The Payroll Manager is responsible for the full end-to-end management of payroll operations, ensuring all employees are compensated accurately, timeously, and in full compliance with South African labour and tax legislation. This position requires strong payroll expertise combined with financial acumen, including general ledger reconciliations, reporting, and audit support. The role also involves leading a payroll team and driving the optimisation of payroll processes through technology and automation.
Some travel to client branches may be required from time to time, although it is not an inherent requirement of the role.
 
Payroll Management & Processing

Oversee and manage all payroll operations for 4,000+ employees across multiple entities, ensuring 100% accuracy and timeliness.
Ensure all payroll processes comply with statutory legislation (UIF, PAYE, SDL, BCEA, SARS requirements, industry-specific regulations such as PSIRA / MIBCO, where applicable).
Manage successful onboarding of new companies onto the payroll system, including full legislative registrations.

Compliance, Reporting & Financial Controls

Develop, implement, and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls.
Prepare and submit all statutory submissions, including monthly EMP201, bi-annual SARS submissions, annual Return of Earnings (WCA), and provident fund submissions.
Prepare general ledger (GL) files, journals (ACUMATICA), and payroll-related financial entries.
Conduct payroll variance analysis and ensure accurate salary costs are loaded on Salesforce for approval.
Manage reconciliations: monthly payroll payments, deductions, leave, overtime, benefits, and statutory payments.
Support internal and external audits by compiling reports, providing documentation, and explaining payroll processes.

Operational Excellence

Lead continuous improvement initiatives, including automation and innovative payroll processing enhancements.
Ensure correct setup and maintenance of all payroll components, including:

Rates of pay
RFI linking
Company vehicle and petrol tax
Leave methods and ESS integration
Termination calculations
Accurate linking of employees to clocking systems

Ensure weekly and monthly reports are generated, including payroll expenditure, absence statistics, and leave utilisation.

Stakeholder & Team Management

Provide expert guidance on payroll, benefits, and tax-related matters to employees and management.
Collaborate closely with HR and Finance to ensure data alignment and seamless payroll cycles.
Lead, mentor, and develop the payroll team, fostering a culture of accuracy, accountability, and service excellence.