Business Analyst: Payroll Software & Product Specialist, Johannesburg

Main Purpose of Role

To enable the business growth strategy by ensuring that the PeopleWare/ Payroll, Time & Attendance, and related products remains relevant, competitive and of high quality.

This role requires a deep understanding of payroll processes, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.

This position works closely with business units to gain in-depth understanding of the business strategy, processes, and services within which the business operates, and to develop and drive the execution of product roadmaps as required. The Product Specialist will identify opportunities for improvement and expansion, and be responsible for any partner relationships, and assisting multi-disciplinary teams as required.

Required Minimum Education / Training

BCom degree, or other relevant qualification

Certification in Business Analysis

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification 

Required Minimum Work Experience

This role requires a deep understanding of payroll processes, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.

Extensive Experience in HR / Payroll / T&A / ESS or related software

Proven track record in payroll and HR management product solutioning, development and delivery

Experienced in the agile development methodologies.

Project management experience and involvement with the Systems development Life Cycle (SDLC) in so far as execution and governance practices are concerned.

A minimum of 5 years' experience in product development, and implementation

Technical and Behavioural Competencies Required

Technical

Extensive domain knowledge of HR, Payroll and T&A

Understanding of tax and related matters as refers to payroll & HR management.

User Experience Design Advantageous

Business process analysis and modelling

Facilitation of Joint Application Design (JAD) workshops

Workflow and data analysis and design

Compilation of business requirements specifications and functional specifications

Conduct client research including facilitation of client focus groups.

Document and visualisation master

Good understanding of relational databases

Good understanding of SaaS

Practical knowledge of project management principles

Excellent communication and presentation skills (verbal and written)

Ability to write and deliver training courses and materials.

Ability to understand and communicate technical documentation.

Competent user of Microsoft Office product suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio

SQL proficiency

Participation in User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Agile Methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban

Experience Using Agile Management Tools, such as JIRA, Confluence and Azure DevOps.

Excellent knowledge of PDLC 

Behavioural

Self-motivated and proactive

Work independently requiring minimal supervision.

Able to delegate & prioritise.

Delivery focused and results driven.

Flexible and cooperative

Ability to learn new software and systems quickly.

Group facilitation skills

Ability to be pro-active with a sense of urgency.

Collaborative - build strategic working relationships and network easily with people.

Able to work in a multi-functional fast paced environment.

Able to adapt to changing market conditions & business requirements.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Detail-oriented with a strong focus on quality.

Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, cross-functional team environment.

Key Performance Areas

PeopleWare Product Suite – Innovation & Maintenance

Develop a comprehensive understanding of our payroll software product, its features, and functionality.

Develop, and execute, a product roadmap based on HR and payroll market trends and business requirements, informed by customer needs supported by best-in-class technology.

Continuous improvement of current offering/s

Identification of additional go-to-market solutions, engagement with partners & build strong relationships.

Stay up to date with industry trends, payroll regulations, and compliance standards relevant to the product. Look for opportunities to enhance the client experience.

Establish mechanisms to keep abreast of international statutory requirements.

Product Management & Analysis

Identify and present innovative and creative product solutions.

Work with business teams to ensure new products are sustainable and scalable.

Definition, monitoring and management of product lifecycle.

Drive requirements from conception through to delivery on time and on budget.

Creating formal business cases and working as a facilitator between the various stakeholders to ensure product policy and processes are negotiated, documented, and executed accurately.

Translating business requirements into functional specifications through consultation and communicating with relevant stakeholders.

Identify the business and operational requirements based upon the business requirements & objectives of each client and that of the organisation.

Assist in the management of all product integration/launches/changes throughout implementation where required.

Display a high level of critical thinking in cross-functional process analysis and problem resolution for new and existing products.

Coordinate and build strong working relations with various internal business units including IT, QA, Sales, Marketing, Product Development, & Operations.

A good understanding of the different levels of testing (functional, system, integration, acceptance, regression etc.)

Ability to assist in the quality assurance, planning, design and execution of test cases and test procedures (including user acceptance testing)

Product Administration

Develop & conduct specialised training on new products launched and provide support for other projects as needed.

Create and maintain documentation, including user guides, FAQs, and training materials, to help customers understand and use payroll features effectively.

Provide training to internal teams, including sales and customer support, to ensure they have a deep understanding of payroll features and can assist customers effectively.

Ensure that all key processes are clearly documented and shared.