Payroll & Finance Specialist

Keen; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic digital services company in Cape Town is seeking a Payroll Specialist & Finance Coordinator to streamline payroll processing and bookkeeping functions. The role requires 2–4 years of experience in payroll administration and a strong understanding of South African payroll legislation. Join a detail-oriented team that values accuracy and collaboration, offering opportunities for growth within finance and operations.

Benefits

Birthday leave

Professional development budget

In-office team culture

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of payroll or bookkeeping experience.
• Strong understanding of South African payroll legislation.
• Experience reconciling payroll and handling employee changes.

Responsibilities

• Process monthly payroll for the South African entity.
• Assist with accounts payable and receivable, vendor payments.
• Work closely with HR and Operations on payroll movements.

Skills

Payroll administration

Bookkeeping

Attention to detail

Google Sheets

Tools

SimplePay

Sage

Job description

About Keen

At Keen, we don't just deliver services. We embed ourselves into the heart of our clients' businesses. From digital marketing and creative to customer experience, we craft bold, high-performance digital experiences for global brands.

Keen helps U.S. and international companies scale smarter by embedding expert teams that drive results across marketing, creative, customer experience, and sales.

We’re not a legacy BPO. We’re a partner in growth — and that’s where you come in.

About the Role

We are hiring a Payroll Specialist & Finance Coordinator to support Keen’s internal finance operations across our South African entity. You’ll manage payroll processing, assist with bookkeeping, and help maintain financial accuracy across a fast-growing team.

This role is perfect for someone detail-oriented, organized, and proactive, with experience in payroll administration and general finance support. You’ll work closely with HR, operations, and leadership to ensure payroll, expenses, and financial records are accurate, compliant, and delivered on time.

Payroll (Primary Focus)

• Process monthly payroll for our South African entity, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, allowances, and leave
• Ensure PAYE, UIF, SDL, and all statutory submissions are accurate and on time
• Support global contractor and South African employee payment processing
• Reconcile payroll changes with HR and operations each month
• Maintain payroll records and resolve employee payroll queries

Bookkeeping & Finance Support

• Assist with accounts payable and receivable, vendor payments, and expense tracking
• Support monthly reconciliations and financial close with the finance team
• Maintain accurate financial documentation and organized digital records
• Support budgeting and reporting, including payroll-to-budget variance tracking

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with HR, Talent Acquisition, and Operations on payroll movements and staffing planning
• Communicate discrepancies or risks proactively
• Assist leadership with ad-hoc financial reports or data requests

What We Are Looking For

• 2–4 years of payroll or bookkeeping experience (SimplePay, Sage, or similar preferred)
• Strong understanding of South African payroll legislation (PAYE, UIF, SDL, BCEA)
• Experience reconciling payroll, handling employee changes, and managing payroll documentation
• Competence with bookkeeping basics (expenses, reconciliations, AP/AR)
• High attention to detail, confidentiality, and accuracy
• Strong Google Sheets skills
• Comfortable working in-office five days per week (office is located in Wembley Square)

• In-office team culture with global exposure

• Opportunity to grow into broader finance, payroll, or operations roles
• Birthday leave plus professional development budget
• Join a team that values accuracy, ownership, and clarity