National Payroll & Hr Manager

Network Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Recruitment is seeking a National HR & Payroll Manager to lead HR administration and payroll operations across regions and Distribution Centres nationwide in a fast-moving FMCG and distribution environment.

You will oversee payroll governance, employee lifecycle processes, and reporting, while developing national HR teams and driving continuous improvement. Strong leadership, governance, and SA labour law knowledge are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in HR, Payroll, Finance or related field.
• 3–5 years' experience in HR and Payroll management.
• Experience leading HR and Payroll teams in multi-site FMCG/logistics environments.
• Experience managing monthly and bi-weekly payroll processes.
• Strong knowledge of SA labour legislation and payroll governance.
• Advanced Excel skills; proficient with payroll and HRIS systems.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end payroll processing, governance, and compliance.
• Manage HR administration including employee lifecycle across sites.
• Lead Distribution Centre payroll submissions and validations.
• Review overtime submissions and ensure policy compliance.
• Provide national HR leadership, coaching, and performance management.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and talent development initiatives.
• Produce HR/payroll reports and support audits and improvements.
• Drive continuous process improvements across HR and payroll functions.

Skills

People leadership

Payroll governance

Governance controls

Process improvement

Advanced Excel

HR policies

Multi-site leadership

Education

Degree in HR, Payroll, Finance, or related field

Tools

Payroll systems

ESS platforms

Time & attendance systems

Job description

Are you an experienced HR and Payroll professional with a passion for people leadership, payroll governance, and operational excellence? Do you thrive in fast-paced, multi-site environments where accuracy, compliance, and service delivery are critical?

A leading national organisation within the FMCG and distribution sector is seeking a National HR & Payroll Manager to lead and oversee its HR administration and payroll operations across multiple regions and Distribution Centres nationwide.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring the effective management of payroll, HR administration, employee lifecycle processes, compliance, reporting, and national HR team performance. The successful candidate will play a critical role in maintaining payroll accuracy, strengthening governance controls, developing HR teams, and driving continuous process improvement across the business.

Key Requirements:

Payroll Management & Governance

Manage the end-to-end monthly and bi-weekly payroll process. Review and approve payroll inputs, reconciliations, and submissions. Resolve payroll queries, variances, and processing issues. Maintain payroll controls, records, and compliance standards.

Distribution Centre Payroll Oversight

Review and validate payroll submissions from all Distribution Centres. Verify hours worked, payroll adjustments, and employee changes. Investigate payroll exceptions and ensure accurate processing of terminations.

Overtime Management

Review and approve overtime submissions. Ensure compliance with company policies and labour requirements. Monitor overtime trends and escape concerns where necessary.

HR Administration & Employee Lifecycle

Oversee employee onboarding, transfers, promotions, and terminations. Manage employee benefits, leave, and HR records. Provide support and guidance on HR policies, procedures, and employee queries.

National HR Team Leadership

Lead, coach, and develop HR and payroll teams nationally. Manage performance, workloads, and service delivery standards. Act as the escalation point for complex HR and payroll matters.

Recruitment & Talent Support

Manage recruitment processes from sourcing to onboarding. Conduct interviews, screening, and reference checks. Support learnership, internship, and succession planning initiatives.

Compliance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Ensure compliance with labour legislation, company policies and payroll governance requirements. Produce and analyse HR and payroll reports. Support audits and drive continuous process improvements across the function.

Job Experience and Skills Required:

• Degree in Human Resources, Payroll, Finance, Business Administration , or a related field.
• 3 - 5 years' relevant experience within HR and Payroll management.
• Proven experience leading HR and Payroll teams within a multi-site, distribution, FMCG, logistics, retail, or operational environment .
• Demonstrated experience managing both monthly and bi-weekly payroll processes.
• Strong understanding of payroll controls, governance, reconciliation, and compliance requirements.
• Advanced Excel skills
• Experience working with payroll systems, ESS platforms, and time-and-attendance systems.
• Sound knowledge of South African labour legislation and HR best practices.
• Strong administrative, organisational, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.