Manager - Payroll

McKinsey; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

McKinsey & Co. seeks a regional Payroll Governance anchor to represent Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe in governance forums, risk oversight, and transformation efforts.

You will ensure regional needs are reflected in a governed, managed-services payroll model, partnering with GPT and local finance/HR champions. You will escalate region-specific issues, validate delivery meets local requirements, and influence regional payroll policy and controls.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of payroll, finance, HR operations or payroll governance experience.
• Experience with outsourced/managed-services payroll providers and vendor governance.
• Working knowledge of statutory, tax, labour and payroll-control considerations across the region.
• Experience supporting governance forums, audits and operational reviews, including tracking findings and escalations.
• Strong relationship-management between global/shared services, local stakeholders, HR, Finance, technology and external providers.
• Ability to operate in a matrixed structure and influence without direct authority.
• Senior presence with analytics, problem solving, project management and communication skills.
• Strong influencer with collaborative style and ability to challenge conventional wisdom.

Skills

Payroll governance

Vendor governance

Statutory compliance

Governance forums

Stakeholder management

Matrixed organization

Leadership toolkit

Influencing skills

Job description

Do you want to do work that matters, alongside supportive leaders who will help you grow faster than you ever thought possible? Are you a creative problem-solver who is energized by challenges? You've come to the right place.

YOUR IMPACT

You will be the regional Finance team's dedicated anchor for payroll across the region — covering markets in Africa, Middle-East and Eastern Europe. You will ensure the region's interests, statutory nuances, and stakeholder needs are properly represented as payroll moves to a governed, managed-services operating model, working in close partnership with the Global Finance Operations - Global Payroll Team (GPT). Your work provides regional governance, policy and risk oversight while GPT retains accountability for end-to-end payroll delivery, operational controls and service-provider management. Sitting within the Regional Finance team for EEMA, you will partner closely with local office Finance and HR SPOCs, Regional Finance leadership, and the Senior Manager of Payroll Service Line Leader – EEMA (GPT). Your role does not run day-to-day payroll operations or own vendor delivery; instead, it ensures the region's voice, risk, and context are heard and acted on — escalating region-specific issues, validating that delivery meets local needs, and supporting in-country stakeholders through BAU cycles and transformation waves. The role would engage directly with the payroll vendor on regional statutory, risk, exception and service matters, while GPT retains vendor accountability. You will make sure that as payroll for EEMA moves to a governed, managed-services model, the region's specific needs — statutory nuance, local relationships, and on-the-ground risk — are not lost in a global operating model. You will be a primary regional escalation point for local office Finance and HR leaders on payroll matters, and their advocate into GPT governance and, where appropriate, vendor discussions. You will work in close partnership with the GPT Service Line Leader for EEMA, attending and contributing to the regional payroll OpCo and other governance forums. This includes flagging regional risks early, validating that delivery and transformation milestones meet local expectations, routing issues to the right owner using the published RACI, and ensuring material operational issues are tracked through resolution. You will own and coordinate the regional perspective on payroll compliance, internal and external audit matters, statutory and regulatory developments, and country-specific risk — ensuring material matters are surfaced to GPT and the vendor in time to act. You will help shape the broader transformation agenda through regional input on country prioritization, readiness, local risk, standards and exception trends.

YOUR GROWTH

You are someone who thrives in a high-performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well-rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference. When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning:Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters:From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You'll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community:With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm's diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Exceptional benefits:On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• 8+ years of payroll, finance, HR operations or payroll governance experience, ideally with exposure to EEMA markets
• Experience working with or alongside outsourced/managed-services payroll providers and participating in vendor governance, service reviews and issue resolution
• Working knowledge of statutory, tax, labour and payroll-control considerations across the region (or a meaningful sub-set), sufficient to identify risk, challenge implications and route matters to the right specialist
• Experience supporting governance forums, steering committees, internal and external audits, and operational reviews, including tracking findings, actions and escalations through closure
• Strong relationship-management skills, with experience acting as a liaison between global/shared-service functions, local stakeholders, HR, Finance, technology and external providers
• Comfort operating in a dotted-line, matrixed structure without direct authority over the operational teams or vendors being governed, while able to influence through clear standards, evidence, escalation and stakeholder alignment.
• Senior Presence and Toolkit: Demonstrated credible leadership, analytics, problem-solving, project management, and communication skills
• Strong Influencer with Collaborative Style: Ability to offer new ideas, constructively challenge conventional wisdom, and work collaboratively.
• Excellent Problem-Solving and Analytical Skills: Proven ability to analyze problems, make wise recommendations, and lead analysis and reporting of key metrics

FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites.