National Payroll & HR Manager

Are you an experienced HR and Payroll professional with a passion for people leadership, payroll governance, and operational excellence? Do you thrive in fast-paced, multi-site environments where accuracy, compliance, and service delivery are critical?

A leading national organisation within the FMCG and distribution sector is seeking a National HR & Payroll Manager to lead and oversee its HR administration and payroll operations across multiple regions and Distribution Centres nationwide.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring the effective management of payroll, HR administration, employee lifecycle processes, compliance, reporting, and national HR team performance. The successful candidate will play a critical role in maintaining payroll accuracy, strengthening governance controls, developing HR teams, and driving continuous process improvement across the business.

Key Requirements: Payroll Management & Governance

• Manage the end-to-end monthly and bi-weekly payroll process. • Review and approve payroll inputs, reconciliations, and submissions. • Resolve payroll queries, variances, and processing issues. • Maintain payroll controls, records, and compliance standards. Distribution Centre Payroll Oversight

• Review and validate payroll submissions from all Distribution Centres. • Verify hours worked, payroll adjustments, and employee changes. • Investigate payroll exceptions and ensure accurate processing of terminations. Overtime Management

• Review and approve overtime submissions. • Ensure compliance with company policies and labour requirements. • Monitor overtime trends and escalate concerns where necessary. HR Administration & Employee Lifecycle

• Oversee employee onboarding, transfers, promotions, and terminations. • Manage employee benefits, leave, and HR records. • Provide support and guidance on HR policies, procedures, and employee queries. National HR Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop HR and payroll teams nationally. • Manage performance, workloads, and service delivery standards. • Act as the escalation point for complex HR and payroll matters. Recruitment & Talent Support

• Manage recruitment processes from sourcing to onboarding. • Conduct interviews, screening, and reference checks. • Support learnership, internship, and succession planning initiatives. Compliance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure compliance with labour legislation, company policies, and payroll governance requirements.
• Produce and analyse HR and payroll reports.
• Support audits and drive continuous process improvements across the function.

Job Experience and Skills Required: Degree in Human Resources, Payroll, Finance, Business Administration , or a related field. 3 - 5 years' relevant experience within HR and Payroll management. Proven experience leading HR and Payroll teams within a multi-site, distribution, FMCG, logistics, retail, or operational environment . Demonstrated experience managing both monthly and bi-weekly payroll processes. Strong understanding of payroll controls, governance, reconciliation, and compliance requirements. Advanced Excel skills Experience working with payroll systems, ESS platforms, and time-and-attendance systems. Sound knowledge of South African labour legislation and HR best practices. Strong administrative, organisational, and problem-solving skills. Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Apply now!

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If you have not had any response in two weeks, please consider the vacancy application unsuccessful. Your profile will be kept on our database for any other suitable roles / positions.

For more information, contact: Juanette Lotter Executive Consultant