HR Officer - Payroll

Acknowledgement of Country 

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation. 

 

Role highlights

• Support CSIRO’s payroll operations across the employee lifecycle
• Flexible work arrangements available + 15.4% super
• Expand your HR/Payroll experience at Australia’s National Science Agency 
  
  

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

 

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity

We are seeking a HR Officer – Payroll to join our People Central team. People Central is one of the first points of contact for general CSIRO HR enquiries and manages the administrative aspects of the employee lifecycle.  

This is a practical, hands-on payroll position within a collaborative team, where accuracy, attention to detail, and reliability are essential. Working primarily in SAP, you will be responsible for day-to-day payroll processing, supporting employees and managers, and ensuring staff are paid correctly and on time.

You will manage payroll transactions end-to-end, apply judgement to resolve payroll issues, and contribute to continuous improvement and digitisation initiatives, while building strong relationships across CSIRO.

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Undertake payroll administration duties, ensuring staff are paid accurately and on time, in accordance with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
• Undertake high-volume transactional workloads with limited supervision, maintaining a consistently high level of accuracy and service delivery.
• Manage end-to-end fortnightly payroll operations, this will include commencements, cessations, leave, allowances, deductions and variations, ensuring precise salary calculations and timely processing.
• Apply analytical and problem-solving skills to resolve payroll issues.
• Contribute to continuous improvements including new technology implementation and digitisation of payroll processes.
  
  

Role particulars

Location: Canberra preferred, other locations may be considered.

Salary: AU$76k - AU$96k pa (pro-rata for part-time) + 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Indefinite, Full-time (part-time considered)

Reference: 103051

 

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• Relevant education or equivalent experience of at least two or more years in payroll, finance, and/or people administration functions.
• Strong technological capability, including experience with SAP, HRMIS platforms, Microsoft 365, and related systems.
• High attention to detail with a strong focus on accuracy and compliance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and resolve issues promptly.
• Demonstrated evidence of professional and respectful behaviours and attitudes in a collaborative environment.

 
For full details about this role, and other criteria, please review the Position Description. 

 

Support and workplace adjustments
We offer a range of reasonable supports and workplace adjustments. Please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description if we can help you to equitably participate in our recruitment process or the role itself.

Not sure if you meet all the criteria?

While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.

 

Setting you up for success

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please reach out to the contact on page 1 of the position description, to let us know how we can support you.  

 

Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.

 

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

 

CSIRO holds Platinum Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

 

Eligibility 

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents.

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements. 

 

Child safety 

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy. 

 

How to apply 

Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.

Applications close 

24th May 2026, 11pm AEST