Payroll Specialist

Job title : Payroll Specialist Job Location : Western Cape, Cape Town Deadline : November 28, 2025 What We’re Looking For : Are you excited to take your payroll expertise to the next level? We’re looking for a detail-oriented, collaborative, and proactive Payroll Specialist to join our People Operations team and help ensure a seamless payroll experience for our employees. In this role, you’ll take ownership of our payroll processing for multiple countries within the EMEA region, while supporting global initiatives, ensuring that every payslip is accurate, on time, and fully compliant. As a Payroll Specialist at Meltwater, you’ll be a trusted partner to our HR, Finance, and external vendor teams, managing data, solving problems, and driving improvements across payroll operations. Your work will directly impact employee confidence and operational excellence. At Meltwater, you'll find an environment that values growth, mentorship, and inclusive leadership. Work alongside experienced professionals and respected leaders, continuously learning and evolving in a dynamic global environment. Join our team and be part of a supportive community that values your contributions and helps you succeed. What You’ll Do : Ensure our employees are paid accurately and on time, while staying fully compliant with local regulations and internal policies. Manage the full payroll cycle for the multiple EMEA countries, including calculating wages, bonuses, statutory deductions, and final payments. Process all payroll transactions across the employee lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding including changes, absences, and adjustments. Review and audit timesheets and payroll data, proactively resolving any discrepancies. Generate and share regular reports for HR, Finance, and external stakeholders, ensuring data accuracy at every step. Maintain up-to-date employee payroll records, including compensation, benefits, and statutory information. Support internal and external audits, and contribute to payroll projects such as M&A integrations and system upgrades. Collaborate with our Finance team on reconciliations and payroll-related accounting queries. Be the go-to contact for employee payroll questions, providing timely, clear, and professional support. Uphold the highest standards of confidentiality and compliance across all payroll activities. Continuously seek out ways to improve processes, enhance accuracy, and ensure operational efficiency. Take on additional tasks and support the People team as needed, we’re a team-first environment. What You’ll Bring : At least 5 years of hands-on payroll experience, with strong expertise in UK payroll and processed payroll in multiple countries across the EMEA region. A solid understanding of payroll best practices, tax regulations, and statutory requirements. Experience working with payroll and HRIS platforms, especially Workday. Neeyamo is a strong advantage. Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, formulas, data manipulation) and comfortable working with large data sets in Microsoft Office. Strong analytical and organisational skills Able to work independently, prioritise effectively, and thrive under tight deadlines. A collaborative mindset, excellent communication, approachable, and a strong team player. Energy, positivity, and professionalism, allowing you to take ownership and bring a proactive spirit to your work. A natural problem-solver who stays calm under pressure and always looks for smarter ways of working. Someone who values trust and integrity so you can handle sensitive data with care and discretion. A thoughtful team player and active listener who can build strong working relationships across teams and time zones. #J-18808-Ljbffr