Payroll Manager

unilever; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Unilever in Durban, South Africa is seeking a seasoned Payroll Manager to lead end-to-end payroll for Africa and global expatriates. You will drive accuracy, compliance, and employee experience across a complex multi-country landscape, partnering with HR, Finance, Global Mobility, and external providers.

The role requires strong operations leadership, transformation mindset, and the ability to govern payroll processes, controls, and vendor performance while delivering timely payroll delivery.

Job description

Unilever is currently hiring for a Payroll Manager, 1UL Africa & Expat Payroll

Function: People Experience (PEX)

Reports to: Global Payroll Delivery Manager

Scope: Africa & Global Expatriate Payroll

Location: Durban, South Africa

Terms & Conditions: Full-time; Onsite

ABOUT UNILEVER

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.

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach and instead equip our people with the tools they need to shape their own future.

ABOUT THE ROLE

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.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Payroll Operations & Service Delivery

• 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.

Expatriate Payroll Management

• 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.

Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• 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.

Process Excellence & Transformation

• 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 digitalization initiatives across the Africa payroll landscape.


• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, reduce manual interventions, and improve service outcomes.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• 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.

Reporting, Analytics & Insights

• 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 report