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Job summary
Unilever seeks an analytical Payroll Manager to lead end-to-end payroll across Africa and expatriate payroll operations. You will coordinate with HR, Finance, Global Mobility, and external providers to ensure accurate, timely payroll processing in a complex multi-country landscape.
The role requires strong governance, controls, and continuous improvement mindset, with a focus on compliance and delivering an exceptional employee experience. Based in Durban, on-site role.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field.
- Extensive payroll operations experience, including multi-country environments.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Experience leading change and transformation initiatives.
- Fluent English; French or additional African language is advantageous.
Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end payroll operations across multiple African markets.
- Ensure compliance with local regulations, policies, and SLAs.
- Drive governance, controls, and continuous improvement in payroll services.
- Partner with Global Mobility and external providers for expatriate payroll.
- Provide expert payroll guidance and support across the organization.
Skills
Education
Job description
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Durban_SA
Full time
R
LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 11,800 employees worldwide, is part of RELX ( a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. Our company has been a long-time leader in deploying AI and advanced technologies to the legal market to improve productivity and transform the overall business and practice of law, deploying ethical and powerful generative AI solutions with a flexible, multi-model approach that prioritizes using the best model from today's top model creators for each individual legal use case. The company employs over 2,000 technologists, data scientists, and experts to develop, test, and validate solutions in line with RELX Responsible AI Principles.
In this role, you will be helping to provide legal practical guidance and market insight. You will be reviewing documents, undertaking legal research, drafting content and maintaining trackers. This is a 12-month fixed term role.
- Reviewing new and existing content for quality and legal accuracy, and making recommendations for process improvements
- Monitoring of developments and inputting information to maintain trackers of consultations, cases and dates
- Drafting practical guidance content (eg FAQs, practice notes, precedents, trackers, checklists, etc)
- Conducting legal research and liaising with subject matter experts within the Practical Guidance practice area teams
- Supporting the development and implementation of initiatives to grow and improve the Lexis+ offering
- Have a degree in Law, or equivalent experience
- Experience and/or interest in Finance law (including Banking & Finance, Insolvency, Insurance and Financial Services) preferable
- Comfortable working shift hours Monday-Friday, 10 AM-6 PM (June-Oct) and 11 AM-7 PM (Nov-March), SAST
- Demonstrate an eye for detail and a quality oriented focus
- Be able to demonstrate excellent research and writing skills
- Have a good understanding of legal issues, procedures and content types
- Be able to think creatively, handle multiple tasks simultaneously and work to strict deadlines
- Be able to communicate influentially and effectively to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders
- Be a natural, innovative problem solver, able to collaborate with your team to resolve issues
- Have an understanding of, and willingness to use, social media and new technology
LexisNexis Legal & Professional® provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics that help customers increase their productivity, improve decision‑making, achieve better outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services.
We are committed to providing a fair and accessible hiring process. If you have a disability or other need that requires accommodation or adjustment, please let us know by completing our Applicant Request Support Form or please contact .
We are an equal opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
USA Job Seekers: EEO Know Your Rights.
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers, enabling them to make better decisions, get better results and be more productive.
Our purpose is to benefit society by developing products that help researchers advance scientific knowledge; doctors and nurses improve the lives of patients; lawyers promote the rule of law and achieve justice and fair results for their clients; businesses and governments prevent fraud; consumers access financial services and get fair prices on insurance; and customers learn about markets and complete transactions.
Our purpose guides our actions beyond the products that we develop. It defines us as a company. Every day across RELX our employees are inspired to undertake initiatives that make unique contributions to society and the communities in which we operate.
Unilever is currently hiring for a Payroll Manager, 1UL Africa & Expat Payroll
People Experience (PEX)
Global Payroll Delivery Manager
Africa & Global Expatriate Payroll
Durban, South Africa
Full-time; Onsite
With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people. We believe that when our people work with purpose, we create a better business and a better world.
We are seeking a highly analytical, customer-focused, and experienced Payroll Manager, 1UL Africa & Expat Payroll to lead end‑to‑end payroll delivery across Africa and global expatriate payroll operations. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, compliant, and efficient payroll processing across a complex multi‑country landscape. The successful candidate will combine operational excellence with transformation leadership, driving continuous improvement, governance, controls, vendor performance, and service excellence while delivering an exceptional employee experience.
As a key member of the payroll leadership team, this role will partner closely with HR, Finance, Global Mobility, Payroll Vendors, and external stakeholders to ensure payroll operations are managed effectively, compliantly, and efficiently across multiple markets.
- Lead end‑to‑end payroll operations across multiple African markets, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing.
- Ensure payroll activities are delivered in accordance with local legislative requirements, business policies, and service level agreements.
- Drive operational excellence and payroll service quality through robust delivery processes and governance.
- Monitor payroll performance and implement actions to continuously improve employee experience and service outcomes.
- Ensure consistent execution of payroll processes across all supported markets.
- Manage end‑to‑end payroll activities for expatriate employees across global assignments.
- Oversee shadow payroll processes, tax equalization calculations, and expatriate payroll reconciliations.
- Ensure accuracy and compliance of local payroll files supporting expatriate employees.
- Partner with Global Mobility and external providers to ensure seamless payroll delivery for globally mobile employees.
- Proactively identify and resolve expatriate payroll risks and issues.
- Ensure payroll operations comply with local legislative requirements, tax regulations, and statutory obligations.
- Maintain compliance with Unilever internal controls, SOX requirements, and audit standards.
- Manage payroll governance frameworks and ensure appropriate controls are embedded and consistently executed.
- Support internal and external audits, ensuring timely resolution of findings and recommendations.
- Develop and oversee risk mitigation plans to reduce payroll exposure across all supported countries.
- Partner with Payroll and HR Centres of Expertise to standardize and optimize payroll processes.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, compliance, and employee experience.
- Lead implementation of payroll policies, procedures, and best practices.
- Support payroll transformation and digitalisation initiatives across the Africa payroll landscape.
- Identify opportunities to simplify processes, reduce manual interventions, and improve service outcomes.
- Manage relationships with payroll vendors and service providers to ensure delivery against contractual obligations and performance expectations.
- Partner with HR, Finance, Tax, Global Mobility, Equity, and business stakeholders to resolve complex payroll matters.
- Provide expert payroll guidance and support across the organization.
- Drive strong collaboration across internal and external partner networks.
- Ensure effective escalation management and resolution of payroll‑related issues.
- Generate and analyze payroll reports to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
- Provide payroll insights and recommendations to support business decisions and operational improvements.
- Monitor key performance indicators and service metrics to measure payroll effectiveness.
- Deliver accurate management reporting to support governance and compliance requirements.
- Leverage data‑driven insights to improve payroll accuracy, controls, and employee experience.
- Lead, coach, and develop payroll professionals across the team.
- Foster a high‑performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service excellence.
- Strengthen payroll capability through coaching, development planning, and knowledge sharing.
- Support succession planning and talent development initiatives.
- Promote best practice sharing across Payroll Expertise and PEX leadership teams.
- Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Demonstrated extensive payroll operations experience, including specific payroll experience within South Africa.
- Experience supporting or managing payroll operations across multiple African countries.
- Minimum two years' people management experience.
- Proven experience managing end‑to‑end, in‑house payroll operations.
- Strong experience managing multi‑country payroll environments, payroll vendors, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
- In‑depth understanding of payroll compliance, SOX controls, governance, and audit requirements.
- Strong financial and business acumen.
- Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making capabilities.
- Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
- Strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
- Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with the highest level of integrity.
- Experience leading change, transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Proven ability to develop and execute a shared vision and strategy for change.
- Strong leadership capability with experience managing remote and cross‑cultural teams.
- Professional fluency in English, both written and verbal; French or additional African language capability would be advantageous.
- High levels of agility, resilience, and adaptability in a complex global environment.
- Work for one of the world's most purpose‑led and trusted brands.
- Drive meaningful impact on business capability and performance.
- Be part of a supportive, culture‑driven environment that values people and growth.
- Enjoy opportunities for regional exposure and professional development.
Unilever is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. We are intentional in employing the best talent that reflects the demographics of our country, and which will help build representation of currently under‑represented groups. We therefore invite applications from all candidates representing diversity of age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief. When appointing potential candidates, the South African Employment Equity and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Legislation will be considered.
We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. If you are applying as a foreign national, please note that you may be requested to provide supporting documents supporting this.
This is an office-based role in Durban and requires 100% of time attendance on site.
Job Category: Human Resources
Job Type: Full time
Industry:
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