Payroll Lead

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Payroll Management

• Oversee end-to-end payroll processing for the Africa Zone
• Ensuring accuracy, timeliness of payments
• Compliance with all policies, legislation, and SLA requirements.
• Expat Payroll processing

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure adherence to statutory reporting and filing requirements
• Maintain compliance with corporate governance, internal policies and legislation.

Taxation & Year-End Processes

• Manage tax-related payroll activities including year-end tax reconciliations and filings for the Africa Zone.

General Ledger & Finance

• Support general ledger reconciliations related to payroll
• Ensure timely and accurate posting of payroll transactions
• Review and ensure accuracy of recharge invoices to countries within the Africa Zone.

Payroll Calendar & Reporting

• Prepare the payroll calendar for approval and sign off on monthly payroll packs, bonuses, and month-end reports.
• Generate monthly payroll statistics
• Analyze data to inform improvements.

Audit & Regulatory Liaison

• Provide support during internal and external payroll audits
• Liaise with regulatory bodies such as SARS and other relevant stakeholders.

Benefits Management

• Oversee the payroll-related benefits processes
• ensuring seamless integration and accuracy.

Query Resolution

• Investigate and resolve payroll queries, discrepancies, and escalations efficiently
• Evaluation of root causes and implementing solutions.

Process Improvement & Implementation

• Drive automation, standardisation, optimisation and payroll transformation initiatives.

• Develop, maintain, and update SOPs and implement payroll processes and standards to ensure a professional payroll service.

System & Compliance Management

• Manage system changes and statutory compliance updates to maintain alignment with legal and corporate requirements.

People Management and Development

• Lead and manage a team of professionals, fostering a high-performance culture.
• Provide mentorship and development opportunities to team members, ensuring their growth and career advancement.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, providing constructive feedback and recognizing achievements.
• Promote and uphold the company culture, ensuring alignment with our core values and mission.

Key Competencies and Experience

• Promote a service-oriented approach to enhance the employee experience.
• Address stakeholder feedback via NPS and needs effectively.
• Proven experience in payroll management, preferably within a multi-country or Africa Zone context.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, tax regulations, and benefits administration in Africa.
• Experience managing payroll teams and working cross-functionally with finance, HR, and regulatory bodies.
• Excellent organizational, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with payroll systems, financial software, and general ledger processes.
• Ability to operate in a highly complex, multi-country payroll environment

Key Attributes and Competencies

• Stakeholder management, attention to detail, time management, strong organizational and project management, collaboration, problem-solving and presentation skills. Excellent interpersonal, communication and skills, empathy and conflict resolution. People management experience - understanding of people processes like recruitment, IR and payroll beneficial. Passion for talent and early career development. Ownership

Minimum Requirements

• University Degree Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance or similar
• Min 5+ years Payroll Leadership experience
• SAP Payroll experience essential
• Payspace experience essential
• Advanced English
• Intermediate Excel