Payroll Officer - Contractor

Who is Bare

Bare is Australia's most highly rated end of life business - supporting Australian families through the hardest time in their life.

We are a company dedicated to providing accessible, affordable end-of-life care to change the way that Australians deal with death. Our aim is to change the game in the funeral industry which has long provided expensive, traditional, cookie cutter services that don't always meet the needs of the modern Australian.

By combining empathy with technology, we're creating end-of-life experiences that are simple, personalised and affordable. In only seven years, we've served more than 50,000 families, have become Australia's most awarded end-of-life provider (with awards in customer service, innovation and digital disruption), and have built a team of more than 200 people committed to changing the way Australians deal with end-of-life. And we're just getting started.

Hear more about our story here!

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced payroll contractor to own our payroll function end-to-end and run it with genuine autonomy. Reporting into Finance, you’ll be responsible for accurate, compliant and on-time payroll across three entities and around 200 employees, spanning full-time, part-time and casual staff, in a fast-paced environment where attention to detail is everything.

You’ll also help lead an important piece of work: transitioning us from Xero onto a more comprehensive, purpose-built payroll platform. It’s a chance to bring your award interpretation expertise to a complex multi-entity group and build processes that will support the business as we scale.

The Engagement

• Contract rate: $40 per hour
• Hours: 2 days per week
• Duration: Ongoing
• Location: Remote Australia 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Own end-to-end payroll processing across three entities for approximately 200 employees, covering full-time, part-time and casual staff on a fortnightly cycle.
• Interpret and apply modern awards, enterprise agreements and employment conditions correctly, including funeral industry awards, to ensure accurate base pay, penalty rates, allowances, loadings and casual entitlements.
• Manage all payroll compliance obligations: PAYG withholding, superannuation and SuperStream, multi-state payroll tax, Single Touch Payroll (STP Phase 2) reporting, and workers’ compensation.
• Process new starters, terminations, leave, back-pays and adjustments, and maintain accurate, well-organised employee records and payroll data.
• Reconcile payroll, superannuation and PAYG each pay run and at month end, and support end-of-financial-year processing and finalisation.
• Support the transition from Xero to a new payroll system, including scoping, data migration, parallel runs, testing, and documenting new processes and controls.
• Respond to payroll queries from employees and managers promptly, professionally and with discretion.
• Identify and recommend process improvements that strengthen accuracy, controls and efficiency.
• Work closely with Finance, People & Culture and external stakeholders such as super funds, the ATO and state revenue offices.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• Substantial hands-on experience running end-to-end payroll, ideally in a complex, multi-entity environment.
• Strong award and enterprise agreement interpretation skills, including calculating penalty rates, allowances, loadings and casual entitlements.
• Solid working knowledge of Australian payroll legislation: PAYG, superannuation, multi-state payroll tax, STP Phase 2, Fair Work and the National Employment Standards.
• Hands-on experience with Xero payroll.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with the discipline to self-check and reconcile your own work.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong numerical, problem-solving and communication skills, and sound judgement with confidential information.
• An active ABN.

Ideal

• Experience with funeral industry awards (highly regarded).
• Experience supporting or leading a payroll system implementation or migration.
• Exposure to modern payroll platforms such as Employment Hero, Rippling or Workday.
• A relevant accounting or payroll qualification or certification.
• Experience processing payroll across multiple states and territories.

What's in it for me?

Someone in our end-of-life team recently described their role this way: "This is the most impactful work I've ever done. I feel lucky to be able to help people that truly need support." So, there's that. We've also been named one of the 2026 Top 10 Inspiring Workplaces across Australasia — proof that our people-first culture is more than just talk. #PeopleFirst

In addition, we offer:

• Great opportunities for personal growth, promotion, and career development
• Work-from-home flexibility — with plenty of autonomy and trust
• A friendly, fun, and supportive environment — people genuinely love what they do at Bare
• Competitive remuneration package
• The chance to make an impact at one of the most critical moments in someone's life

The main reason you'll join, though, is because you believe in what we do and are excited to truly transform an industry.

Sound like you? Apply now with your CV and a cover letter telling us why you want to be part of Bare.