Payroll Specialist

Welcome to St John of God Health Care

St John of God Health Care (SJGHC) is one of the largest private providers of health care services in Australia, employing more than 16,000 employees (caregivers). We operate 26 hospitals and services comprising more than 3,300 hospital beds, including home nursing, disability services and social outreach programs.

The Team

The SJGHC Workforce Shared Services (WSS) team was established in January 2025 to deliver support services to employees (caregivers) across our hospitals, services, and group locations in Western Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.

Workforce Shared Services (WSS) covers a broad range of functions, including recruitment, onboarding, global mobility, HR administration and support, position management, remuneration, benefits, payroll, payroll systems, and organisation-wide workforce risk management, governance, and compliance. Guided by SJGHC's strategic direction - Every Moment Matters - our core focus is to enhance the caregiver (employee) experience while establishing consistent, strong foundations across all areas of the workforce.

This is a dynamic and significant time to join the Workforce team at SJGHC, as the payroll function undergoes a period of transformation and process improvements. You will be part of a refreshed team that is shaping the future of payroll services, contributing to a more streamlined, efficient, and caregiver-focused experience across the organisation.

The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Payroll Specialist to join our Payroll Operations leadership team for a fixed term period of 12 months. This role will provide expert-level payroll advice and technical support, ensuring accurate, compliant, and efficient payroll processes across the organisation.

Working closely with Payroll, HRIS, Workforce Governance & Compliance, and HR Services teams, you will play a key role in complex payroll activities including salary packaging, terminations, redundancy calculations, superannuation, taxation, leave audits, and payroll reconciliations. You will also be responsible for identifying opportunities for process improvement, increasing team capability, and contributing to key payroll projects.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide subject matter expertise on complex payroll issues including termination and redundancy payments, back pays, overpayments, taxation treatments (e.g. PAYG, HELP, ETPs), and superannuation obligations.
• Conduct detailed leave audits, ensuring compliance with enterprise agreements, awards, and state-based legislation such as Long Service Leave.
• Interpreting and advising on reportable fringe benefits, salary packaging, and superannuation caps.
• Liaise with hospital departments to ensure accurate application of legislative requirements related to payroll, including redundancies and employment terminations.
• Oversee salary packaging activities including novated leases, relocation expenses, exempt benefits, and FBT implications across all areas.
• Provide technical support to payroll operations and deliver regular reporting on compliance, processing accuracy, and operational performance.
• Support testing and validation of payroll systems during legislative updates or software upgrades (e.g. Ascender/Dayforce).
• Ensure payroll system integrity by maintaining accurate master data aligned with source documentation.
• Conduct regular audits and reviews to ensure alignment with legislation, enterprise agreements, awards, and organisational policies.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance payroll efficiency and compliance.
• Collaborate with Audit and Compliance to conduct system accuracy checks and address identified risks.
• Provide training, mentoring, and technical guidance to the payroll team to increase internal capability.
• Support workforce-wide payroll knowledge building through collaboration with internal teams and delivery of technical insights.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced payroll professional with a deep understanding of end-to-end payroll operations and be proficient in payroll systems, preferably aPay. Your ability to manage change, balance competing priorities, and perform under pressure will be essential to your success in this role.

You bring expert knowledge in areas such as salary packaging, termination and redundancy calculations, taxation, superannuation, and payroll-related legislation. Your ability to interpret and apply complex industrial awards and enterprise agreements is complemented by strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Above all, people will be at the core of everything you do committing to and supporting our Mission and Values.

We can offer you

• $107,000 to $110,000 per annum, plus 12% superannuation
• 12 months fixed term
• Hybrid working arrangements

• Salary packaging up to $18,550 on a range of benefits such as mortgage, rent, meal entertainment, holiday accommodation or other everyday living expenses as well as options to salary package benefits above the FBT cap on items such as:

• Novated leasing

• work related expenses
• self-education and
• additional superannuation
• A healthy work-life balance through flexible work options, additional purchased leave and well-being programs
• Employee discount on St John of God Hospital & Medical Services and Private Health Insurance
• Employee support through our dedicated free Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Access to a range of Lifestyle, Health & Wellbeing rewards and discounts

All applicants are asked to submit a covering letter (of no more than two (2) pages) demonstrating how you meet the above position requirements

If the below role is not quite right for you but you have an interest in working with our team, please also see our advertisements for two permanent Payroll Team Leaders and a 12-month fixed term Payroll Officer role.

For enquiries, please contact Rebecca Sherlock, Payroll Operations Manager on

At St John of God Health Care, we celebrate diversity and warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Our commitment is to create a safe and nurturing environment for all children and vulnerable individuals in our care and proactively take steps to protect them from abuse, ensuring their safety and well-being.

Our inclusive culture fosters an environment that is respectful and secure, welcoming and accessible, and unified through our diverse community.