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Payroll Administrator CV example

Payroll is the job nobody notices until it goes wrong, so employers hire for accuracy, deadlines and a sound grasp of the rules. This payroll administrator CV example shows the headcount, the pay cycles and the compliance behind them, with the errors fixed and the time saved.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

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The example

A Payroll Administrator CV, start to finish.

Tomasi Naivalu is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Tomasi Naivalu

Payroll Administrator, high-volume and seasonal payroll

Napier · 021 555 0764 · tomasi.naivalu@email.com

Profile

Payroll administrator with seven years running weekly and fortnightly payroll for aged care and a seasonal food business. Pays up to 450 people on time and correctly, handles holiday pay under the Holidays Act, and files with Inland Revenue every payday. Patient with staff questions and careful to explain their pay clearly.

Skills

End-to-end payroll processing · Holidays Act calculations · PAYE, KiwiSaver and ESCT · Payday filing with Inland Revenue · Timesheet and roster reconciliation · Seasonal onboarding and final pays · iPayroll and Xero Payroll · Excel, including lookups and pivot tables · Payroll reporting and audits

Experience

Payroll Administrator, Ahuriri Cold Stores

Napier · 2022 to now

  • Run weekly payroll for up to 450 staff at peak season and 180 through winter, across three sites and four rosters
  • File employment information with Inland Revenue after every payday, with no late filings in four years
  • Set up and paid about 250 seasonal workers each year, including starter details, KiwiSaver opt-outs and final pays
  • Rebuilt the holiday pay setup for shift and casual staff after an internal review, correcting underpayments for 38 people
  • Cut timesheet corrections from around 60 to 15 a week by agreeing a cut-off time and a checklist with site supervisors

Payroll and Accounts Officer, Tūtira Care Homes

Hastings · 2019 to 2022

  • Ran fortnightly payroll for 210 carers, nurses and support staff across four rest homes, including night and weekend rates
  • Processed sick leave, bereavement leave and public holiday pay for a 24-hour roster, checking each claim against the rules
  • Moved the payroll from a desktop system to iPayroll, with parallel runs so no one was paid wrongly at go-live

Education

New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 5), Accounting, Eastern Institute of Technology

2018

Other details

Languages
English and Fijian
Driver's licence
Full
Work rights
New Zealand citizen

Referees

Available on request

Tomasi wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the payroll administrator cover letter

Skills and keywords

What payroll administrator job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • End-to-end payrollMeans you take it from timesheets to payment and filing. Say it if that's what you do, and give the headcount.
  • Holidays ActThe part of New Zealand payroll employers worry about most. Show you understand it with a real example, such as fixing a holiday pay setup.
  • Payday filingEvery New Zealand employer does it. Say you file after each payday and have never missed one.
  • KiwiSaver and ESCTAds often list deductions by name. Mention KiwiSaver, ESCT, student loans and child support if you handle them.
  • Payroll softwareName every system: iPayroll, Xero Payroll, PayGlobal, Datacom or others. Employers look for a match with theirs.
  • High-volume or seasonalIf you pay large numbers or handle peak season, say so. It shows you can keep accuracy under pressure.
  • ConfidentialityPayroll sees everyone's pay. A short line about handling it carefully is worth including.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Ran weekly payroll for up to 450 staff at peak season across three sites and four rosters
  2. 2Filed employment information with Inland Revenue after every payday, with no late filings in four years
  3. 3Set up and paid about 250 seasonal workers a year, from starter details to final pays
  4. 4Rebuilt the holiday pay setup for shift and casual staff, correcting underpayments for 38 people
  5. 5Cut timesheet corrections from around 60 to 15 a week with a cut-off time and supervisor checklist
  6. 6Ran fortnightly payroll for 210 staff in a 24-hour aged care roster, including penal rates
  7. 7Moved payroll from a desktop system to iPayroll with parallel runs, so no one was paid wrongly at go-live
  8. 8Answered around 30 pay questions a week from staff, explaining payslips clearly and fixing errors the same week
  9. 9Built an Excel check that flagged unusual pay before each run, catching errors before they reached staff

Common mistakes

What costs payroll administrator CVs interviews.

  • Leaving out headcount and pay frequency.

    Say how many people you pay, how often and across how many sites. "Weekly for 450" tells an employer you can handle their payroll.

  • Claiming Holidays Act knowledge with nothing to back it.

    Give an example: a review you worked on, a setup you fixed, or leave types you process correctly.

  • Hiding a payroll error you fixed.

    Finding and correcting an underpayment is strong evidence. Say what you found and how you put it right, without names.

  • Listing only the software.

    Say what you do in it: set up new staff, run pays, file with Inland Revenue, produce reports. Software alone says little.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

New Zealand payroll runs under the Holidays Act 2003, which the Employment Leave Act will replace in August 2028, and employers deduct KiwiSaver from pay at 3.5% by default unless the employee chooses another rate. Employers who file electronically must send employment information to Inland Revenue within 2 working days of each payday.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

In Australia, payroll is reported to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll on or before each payday, and under Payday Super from 1 July 2026 the 12% super guarantee must reach the employee's fund within 7 business days of payday. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: Employment New Zealand: managing annual holidays, Employment New Zealand: changes to leave coming in 2028, Inland Revenue: KiwiSaver deductions from employee pay, Inland Revenue: payday filing, ATO: Single Touch Payroll reporting under Payday Super, ATO: payment deadlines for Payday Super, ATO: how to work out and pay super.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Do I need a qualification to work in payroll?

Not always. Many payroll administrators start in accounts or administration and learn on the job. A business or accounting qualification helps, and so does training in the Holidays Act.

Should I mention the Employment Leave Act on my CV?

If you're preparing for it, yes. Employers will be changing their payroll setup before August 2028, and someone who already knows what's coming is useful.

Can New Zealand payroll experience get me a job in Australia?

Yes, the core skills carry over, but the rules differ. Say which country's payroll you know, and show you're learning Single Touch Payroll and super.

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