Job Purpose

1. The Senior Manager: Payroll is to oversee and manage payroll operations and multiple entities within the group. This includes ensuring accurate and timely processing of payroll, compliance with relevant regulations, tax compliance, implementing payroll policies and collaborating with other internal departments. In addition, be responsible for staying updated on payroll laws and industry trends to optimize on payroll systems and contribute to overall organizational efficiency. The role involves resolving payroll discrepancies, implementing payroll system enhancements, and providing strategic input on payroll related decisions. Effective communication, leadership skills, and a strong understanding of payroll regulations are essential.

Responsibilities

Financial Management and Contol

• Manage a significant portion of the organisation’s financial management and/or control processes. Fully responsible for the payroll accounting function across all entities. Ensure payroll compliance against company policies and statutory requirements. Maintain timely regulatory reporting on payroll related submissions including ROE submission and Equity reporting. Support divisional departments with payroll related statutory reporting. Stay updated on tax regulations and labour laws to ensure accurate and compliant payroll adherence to. Submission of Year-end tax ; Bi-Annual tax . Coordinate and manage the process of accurate deductions and compliance with policies for all categories of employee benefits within group. Accountability for releasing payroll related payments using Nedbank business by reviewing for accuracy and ensuring timeous actioning.

Payroll Audit Compliance

• Lead the planning and execution of audit activities across the national organisation, ensuring that the level of audit intervention is commensurate with business risk and that key areas of risk are prioritised. Identify organisation-wide issues, proposing appropriate business process or system improvements. Ensure that relevant governance committees are informed of significant issues and the actions being taken to resolve these. This includes contributing to the development and implementation of risk management policies and procedures. Maintain detailed audit trails to track changes in payroll data, ensuring transparency and accountability. Responsible for internal & External payroll Audits. Support with payroll related business audits.

Budgeting

• Manage budget plans for a department; involves development and delivery. Govern payroll expenses from operations, considering salary structures, benefits any variable components that align with the budget, identifying any discrepancies.

Payroll Data Management and Governance

• Specify and lead the implementation of data requirements for the Payroll function to meet the organisation’s management information needs and to support key processes and procedures, ensuring integration with broader corporate management information systems. Implement strong internal controls to safeguard against errors and fraud in payroll processing and align to external audit walk-through.

Operational Compliance

• Ensure that payroll input complies with company policy and legislation. Ensure the payroll system is administered correctly, is up to date on a daily basis to ensure compliance with legislation and Company policies and procedures. To ensure the payroll systems is functioning effectively. Draft, maintain and implement payroll policies and procedures ensuring consistency and compliance in the business. Resolve any audit risks identified by internal and/or external audits on an annual basis.

Leadership and Direction

• Identify and communicate the actions needed to implement the function’s strategy and business plan within the business area or department; explain the relationship to the broader organisation’s mission, vision and values; motivate people to commit to these and to doing extraordinary things to achieve local business goals.

Insights and Reporting

• Set and lead execution of the data and analytics reporting plan, creating strategies and templates to report data in a meaningful way. Create, present, and communicate high-impact data and analytics insights and recommendations to critical internal and external stakeholders. Generate financial reports related to payroll, offering insights into expenditure patterns and potential areas of improvement. Fully responsible in overseeing the Payroll Accounting function for all legal entities within group.

Performance Management

• Manage and report on the performance of a substantial, diverse team; set appropriate performance objectives for direct reports or project / account team members and hold them accountable for achieving these; take appropriate corrective action where necessary to ensure the achievement of team / personal objectives. Manage and lead the payroll team, providing guidance on tasks, analysing, reconciliation and reporting.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify and manage stakeholders up to top management level, finding out their needs/issues/concerns and reacting to these by leading and coordinating the development of stakeholder engagement plans to support the communication of business information and decisions. Regular communication with all internal departments ie: HR, Exco, Finance, operations, to ensure payroll processes align with company policies and meet their needs. Address concerns and keep stakeholders informed.

Continuous Improvement

• Review existing operations in Payroll and implement innovation processes to generate new ideas and ensure the required continuous improvement outcomes are delivered. Identify shortcomings in existing business practices, then suggest and implement improvements while developing and delivering quality projects or a work stream within the organisation’s change management program. Utilise payroll software ie: Sage People 300 to automate processes, reducing manual errors and improving efficiency.

Building Capability and Business Advice

• Implement formal development frameworks for a substantial department. Provide others throughout the organisation with informal coaching and mentoring. Provide specialist advice on the interpretation and application of policies and procedures, resolving complex or contentious queries and issues and enabling others to take appropriate actions. Provide ongoing training to the payroll team and keep them updated on regulations, compliance needs and best practices.

Personal Capability Building

• Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team. Maintain external accreditations and indepth understanding of current and emerging external regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.

Risk Management

• Ensure the organisation is not exposed to undue risks by using risk management systems to achieve specific goals within a designated area of the business. Develop and/or deliver a contingency plan for significant aspects of the risk management and/or control process.

Education

• Grade 12/ SAQA Accredited Equivalent (Essential); Payroll/Finance related qualification (diploma/certificate) (Essential); Relevant diploma or degree in Payroll/Tax/Finance or HR (Advantageous); SAIT affiliation (Essential)

Experience

• 10 or more years’ Payroll experience (Essential); 5 or more years’ payroll system experience (Essential). Managerial Experience: 5 – 10 years’ experience of planning and managing resources to deliver predetermined objectives (Essential)