Payroll Manager | Centurion

Description

• As our Payroll Manager, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that every employee's payroll experience is accurate, compliant and seamless. This position is responsible for leading and managing the end-to-end payroll function, ensuring employees are paid correctly and timeously while maintaining the highest standards of governance, control and legislative compliance.
• Working closely with stakeholders across People, Finance and Remuneration and Benefits, you will create confidence in payroll processes, drive continuous improvement and ensure payroll information supports informed business decision-making. Beyond managing processes and systems, you will lead a team that delivers a trusted and reliable service, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and excellence. Through your leadership, you will help create a people-centred environment where employees feel valued and supported, while enabling the organisation to maintain effective and sustainable payroll practices.

Requirements

Qualification Requirements

• To be successful in this role, you will hold a relevant NQF Level 6 qualification, such as a Diploma or equivalent in Payroll, Finance, Accounting or a related field. A recognised payroll qualification or professional designation, such as a SAPA Certified Payroll Practitioner certification, will be advantageous and will demonstrate your commitment to ongoing professional development within the payroll profession.
• You will bring a strong foundation of payroll and financial knowledge, coupled with a passion for delivering service excellence and upholding professional standards in a complex and evolving environment.
• You have built a successful career within payroll, supported by a minimum of seven years of relevant experience, including at least three years in a leadership or management role. Your experience has enabled you to develop a comprehensive understanding of managing end-to-end payroll operations within a large and complex organisation, where accuracy, confidentiality and compliance are essential.
• You have extensive experience working with Sage 300 People and are confident in managing payroll processing, reconciliations, statutory submissions, reporting, employee benefits administration and payroll governance. Your background includes collaborating with diverse stakeholders, supporting audit processes and leading payroll teams through periods of change and continuous improvement.
• Most importantly, you have demonstrated the ability to build capable and engaged teams, creating an environment where people are empowered to perform at their best while delivering a dependable payroll service that employees and leaders can trust.

Skills Requirements

• As an experienced payroll professional, you possess a strong understanding of South African payroll legislation, employee taxation and statutory requirements, supported by sound knowledge of payroll accounting principles and financial controls. You are highly proficient in Sage 300 People and understand the importance of system integrity, governance and accurate reporting.
• You are naturally analytical and enjoy solving complex problems, identifying root causes and implementing practical solutions that strengthen processes and improve outcomes. Your attention to detail is matched by your ability to maintain a broader strategic perspective, ensuring payroll operations remain efficient, compliant and aligned with organisational requirements.
• You are an organised and proactive leader who thrives in an environment where careful planning and sound judgement are essential. Through clear communication and strong stakeholder engagement, you build trusted relationships across the business and work collaboratively to resolve challenges and enhance service delivery.
• Your leadership style is grounded in integrity, accountability and respect for others. You create clarity, empower team members to take ownership of their work and support their growth through coaching, knowledge sharing and continuous learning. You understand the importance of developing capability for the future while maintaining the confidentiality and professionalism expected when handling sensitive employee and organisational information.

Role Impact

• In this role, your impact will extend far beyond payroll processing. You will help create a reliable and trusted payroll experience that supports employee confidence and organisational stability. By maintaining effective governance, controls and compliance, you will safeguard the integrity of payroll operations and contribute to sound business practices across the organisation.
• Your leadership will shape a high-performing payroll team that is empowered, engaged and committed to delivering service excellence. Through continuous improvement and the effective use of systems and technology, you will identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, strengthen controls and improve the overall employee experience.
• You will play an important role in supporting leaders and stakeholders with accurate payroll information and insights, enabling informed decision-making and organisational planning. By developing team capability, fostering accountability and encouraging a culture of learning and growth, you will contribute to building a sustainable payroll function that supports both current and future organisational needs.
• This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution by combining technical payroll expertise with people-focused leadership, ensuring the payroll function remains a trusted partner in supporting our employees and organisational success.