Payroll Consultant

Optus is an Australian telecommunications company, delivering more than 11 million services to our customers every day across mobile, broadband, and digital solutions.

The Payroll Consultant is responsible for delivering accurate, compliant end-to-end payroll services for a workforce of approximately 7,000 employees within the Optus structure, including Enterprise Agreement populations. The role oversees payroll processing, validation, payments, reconciliations, and reporting, ensuring full compliance with Australian taxation, superannuation, payroll tax, and Single Touch Payroll (STP) requirements, as well as supporting end-of-year income reporting.

Beyond operational delivery, the role contributes to payroll projects, remediation activities, and system enhancements to drive efficiency and continuous improvement. The Payroll Consultant supports audits, system testing, upgrades, and process optimisation, ensuring adherence to EPA requirements and maintaining high standards of accuracy, compliance, and payroll system expertise.

What you’ll be doing

• Deliver end-to-end payroll processing, including validation, submission, payment, reconciliation, and accurate calculation of employee entitlements such as terminations and redundancies.
• Ensure payroll accuracy and full compliance with Australian legislation, Enterprise Agreements, superannuation, payroll tax, and Single Touch Payroll (STP) requirements.
• Audit and validate payroll master data from HR Systems to SAP Payroll, performing root cause analysis and resolving discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Collaborate with People & Culture, Finance, and other stakeholders to resolve complex payroll queries, disputes, and escalations while meeting SLAs.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, payroll projects, system enhancements, automation, and participation in system testing and upgrades.
• Provide technical payroll expertise, mentoring, and guidance to Payroll Analysts, acting as a subject matter expert on agreements, legislation, and payroll systems.

What makes you perfect for the role?

• 3-5 years’ experience managing high-volume, in-house payroll operations within large, complex organisations, including Enterprise Agreement environments.
• Extensive knowledge of Australian payroll legislation, including taxation, superannuation, leave entitlements, State Revenue, and ABS reporting.
• Demonstrated experience in payroll systems implementation or upgrades, with strong proficiency in modern HRMS and payroll platforms.
• Strong leadership and people management capabilities, with experience motivating teams, managing performance, and resolving conflict effectively.
• Well-developed stakeholder engagement, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to work across diverse business groups and international stakeholders.
• Sound strategic, analytical, and organisational capability, with experience in process improvement, project delivery, and meeting operational and budget objectives.

Optus is a place where we let you do you. We offer a range of benefits including:

• Competitive remuneration and employee discounts. Make life easier (and more affordable) with $80 monthly credit and 25% off Optus products and unique shopping discounts with our retail partners.
• Flexible working arrangements with opportunities to work three days in the office, two days remote or home.
• Vibrant and collaborative office campus that includes cafes, convenience store, chill out zones, GP, post office, gym and on-site childcare centre.
• Competitive leave policies, including additional 'Connected’ days to focus on culture, family, health, community, or whatever’s important to you.
• We support growing families with inclusive, carer-neutral paid Parental Leave of up to 16 weeks.
• Direct your own development and build future-ready skills with Optus U’s industry-focused micro-credentials, developed with La Trobe and Macquarie Universities.
• Build meaningful connections through employee-led networks and diversity initiatives including Culture Connect, Elevate Women, Disability Network and Express Yourself (LGBTQIA+).
• Put your wellbeing first with free access to counselling and support services, 24/7 — in-person, by phone, SMS, or video.

At Optus, we are strengthened by others and that means valuing diversity and saying ‘yes’ to embracing individual differences. We are committed to ensuring that our application process provides an equal employment opportunity to all job seekers, including individuals from diverse gender, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, individuals with a disability, individuals identifying as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals who may have served in the armed forces or who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. We also want to do our best to make our recruitment process inclusive.

If you require any adjustments or accessibility support to participate fairly and equitably in the recruitment process, please email AccessibleRecruitment@optus.com.au or call 1800 309 170. We're here to help. When you contact us, please advise your preferred method of contact and we will be in touch within 48 hours.For more information on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Optus, please visit https://www.optus.com.au/about/inclusion-diversity.