Payroll, Time & Attendance Specialist

Maersk; Durban; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Maersk in Cape Town is seeking a Payroll, Time and Attendance Specialist to support weekly and monthly payroll cycles, time capture, and compliance across our international operations.

You will work with People Partners, manage system configurations, run reconciliations, and provide data for internal and external audits.

The role demands 5–8 years’ payroll experience, knowledge of SA tax and social security, and a proactive, detail‑oriented approach in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years payroll and time attendance experience in a complex international org.
• Experience with wage environments and Bargaining Councils.
• Strong knowledge of SA payroll compliance, tax, social security and retirement savings.
• Basic accounting knowledge.
• Proactive, collaborative, analytical with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Manage pre-payroll, on-cycle payroll, off-cycle payroll for weekly and monthly paid employees.
• Validate payroll results & provide reconciliations based on control reports.
• Ensure timely Statutory and Third Party Payments and Reporting.
• Adjust basic time configuration of systems after initial implementation, as approved/required.
• Track payroll deliverables through defined payroll metrics.
• Be risk aware and help identify, report, mitigate and track risks in the payroll delivery process.
• Support the Payroll Team Lead with data for audit requests and clarifications.
• Participate in Time and Attendance initiatives including system upgrades and testing.
• Interface with People Partners to support employee/leader queries.
• Identify improvement opportunities in regional processes and raise to global process Leaders.

Skills

Payroll processing

Time & attendance

Compliance knowledge

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Tools

Payroll software

Time & attendance system

Job description

Payroll, Time & Attendance Specialist Would you like to be part of a value-driven, commercially oriented international environment where we enable global trade every day? We have an opportunity for a Payroll, Time and Attendance Specialist to join our team in CapeTown.

WHAT WE OFFER: When you join Maersk, you’ll find that the world is your workplace. You’ll work in a culturally diverse, stimulating environment, surrounded by new ideas and different ways of doing things. We believe in individual performance within highly professional teams supported by our distinctive values. To us teamwork means acceptance, respect, dedication, and the idea that we can achieve more when we all pull together. Living our values means competing in the marketplace in an ethical way so our name is synonymous with being a credible and valuable business partner. Through Constant Care and Humbleness, we strive to prepare for the future, while never forgetting that our customers and competitors are key to our ability to improve. In our daily work, Uprightness and Our Employees mean that transparency and accountability in everything we do go hand in hand with being an inspiring, challenging place to work. At Maersk, we take pride in hiring the best person for the job – irrespective of gender, age, nationality, or religious belief.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage pre-payroll, on-cycle payroll, off-cycle payroll processes for weekly and monthly paid employees.
• Validate payroll results & provide reconciliations based on control reports.
• Ensure timely Statutory and Third Party Payments and Reporting.
• Adjust basic time configuration of systems after initial implementation, as approved/required.
• Track payroll deliverables through defined payroll metrics.
• Be risk aware and help identify, report, mitigate and track risks in the payroll delivery process.
• Support the Payroll Team Lead in providing necessary data and clarifications to questions raised by audit – internal and external.
• Participate in Time and Attendance initiatives including system upgrades, communication of changes to People Partners, testing and documenting all changes for historical and record retention policies, project support as needed.
• Interface with People Partners to support employee/ leader queries.
• Identify improvement opportunities in regional processes and raises them to global process Leader(s).

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Solid experience (5-8 years) in Payroll, Time & Attendance processes, within a complex international organization.
• Solid experience working in a wage environment.
• Solid experience working with Bargaining Councils.
• Strong knowledge of compliance and legal regulations for payroll & benefits In South Africa.
• In depth tax knowledge, social security and retirement savings (Pension, Provident and Retirement Annuity) knowledge in South Africa
• Basic accounting knowledge.
• Ability to effectively engage and mobilize diverse local HR stakeholders.
• A proactive, ‘let’s get it done’ attitude geared towards continuous improvement.
• Flexibility and adaptability to operate in a fast-paced, developing project environment, taking ownership, and setting directions with minimal guidance.
• Resilience: the change process, is anything but straightforward; accepting uncertainty and bouncing back from setbacks while keeping your enthusiasm is a tall order, but we need it.
• Collaborative working style, fostering cooperation and teamwork to find solutions.
• Highly analytical approach with a strong eye for detail.
• Structured working style and focus on delivering results as per agreed timescales and scope.

In addition to the responsibilities described in this job requisition, the employee will be expected to undertake other duties, assignments, and projects as reasonably requested by management. The scope of work may change from time to time based on business priorities, organisational requirements, and operational needs. Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements. We are happy to support your need for any adjustments during the application and hiring process. If you need special assistance or an accommodation to use your website, apply for a position, or to perform a job, please contact us by emailing [e-mail].

A.P. Moller - Maersk is an integrated container logistics company working to connect and simplify its customer's supply chains. As the global leader in shipping services, the company operates in 130 countries and employs roughly 100,000 people. With simple end-to-end offering of products and digital services, seamless customer engagement and a superior end-to-end delivery network, Maersk enables its customers to trade and grow by transporting goods anywhere - all over the world. For more information click here. All the way.