Role Profile:
Position in Organization Role: Payroll Associate
Function / Department: HRP/Payroll
Reports to: Payroll Team Leader
Purpose of the Role:
The Payroll Associate is responsible for the operational processing of payrolls for a defined portfolio of clients, primarily low‑complexity accounts. The role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery by executing end‑to‑end payroll tasks independently, while escalating complex issues to senior colleagues. As a key contributor to the payroll service team, the Payroll Associate supports client satisfaction, compliance with local regulations, and continuous improvement of payroll processes. The role also acts as a point of contact for routine client queries and contributes to documentation and standardisation efforts.
Key Functions and Responsibilities:
- Deliver end‑to‑end payroll processing for assigned clients, including data input, calculations, validation, and reporting, in accordance with local regulations and internal procedures.
- Ensure compliance with statutory requirements related to tax, social security, and labour laws by applying up‑to‑date knowledge and following established controls.
- Reconcile monthly payrolls and prepare standard reports such as payslip summaries, tax filings, and year‑end documentation.
- Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date client documentation, payroll calendars, and work instructions to support audit readiness and service continuity.
- Manage routine client communication, responding to standard payroll queries and escalating complex or non‑standard issues to senior team members.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and contribute to standardisation and automation initiatives within the team.
- Support onboarding and informal training of JB1 colleagues by sharing knowledge of procedures, tools, and best practices.
- Adhere to service level agreements (SLAs), quality standards, and internal controls to ensure consistent service delivery.
Competencies and Skills:
- Strong technical knowledge of payroll processes, systems, and local legislation.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., formulas, pivot tables) and experience with payroll systems (e.g., SAP, Visma, Softland, Sage).
- High attention to detail and accuracy in processing payroll data and generating reports.
- Strong organisational and time management skills to meet strict deadlines and manage multiple client accounts.
- Effective communication skills for handling client queries and collaborating with internal teams.
- Customer service orientation and ability to build trust with clients through reliable and responsive support.
- Problem‑solving skills to identify and resolve payroll discrepancies and suggest process improvements.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while adhering to standard procedures and controls.
- Commitment to confidentiality and data protection in handling sensitive payroll information.
Key Performance Indicators:
- End‑to‑End Payroll Accuracy (%) – payroll runs delivered without post‑pay corrections / total payroll runs.
- On‑time Payroll Delivery (%) – payrolls delivered by client calendar cut‑off / total payrolls.
- Productivity % – maintain productivity targets at X% (e.g., 70% to 80%).
- Reconciliation Completion Rate (%) – reconciliations completed and signed‑off by deadline / total required.
- Compliance Error Rate (per cycle or per 1,000 payslips) – statutory/control breaches attributable to processing / volume.
- Client Query Response Time (Avg hours) Routine – average response time for routine queries within agreed hours.
- Client Query Resolution Rate (%) – routine queries resolved without escalation / total routine queries.
- Documentation & Calendar adherence (%) – % of client packs updated within X days of change; supports audit readiness.
Experience and Qualifications:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred, ideally in Accounting, HR, Business, or a related field.
- Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience in payroll processing, preferably in a shared services or BPO environment.
- Languages: English proficiency at B2 level or higher required; additional languages are an advantage.
- Certifications: Payroll‑related certifications (e.g., FPC, national payroll qualifications) are advantageous.
- Other: Demonstrated ability to manage routine client portfolios, apply payroll knowledge in practice, and contribute to team development and process improvement.