Job description

The Department:

Each member of the Finance department is carefully picked for their individual financial skills and team fit. Collectively, we possess a variety of abilities, qualifications and years of experience in the industry, accounting and statutory reporting. Given the high volumes of transactions that the team is required to process on a monthly basis, there is great emphasis on good quality data and control account reconciliations.

The financial systems used to record and report on all financial data include Microsoft Dynamics, Cognos TM1, SharePoint, as well as a variety of tools and systems built in-house. The systems are constructed on a scalable enterprise data framework, which is able to handle extreme volumes of multi-currency data from a number of sources.

The Finance department works closely with the Business Intelligence department, who are responsible for processing the raw financial information received from various financial institutions to ensure data integrity. The information passes through to the finance team for processing. Multi-point exception handling ensures that the data is processed quickly, with a continuous drive for the reduction of manual inputs. Automated reconciliations have resulted in reduced query resolution times, as well as improved timing and quality of reporting.

We provide a variety of services to a number of International clients, as well as our South African entities including:

• Top quality statutory and management reporting, substantiated by reconciliations to 3rd party data, in order to ensure accurate and useful information is provided for decision making
• Segment reporting by region to determine profitable and non-profitable regions
• Overview of the impact of marketing to determine its return on investment
• Treasury management
• Payroll administration

Purpose of the Role:

Reporting to the Head of finance, this role is responsible for ensuring complete running of all payroll administration, including the accurate capturing of all payroll related data and the reconciliation of all payroll related payments. This role will also be required to provide support to HR and act as a bridge to ensure that accurate transition of all payroll related information and queries. This role reports to the Head of Finance.

This role is both numbers and people focused and therefore requires the candidate to be highly numerate, well organised, deadline driven and have the ability to lead a team to meet deadlines and improve processes. Attention to detail and accuracy is non-negotiable.

Duties include, but not limited to:

1. Monthly payroll review (SA entities):

1.1  Review the following reports and agree to payment summaries prior to release:

1.1.1.      Summary of payroll changes and agree to support (new employees, staff loans, terminations, medical aid etc)

1.1.2.      Overtime payments

1.1.3.      Net pay calculation on a sample basis

1.1.4.      Medical and group life summaries

1.1.5.      Summary of tax and other regulatory payments

1.1.6.      Overtime schedules and agree to support

1.1.7.      Ensure all fringe benefits taxes are correctly calculated and disclosed.

1.2  Prepare a reconciliation of net pay to net pay.

1.3  Ensure all employees are paid by the 25th of the month.

1.4  Check employee banking details to prior month payroll, and agree any changes to banking details.

1.5  Sign off on SARS verifications.

1. Monthly payroll review (UK entities):

2.1  Review the following reports and agree to payment summaries prior to release:

2.2.1        Summary of payroll changes and agree to support (new employees, staff loans, terminations, medical aid etc)

2.2.2        Overtime payments

2.2.3        Net pay calculation on a sample basis

2.2.4        Medical and group life summaries

2.2.5        Summary of tax and other regulatory payments

2.2.6        Overtime schedules and agree to support.

2.3    Prepare a reconciliation of net pay to net pay.

2.4    Ensure all employees are paid by the required date.

2.5    Check employee banking details to prior month payroll, and agree any changes to banking details.

2.6    Sign off on HMRC submissions.

2.7    Keep up to date with changes in foreign individual tax legislation.

1. Payroll reconciliations (SA entities):

3.1  Review and approve the following reconciliations monthly:

• Salary creditors to general ledger.
• Salary control account (payroll to bank statements).
• IRP5 reconciliation: IRP5 to payroll and general ledger.
• Employee loans to general ledger and ensure compliance to loan agreement and company loan policy.

3.2  Review and preparation of audit schedules for the above mentions accounts.

1. Payroll reconciliations (UK entities):

4.1  Review and approve the following reconciliations monthly:

-Salary creditors to general ledger.

– Salary control account (payroll to bank statements).

– HMRC annual returns to general ledger.

– Employee loans to general ledger and ensure compliance to loan agreement and company loan policy.

4.2  Review and preparation of audit schedules for the above mentions accounts.

1. Payroll and HR payments:

5.1  Review payment uploads to ensure payment is valid, correct and made to the correct account:

• All sundry payments made via payroll or manual cheques and agree to supporting documents. (e.g. garnishes, personal loans, recruitment agencies, and other confidential authorized payments such as sponsored counselling).
• Regulatory payments e.g. SARS, UIF, SDL and agree to payroll and e-filing return.
• HMRC and other international required HR and payroll payments.
• Ensure medical aid and group life payments uploaded onto business online and agree to payroll summary and to Discovery invoice, prior to release of payroll.

1. Monthly payroll reporting:

6.1  Ensure timely completion and review of the following reports:

6.2  Summary of payroll changes.

6.3  Leave balances and abuses.

6.4  Overtime payments.

6.5  Loan payments and balances.

6.6  Bonus payments.

1. Salary structuring and assistance:

7.1  Assist with salary structuring in line with the HR remuneration policy and relevant legislation.

7.2  Ad-hoc assistance with completion of e-filing tax returns.

7.3  Prepare and present payroll information at new starter inductions (including ITA 88 queries).

1. Systems and process management:

8.1  Ensuring that SAGE / WORKDAY is operating effectively for all relevant companies and complies with the relevant legislation in each region.

8.2  Investigate solutions to improve operational efficiencies in the team where required.

8.3  Ensure appropriate processes are in place to ensure that HR and payroll operate efficiently

8.4  Ensure that appropriate payroll processes are in place in order to identify potential problems and escalate when required.

1. Team management:

9.1  Communicate clearly and effectively at all levels, both internally and externally.

9.2  Openly communicate with managers and team members to ensure that all key deliverables are met on time and accurately and any queries are resolved timeously.

9.3  Effectively feed information to required members of the team to ensure all important updates are shared appropriately. 

9.4  Manage others’ expectations appropriately and proactively communicates any potential problems.

9.5  Provide guidance, mentoring and support to all direct reports to ensure that each team is working efficiently and cohesively.

9.6  Daily team management and assistance.

9.7  Provide necessary mentoring (regular team meetings and employee one on one’s) and training.

9.8  Bi-annual setting and KPI setting of objectives with teams.

9.9  Bi-annual appraisals of team members.

1. Ad hoc

10.1 Other ad hoc duties as may be required from time to time.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The job holder may be required to complete any other reasonable duties in order to achieve business objectives.

Requirements

Essential Criteria:

• Relevant qualification or SAGE Academy certification
• Fully functional knowledge and experience on SAGE VIP People Software System
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a payroll manager role
• Minimum 5 year’ Accounting experience
• Knowledge of relevant labour legislation affecting HR administration (Taxation, BCEA, LRA & SDA)
• Knowledge of remuneration practices, compliance and optimal salary structuring
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience with Navision (Microsoft Dynamics)
• Experience in processing payroll in foreign currencies

Person Specifications:

• Management, Motivation & Leadership
• Accountability And Execution
• Aligning Performance For Success
• Adaptability / Flexibility
• Commitment and Effort
• Control And Efficiency
• Decision Making
• Effectiveness & Delivery
• Influence
• Information Monitoring
• Initiating Action
• Problem Solving
• Planning & Organising
• Strategic Vision
• Stress Tolerance
• Team Orientation

Posted on 15 Mar 17:31