Welcome to Rārangi Utu-a-Mātauranga–Education Payroll. Our team of around 200 people is responsible for delivering the pay to 106,000 teachers and school support staff every fortnight – that’s $308 million per pay period and $8.0 billion each year. It’s the combination of great people and cutting edge technology that enables us to do this well. Check out why we think it’s a great place to work and what roles we have on offer.
Our technology team work on an application built on a modern kubernetes technology stack that uses the latest azure services. This enables us to have agile-minded, technology-focused roles in software development, business analysis, testing, scrum practice, cloud operations, platform engineering, IT system operations and change design.
Our Oracle-based payroll system is run by our wide range of payroll experts, including payroll, salary assessment, overpayment and ACC advisors, tax and customer service specialists, payrun coordinators and payroll system administrators. All of these positions contribute to the fortnightly payrun being successfully delivered to schools.
Our specialist teams keep us at the top of our game and include risk and assurance, people and leadership, finance, communications and engagement and technology assurance.
There are many internal opportunities for growth across the organisation and we pride ourselves on being able to upskill and recruit from within.
Aro ki te kiritaki | Customer focus
Ko te tangata te mea nui | People are the most important thing
Mahi tahi | Working together
Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa | Let’s work in close unison, not separately
Ako | Learning and improving
Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou | Seek knowledge to sustain your efforts
Jobs | Tūranga mahi
Role overview
The Senior Accountant is responsible for providing Education Payroll Limited with timely,
accurate and high-quality accounting functions and managing monthly financial reporting,
annual budgeting and regular forecasting.
In this role you will support leaders to define and prioritise initiatives across the medium and
short term that align with the Education Payroll strategy and objectives.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities
Monthly accounting
- Manage month end processes, including journals, reconciliations and monthly timetable.
- Prepare monthly financial results for management and budget holders, to agreed timetable.
- Consolidate monthly financial reporting with project reporting.
- Produce financial reports for senior leaders.
- Manage the maintenance of the fixed assets register.
- Manage cash flow to meet Education Payroll’s cash requirements.
Management
- Maintain up-to-date and fit-for-purpose accounting policies and procedures and take a continuous improvement approach to this to ensure that we are doing this the best way we can.
- Ensure financial transactions are carried out in an accurate and timely manner.
- Support the development of financial awareness and management capacity within EPL as a whole.
Budgeting and forecasting
- Support effective budgeting and forecasting processes across Education Payroll.
- Support the development of the annual budget, in conjunction with managers and budget holders.
- Maintain regular forecasting throughout the financial year, in conjunction with budget holders.
Financial analysis and advice
- Assist and support managers to identify and recommend opportunities for improvements.
- Undertake ad-hoc and special accounting projects as requested by management.
Reporting
- Assist in the preparation of the financial portion of the Annual Report, the Statement of Performance Expectations and Education Payroll Business Plan.
- Analyse and report significant variances against budget and forecast to management with appropriate recommendations for mitigating variances.
Compliance
- Ensure an appropriate control environment is in place and maintained.
- Support the annual audit process and provision of financial audit work papers.
- Ensure compliance with government reporting requirements (including CFISnet) and tax filings.
Leadership expectations
The following leadership expectations apply to this role:
Lead self
Demonstrate Education Payroll values:
- Ako | Learning & improving
- Mahi tahi | working together
- Aro ki te kiritaki | Customer focus.
Maintain positive relationships.
Hold yourself accountable.
Be agile and adaptive.
Show courage.
Lead EPL
Strategic planning
Actively contribute to creating and maintaining a strategy that aligns actions, plans and resources with business objectives.
Financial management and strategic financial management
Make decisions that support the effective use and control of Education Payroll financial resources, within budget and delegations.
Ensure financial decisions align with the long-term goals of EPL, maximise value and mitigate risk
Risk management
- Identify, assess, mitigate and record risks arising from internal process, people, systems or external events that could potentially disrupt business operations and/or breach legislative requirements.
- Escalate risks that cannot be sufficiently mitigated within your span of control.
- Take collective responsibility for enterprise risk management and understand the cumulative impact of risks across the organisation.
Required experience, skill and knowledge
To be successful in this position you will need:
- relevant tertiary qualification and CA/CPA qualified
- experience in the use of integrated ERP and financial systems
- proficiency in Excel to an expert user level
- experience in the completion of annual reporting
- experience in budget processes, reporting, and analysis
- excellent communication with team, peers, internal and external customers, both written and oral
- to be able to show initiative and work well under pressure
- to be skilled in decision making and problem solving
- to be very flexible adaptable and resilient
- to self-manage.
Me pēhea te tono – How to apply
We’d love to hear why you’ll be a great addition to the team. Please submit an up-to-date resume and cover letter outlining your interest and suitability for the role through SEEK.
Applications are open until 9:00am, Thursday 30 July 2026.
If you have any questions about the role, please contact myH•@edpay.nz
To be considered for this role, you must have the right to work in New Zealand.
We are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role at the moment.
If you have questions about roles at Education Payroll email myhr@edpay.nz
1 Apply online, ads are open for a minimum of seven days. 2 Applications reviewed and shortlisted. 3 Updated via phone call or email within seven days of ad closing. 4 We may pre-screen at this stage. 5 Successful candidates progress to interview stage within 14 days of ad closing. 6 Interview outcomes confirmed via phone or your preferred method within five days of all interviews finishing. 7 If successful, you’ll progress to pre-employment checks. 8. Successful candidates made verbal offer within five days of successful reference checks. 9 Employment paperwork will be sent to you within five days of you accepting the verbal offer. 10 Your first day with Education Payroll.
We will endeavour to meet these timeframes. If we can’t, we will contact you.