Payroll Accountant - Global Law Firm - Sandton

AGC Recruitment Pty Ltd; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

AGC Recruitment Pty Ltd is seeking a Payroll Accountant for a global law firm client in Sandton. The role involves managing the payroll department, guiding the team, and ensuring high-quality payroll services for internal and external clients.

The candidate should have a minimum of five years in payroll and accounting, with strong MS Office and accounting systems knowledge. Cross-border payroll experience (South Africa and Tanzania) is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years payroll and accounting experience.
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with payroll systems.
• Countries: South Africa and Tanzania.

Responsibilities

• Compile manpower salaries and headcount budgets with HR.
• Develop and maintain payroll reporting processes and internal controls.
• Reconcile data between payroll and general ledger.
• Monitor manpower budget vs actual spend monthly and report variances.
• Review and improve payroll procedures for best practice.
• Extract monthly management reports (headcount data and employee costs).
• Oversee payroll audits and journal entries and accruals.
• Ensure compliance with financial, legal, and administrative requirements.
• Recommend policies and actions on financial operations.
• Build relationships within payroll team and supervise staff.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Customer service

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Accounting systems

Job description

Payroll Accountant - Global Law Firm - Sandton

About the job Payroll Accountant - Global Law Firm - Sandton

Our client, a global law firm, has an opportunity for a Payroll Accountant. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of cross-border secondments, transfers, or hires related to payroll processing. This role involves the overall management of the payroll department, providing guidance, mentoring, and coaching as needed. Additionally, you will ensure that the payroll team consistently delivers superior customer service to both internal and external clients.

Key Performance Areas:

• Compile the annual manpower salaries and headcount budget in conjunction with the Human Resources department.
• Manage projects as and when required.
• Assist in developing & maintaining payroll reporting processes, procedures and internal control for the purpose of maintaining an efficient payroll function.
• Oversee the reconciliation of data between the payroll system and general ledger system.
• Monitor & manage manpower budget against actual spend on a monthly basis and report on variances.
• Critically review and analyse current payroll procedures to recommend and implement changes leading to best practice as and when required.
• Ensure extraction of all monthly management reports (ie headcount data & employee costs).
• Oversee the payroll audit activities in respect of external and internal audits (ie journal entries, adjustment of entries and accruals, financial reports and statements).
• Monitor payroll activities and ensure that all processes are compliant in accordance with established financial, legal and/or administrative requirements.
• Recommend policies, procedure and action on issues that relate to financial operations in order to provide direction and to assist with decision making.
• Demonstrate in depth experience in managing, motivating, developing and building effective relationships within the payroll team and ensure overall supervision of payroll staff.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years suitable payroll & accounting experience.
• Sound knowledge of MS Office (i.e MS Word, Excel & PowerPoint).
• Sound knowledge of accounting systems.
• Countries: South Africa and Tanzania.