Payroll Officer

The Royal Portfolio; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A luxury hospitality company in Cape Town is seeking a Payroll Officer to manage the payroll process, ensuring accuracy and statutory compliance. The ideal candidate has a tertiary qualification in HR/Payroll/Finance and at least 5 years' experience in a payroll role, preferably within the hospitality sector. Proficiency in Sage 300 People and advanced Excel skills are essential. This is a maternity cover contract, requiring strong attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure. South African citizenship is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience managing a payroll function.
• At least 2 years' experience in a 4 or 5-star hotel or restaurant group environment.
• South African citizenship advantageous, work permit essential.

Responsibilities

• Capture, validate, and process payroll inputs.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements.
• Prepare and reconcile monthly payroll reports.
• Assist with payroll queries from HR and Finance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Excellent communication

Pressure management

Team collaboration

Education

Tertiary qualification in HR/Payroll/Finance

Tools

Sage 300 People

Advanced Excel

Job description

The Payroll Officer at The Royal Portfolio's head office is responsible for ensuring that the payroll process and systems are managed and run effectively, efficiently, accurately and timeously, so that our teams can confidently focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences. This essential HR and Finance support function means that as a company, The Royal Portfolio can deliver on our purpose, which is "to give our guests a complete experience and a perfect stay". This role is currently a maternity cover contract.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Payroll Processing

• Capture, validate and process payroll inputs for various properties and head office
• Ensure accurate earnings, deductions, allowances, overtime, leave and terminations details are captured
• Perform payroll reconciliations and verify accuracy before final run
• Generate payroll reports for manager review and sign-off
• Prepare pay registers and upload payments for Finance release

Statutory Compliance & Third Parties

• Prepare and reconcile EMP201 submissions and ensure payments before the 7th
• Process RA and provident fund contributions
• Manage UIF declarations, COIDA/WCA requirements and SARS queries
• Reconcile all third-party payments, including garnishees and medical aid

Leave and ESS Administration

• Ensure correct leave methods and accruals for all employees
• Support managers with ESS workflows and approvals
• Reset ESS profiles and manage user access

Time & Attendance Maintenance

• Review Connecteam Time & Attendance reports for accurate daily, weekly and monthly records
• Troubleshoot clocking issues and assist managers with corrections
• Monitor missing clockings and ensure correct integration with payroll

Data Integrity & Controls

• Verify all new starter files before loading to the system
• Ensure strict confidentiality and compliance with legislation
• Ensure payslips are published on payday
• Support internal and external audits

Reporting & Support

• Prepare monthly payroll reports
• Support the HR and Finance teams as well as hotel General Managers with any payroll queries
• Assist with year-end processes including IRP5 submissions and reconciliations

General

• Maintain strong working relationships between head office and the properties
• Suggest improvements to payroll processes and controls
• Assist with additional payroll tasks as required

REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPECTATIONS

• Tertiary qualification in HR/ Payroll/ Finance
• Minimum 5 years' experience managing a payroll funciton
• At least 2 years' experience running payroll for a 4 or 5* hotel or restaurant group
• Sage 300 People at expert user/ operator level
• Advanced Excell skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Motivated to work under pressure, within strict deadlines and a sense of urgency always
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Strong moral compass, functions with integrity
• Strong team player

It is important that the candidate is able to work as part of a team and is a good cultural fit for The Royal Portfolio. South African citizenship is advantageous. A valid work permit is essential if you are not in possession of a South African ID document. Please note it is a condition of employment, that all staff undergo a pre-employment polygraph test.