Senior Administrative Officer (Payroll)

University of Pretoria; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 320,000 - 450,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

BESTMED medical aid

UMVUZO medical aid

Job summary

The University of Pretoria invites applications for the Payroll Officer position in the Department of Finance. This role supports payroll processing, compliance and reporting within a large higher-education environment.

You will review HR input, apply payroll codes, manage tax and SARS filings, calculate leave without pay and ensure Payslips and reports are accurate before finalisation. The role rewards careful, compliant work and offers medical aid benefits.

Qualifications

• 3 years’ experience in a salary/payroll office (with Diploma)
• 5 years’ experience in a salary/payroll office (with Grade 12)
• Experience with statutory compliance and employment taxes legislation (e.g., Income Tax Act, UIF, SDL)
• Excel knowledge (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs)

Responsibilities

• Review and validate HR input documents against records in the Human Capital System
• Process backdated transactions and salary arrears accurately
• Apply payroll codes for Pension Fund, Provident Fund, Group Insurance and Medical Aids
• Calculate leave without pay and manage tax numbers on SARS e-filing
• Verify income tax statuses per SARS regulations and capture IT88s
• Reconcile payroll summaries, payslips and reports prior to finalisation

Skills

Payroll processing

Tax compliance

SARS e-filing

Leave administration

Data reconciliation

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Diploma in Accounting and Taxation

Grade 12

Tools

PeopleSoft

Excel

Job description

UP Professional and Support

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

PAYROLL OFFICER

PEROMNES POST LEVEL 09

In pursuit of the ideals of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria wishes to invite applications for the following vacancy.

The University of Pretoria's commitment to quality makes us one of the top research Universities in the country and gives us a competitive advantage in international science and technology development.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and validate HR input documents (source documents) against records on the Human Capital System to ensure completeness and accuracy, and perform required inputs;
• Ensure backdated transactions and salary arrears for late appointments are accurately processed against the correct post and employee records, with correct arrear deductions;
• Ensure the correct application of payroll codes (Pension Fund, Provident Fund, Group Insurance and Medical Aids) on the Human Capital System;
• Calculate leave without pay (LWP) as per Human Resources requests and follow up until the process is complete;
• Request Tax Numbers on SARS e-filing on behalf of Human Resources;
• Verify and ensure 100% accurate assignment of employee income tax statuses based on source documents, in compliance with SARS regulations and current legislative guidelines;
• Capture and process IT88s on the Human Capital System and, once approved, on SARS e-filing for payment;
• Review payslips for accuracy and completeness after successful payroll runs; ensure required allowances and deductions are generated, and mark the task as completed on the system;
• Ensure accuracy between payroll summaries, payslips and reports, with all discrepancies identified, corrected and resolved prior to finalisation;
• Check employee terminations against the expected end date report; liaise with Human Resources to resolve differences and save the termination report in departmental storage for audit control;
• Prepare reconciliations by identifying, investigating and documenting discrepancies between billing reports and system records;
• Manage the Medical Aid mailbox to ensure all communicated changes are updated and processed, and investigate and follow up on discrepancies with the schemes;
• Implement Medical Aid updates by processing changes identified through billing reviews and comparisons completed by Supervisors;
• Reconcile court orders, garnishee and maintenance orders after execution of payroll, and ensure electronic payment is done and electronic lists are sent to the relevant firms and courts;
• Receive documents from unions and capture union deductions and cancellations on the Human Capital system;
• Adhere to all internal control procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and policies;
• Ensure timely and effective response to all payroll-related queries, maintaining a high standard of service delivery to employees; acknowledge and resolve queries within 24 hours.

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant National 3-year Diploma with Accounting and Taxation modules) OR Grade 12;
• 3 years’ experience in a salary / payroll office (with Diploma);
• 5 years’ experience in a salary / payroll office (with Grade 12);
• Experienced with statutory compliance and employment taxes legislation (e.g., Income Tax Act, UIF, SDL);
• Excel knowledge (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs).

Required Competencies (skills, Knowledge, And Behavioural Attributes)

• Income Tax Act, UIF, SDL, BCEA and other payroll/tax legislation;
• SARS rules and regulations;
• UP internal policies;
• Accounting principles;
• Payroll legislation and execution of payroll;
• Local legislation;
• Computer literacy;
• Numerical skill;
• Payroll systems and processes;
• Calculation of income taxes and benefits;
• Ability to accomplish tasks and processes accurately and completely;
• Ability to deal with others in difficult and complex situations to achieve resolution or adherence to laws and/or regulations;
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely;
• Ability to be relied upon to ensure that projects within areas of responsibility are completed in a timely manner;
  • Financial experience;
  • PeopleSoft experience;
  • Experience in an institution of higher education;
• Ability to deal with high-stress situations calmly and effectively.

Added Advantages And Preferences

• Relevant Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting or Human Resources;
• 2-3 years’ experience in the following;
  • Financial experience;
  • PeopleSoft experience;
  • Experience in an institution of higher education.

PLEASE NOTE: All shortlisted candidates may be required to participate in relevant skills assessments as part of the selection process.

The annual remuneration package will be commensurate with the incumbent’s level of appointment, as determined by UP policy guidelines.

• UP subscribes to the BESTMED and UMVUZO medical aid schemes and contributes 50% of the applicable monthly premium.

CLOSING DATE: 31 August 2026.

No application will be considered after the closing date, or if it does not comply with at least the minimum requirements.

Enquiries

Ms Thandeka Mtswene: [e-mail] , Tel: [phone] for application-related enquiries. and Ms I. Coetzee, [e-mail] , Tel: (012) 420 - 2146 for enquiries related to the post content. No applications via email will be considered.

Should you not hear from the University of Pretoria by 30 November 2026, please accept that your application has been unsuccessful.

The University of Pretoria is committed to equality, employment equity and diversity.

In accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets, preference may be given, but is not limited to candidates from under-represented designated groups.

All candidates who comply with the requirements for appointment are invited to apply.

By applying for this vacancy, the candidates consent to undergo verification of personal credentials and related information including, but not limited to, qualifications, criminal record, credit record, current and historic disciplinary proceedings as part of the selection process.

The University of Pretoria reserves the right to not fill the advertised positions.