Payroll Systems & Data Analyst

Job Type: Permanent | Full Time Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Job Category: HR & Recruitment About Environment Canterbury As a regional council, we are responsible for managing natural resources including air, soil, water and land. We work in partnership with mana whenua Ngāi Tahu to protect the health of our environment to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for our region. The region’s evolving environmental and political context means we will continue to be agile and adaptive, as we respond to regulatory and environmental changes. Our mahi (work) is organised around the delivery of our three core services: Environmental Regulation and Protection Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards Public Transport About the Role This is a specialist role that combines payroll expertise, systems knowledge, reporting, and data analytics to help ensure our payroll practices remain accurate, compliant, and fit for purpose. You’ll enjoy transforming complex payroll and workforce data into meaningful insights that support business decision‑making. Working within our People, Safety and Wellbeing team, you'll take ownership of payroll reporting and analytics, provide expert advice on payroll system configuration and performance, and play a key role in driving continuous improvement across payroll processes and controls. Key Accountabilities Provide expert analysis and interpretation of payroll and workforce data Translate complex payroll, workforce, and legislative information into clear, actionable insights Ensure payroll practices and outcomes align with legislative requirements Lead the effective use and optimisation of payroll systems, ensuring data integrity and accurate, compliant payroll outcomes About You You're a naturally curious and analytical professional who enjoys solving problems, improving systems, and uncovering insights through data. You bring deep payroll knowledge coupled with analytical, technical, and data interpretation capabilities, allowing you to confidently engage with stakeholders and influence positive business outcomes. Most importantly, you'll be motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a purpose-driven organisation that serves the communities of Canterbury. Ability to quickly learn new systems and develop a strong understanding of organisation-specific data Strong knowledge of the Holidays Act and New Zealand payroll legislation Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with exceptional attention to detail The ability to communicate complex data and payroll concepts clearly to a range of stakeholders Experience You’ll have a degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems, Data Analytics, or a related discipline along with: At least 7 years' experience working with payroll systems, payroll data, and workforce analytics Proven experience developing reporting and providing actionable business insights Experience identifying process improvements and driving better payroll and data outcomes Advanced Excel skills and experience using SQL or similar data querying tools Experience with payroll systems, HRIS platforms, reporting, and data visualisation tools such as Power BI Values Kaitiakitanga (stewardship) Pononga (integrity) Manaakitanga (people first) Whanaungatanga (collaboration) Māiatanga (can do) We understand and embrace a diverse workforce; this diversity will enable us to better serve our people, our community, and our greatest taonga, the environment. We value everyone’s contribution, diverse thinking, and skills. We are on a journey to become a treaty partner of excellence, including incorporating te ao Māori into our work. We offer supportive opportunities to develop capability in this area and encourage our people to use kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te reo Māori in our daily work. We welcome you with an open heart & mind, wherever you are on your personal te ao Māori journey. Application Information Applications close on Sunday, 2 August. Apply directly by completing the online application form and submitting your CV and cover letter. Interviews may begin before the closing date, and we reserve the right to close the advertisement early. We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr