Commitment to biculturalism and achieving equitable outcomes for Māori
• Extensive people leadership experience
• Minimum 10 years' NZ payroll experience
• At least 5 years' experience within a large, complex payroll environment
• Experience working with multiple collective agreements
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent customer service focus
• High attention to detail and problem-solving ability

Desired Skills & Experience

• HR qualification or relevant tertiary study
• Previous IR/ER experience
• Experience working within the NZ health sector
• Process improvement experience
• Experience using AMS Leader and UKG Dimensions 

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities. 

How to Apply

To apply please click 'apply now.' All applications must be submitted through our online career's portal.  If you have any questions about the role, please contact Kerri McCarthy at Kerri.McCarthy@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.