Payroll Manager | Johannesburg | Permanent

Lead a high-impact payroll function supporting a workforce of 3,500+ employees across multiple regions and operational structures. This is an opportunity for an experienced payroll professional to take ownership of a complex, high-volume environment where precision, compliance, and leadership are critical.

Our client is seeking a seasoned Payroll Manager to oversee the end-to-end payroll function, ensuring accurate and compliant payroll processing while driving operational excellence across the payroll department. You will manage a well-established payroll team and work closely with Finance, HR, auditors, and external stakeholders to ensure seamless payroll execution and regulatory compliance.

This role requires a hands-on leader with deep expertise in South African payroll legislation, Sage 300 People, bargaining council agreements, and large-scale payroll operations. The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening controls, improving efficiencies, and ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time in a fast-paced operational environment.

The environment is structured, deadline-driven, and continuously evolving, offering the opportunity to influence systems, processes, and payroll best practices at scale.

What You'll Do

• Lead and mentor a payroll team including Supervisors, Senior Administrators, and Payroll Administrators
• Oversee the full payroll cycle for 3,500+ employees across multiple regions and earning structures
• Ensure accurate and timeous payroll processing on Sage 300 People
• Review and validate overtime, commissions, incentives, allowances, deductions, terminations, and payroll adjustments
• Ensure compliance with BCEA, Labour Relations Act, UIF, PAYE, SDL, NBC agreements, and SARS regulations
• Reconcile payroll-related third-party payments including medical aid, pension funds, UIF, garnishees, and loans
• Manage statutory submissions including EMP201, EMP501, IRP5s, and related declarations
• Investigate payroll variances, discrepancies, and escalated employee queries
• Partner with Finance and HR to ensure data integrity and reporting accuracy
• Drive payroll process improvements, controls, and automation initiatives
• Support internal and external audits and maintain payroll governance standards

What You Bring

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Payroll, Finance, HR, or related field
• Payroll Management certification such as SAPA or Sage certification
• 10+ years payroll experience with at least 7 years in a leadership role
• Proven experience managing large-scale payroll environments of 3,500+ employees
• Strong working knowledge of Sage 300 People payroll system
• Advanced understanding of South African payroll legislation and bargaining council requirements
• Strong Excel and reporting capabilities
• Exceptional attention to detail and analytical ability
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work under pressure in a deadline-driven environment

What Success Looks Like

• Accurate and compliant payroll processing across all regions
• Strong payroll governance and audit readiness
• Improved payroll efficiencies and reporting accuracy
• High levels of employee trust and payroll query resolution
• Effective leadership and development of the payroll team
• Strong collaboration between Payroll, HR, and Finance functions