Senior Payroll Manager

Boardroom Appointments; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm in South Africa is seeking a Senior Payroll Manager to oversee payroll administration across various business units, ensuring compliance and efficiency. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in payroll management, excellent communication skills, and the ability to lead a team effectively. This role requires a BCom degree and significant experience in the payroll industry, ideally within a multinational environment. Familiarity with payroll systems such as Workday and PaySpace is advantageous.

Qualifications

• 8 years of progressive payroll experience in a multinational.
• 5 years in payroll management.
• Professional membership in South African Payroll Association.

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain payroll systems.
• Manage group payroll for accuracy and efficiency.
• Resolve payroll queries and compliance issues.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Strong planning and organising

Analytical skills

Strong financial and business acumen

Expert knowledge of payroll principles

Strong leadership skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Strong computer proficiency

Education

BCom degree (Accounting) or equivalent

Payroll Certifications

Tools

HR Information Systems

Payroll Systems (Workday, PaySpace)

Job description

About the job Senior Payroll Manager

Minimum requirements

• BCom degree (Accounting) or equivalent
• Payroll Certifications
• HR Information System and/or Payroll System certifications (Workday and/or PaySpace will be advantageous)

Years of Experience

• 8 years of progressive, professional experience in payroll within a multinational listed company
• 5 years of progressive experience in payroll management
• International experience with payroll management and administration
• Experience with the management of multiple business unit payroll administration
• Experience in Payroll Bureau service management
• Workday and PaySpace exposure will be advantageous

Professional Membership

• Professional membership in South African Payroll Association (SAPA) or related professional institutes

Other requirements

• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Deep knowledge and experience with HR Information Systems and/or Payroll systems (example Workday, PaySpace) managing vendors and service providers
• Experience in operating at a strategic and tactical operational level
• Strong planning, organising and analytical skills with excellent attention to detail
• A strong understanding and appreciation of cultural norms and the ability to adapt programmes accordingly
• People focussed with an ability to strongly lead a team through any circumstance
• Ability to influence and build strong relationships at all levels and throughout the organisation
• Demonstrated success in managing multiple projects to deliver results under tight deadlines
• High level of resilience and emotional intelligence to engage with different stakeholders
• Strong passion for technology
• Strong presentation skills
• Strong financial and business acumen
• Excellent numerical skills and advanced accounting skills
• Expert knowledge of business and industry standards and best practices in payroll principles and process, remuneration and employee benefits field
• Strong knowledge and understanding of tax as related to remuneration and benefits
• Expert knowledge of relevant legislation i.e., Tax, BCEA, LRA, COIDA and UIF
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong time management skills
• Self-driven and independent
• Strong computer proficiency (MS Office with specific knowledge and skills in PowerPoint, Word, Outlook & Excel)

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain payroll and the relevant payroll system to ensure that payroll delivers a value-added service
• Effectively manage the group payroll function to ensure accurate and efficient service delivery to the multiple business units, both nationally and internationally
• Day-to-day administration of payroll, including month-end activities, interface with finance, calculation and payment of payroll tax, plus coordination of superannuation contributions
• Responsible for general ledger integrations and troubleshooting
• Investigate and report on payroll queries and act on findings/recommendations as required
• Resolve all escalated and directed stakeholder queries and complaints
• Responsible for 3rd party and statutory reports, reconciliations and payments
• Process remuneration reviews and bonus payments
• Responsible for payroll cash forecast, payment releases and monthly payroll roll-overs
• Responsible for annual IRP5 reconciliations
• Provide annual reports to the tax department and guide HR teams on tax matters as related to payroll, compensation or benefits
• Ensure compliance and manage leave accrual, allocation and payment upon termination as per company policies and legislation
• Partner with HC leadership and teams to identify payroll needs and ensure customer satisfaction
• Utilise trends within the company to develop best practice initiatives
• Provide strategic direction and thought leadership on payroll management to the payroll team and across the company
• Provide in-depth technical and functional subject matter expertise for payroll related activities
• Define appropriate metrics to measure, analyse and report on overall payroll activities and performance
• Responsible for payroll reports to various stakeholders as required
• Advise and drive necessary actions for payroll platforms and related systems to enable optimisation of the payroll function
• Review and monitor initiatives across the group related to all payroll activities, encouraging alignment and ensuring compliance with legislation and other relevant standards
• Enable a learning culture through effective utilisation of available technology and platforms to ensure maximum automation of payroll activities across the group
• Ensure that payroll complies with statutory requirements, regulations, standards, company policies and procedures as well as corporate governance principles
• Actively and timefully resolve any potential issues or findings related to audit
• Manage and participate in audits as required and maintain compliance within all payroll activities
• Attend meetings and follow through on actions related to payroll activities with external and internal stakeholders
• Managing any service level agreement contract/s for payroll with internal or external parties
• Develop strategic relationships with relevant partners and service providers
• Management of the payroll system and systems related to payroll and/or integration with other systems (Workday, D365, etc.)
• Responsible for reporting and legislative or statutory compliance as related to payroll directly and where applicable the payroll input required for indirect reporting and legislative compliance per the company requirements (BBBEE, COIDA, Employment Equity, Skills Development, Department of Employment and Labour, etc.)
• Staff leadership and management: ensure open communication channels with relevant stakeholders and the payroll team
• Promote a company centric and partnership approach to develop strong relationships with other working groups and ensure adherence to group governance
• Develop, implement and evaluate personal development plans for the payroll team
• Provide KPIs/goals to the payroll team and ensure performance evaluation reviews are conducted
• Maintain a high level of performance by engaging in regular and timeous feedback with the team
• Governance and risk management: ensure legal and statutory compliance with regards to all payroll activities
• Ensure that appropriate governance mechanisms are in place and in line with future requirements, i.e., policies, procedures, and reporting structures
• Develop service level agreements and standard operating procedures for the payroll strategic partnership and service delivery to the business units
• Manage payroll related risks through continuous internal and external monitoring of business impact, as well as changes in stakeholder needs
• Establish and maintain the highest ethical standard in employment practices, including compliance with all statutory requirements in the various operations
• Ensure that the company is compliant with all company initiatives through conducting regular audits and taking corrective action
• Actively participating in company internal and external audits
• Compile, analyse and submit payroll reports as required for business purposes and requirements