Payroll Manager

KEY PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION

The Payroll Manager will be responsible for the end-to-end management of our company's payroll, ensuring all employees are compensated accurately and on time while maintaining strict compliance with all local labour and tax legislation. This role requires a strong intersection of payroll expertise and financial acumen, including general ledger reconciliations, reporting, and supporting internal and external financial audits.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage all payroll operations for over 4000 employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Develop, implement, and maintain robust payroll policies and procedures to ensure compliance with internal controls and all relevant legal and tax obligations (e.g., SARS, UIF, SDL, BCEA, PSIRA or MIBCO regulations in South Africa).
• Collaborate closely with the Finance and HR departments to ensure seamless data flow, alignment of pay cycles with accounting calendars, and accurate employee data across systems.
• Prepare and process payroll-related financial entries, general ledger (GL) files, and conduct comprehensive variance analyses.
• Manage and reconcile payroll discrepancies, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions to prevent future errors.
• Prepare and submit all necessary tax filings on time / Bi-annual SARS submissions
• Support internal and external audits by providing documentation and detailed explanations of payroll processes and records.
• Address complex employee inquiries regarding payroll, benefits, and tax matters, providing excellent customer service.
• Lead, mentor, and coach a team of payroll specialists, fostering a culture of accuracy and efficiency.
• Monthly EMP 201, Annual WCA return of earnings, loading new employees, Correct rates of pay are applied, Provident funds and RFI linking, Correct company vehicles and petrol tax, Correct leave methods linked, and relevant employees linked to ESS
• Correct termination payments, Monthly payment recons to payroll, Monthly payroll deduction recons to actual payments and Bank payments loaded.

• Salary costs loaded on Salesforce for approval prior to payments, linking of employees to the clocking system, Journals posted on ACUMATICA and updates on earning lines and methods of calculation are done.

• Successful addition and set up of new companies on the payroll system, successful registration of new companies for all legislative requirements.

• Statistical reports to HR and Government (UIF etc.), Weekly & monthly payroll expenditure, leave, absence statistics and ensure ESS is used by management for leave records.

• Technology savvy (i.e. automation and AI exposure) and innovative payroll processes.

Role Overview:

Manage the activities of the payroll department to ensure accurate and timeous payment of salaries and wages.

Ensure that all legal and legislative requirements relating to payroll are adhered to.

• Location: Sandton
• Staff Size: +4000 | +40 client companies
• Start Date: January 2026
• Working hours: Mon-Fri. Work from the office (no hybrid), flexible working hours e.g., 7am – 4pm or 9am – 6pm as long as 9 hours per day is achieved. Fridays till 4pm.
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Salary Range: TBC | medical aid | provident fund | petrol reimbursement
• Reporting to: HR Director

Reportees: Payroll Supervisor | Clocking and Payroll Administrators | 9+ direct reports

Systems used:

• Sage 300
• Acumatica
• Salesforce
• ERS Biometrics
• ESS
• WCA/RMA online
• Online banking systems

• Microsoft (all suites) - Advanced

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in end-to-end payroll processing, with being in a supervisory or management role.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting standards as they relate to payroll.
• In-depth knowledge of current payroll procedures, related laws, and tax regulations.
• Proficiency with payroll software (Sage 300) and advanced Microsoft Excel skills (formulas, pivot tables, reconciliation).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and mathematical skills with a high attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict, non-negotiable deadlines under pressure.