Payroll Specialist

Astron Energy (Pty) Ltd.

The Payroll Specialist must independently run payroll end-to-end, act as the payroll SME, advise the business, and resolve complex payroll matters to facilitate monthly payroll processing and the payment of all benefit contributions to service providers. The Payroll Specialist needs to supply all monthly payroll additions, deletions or changes to the payroll provider and ensure that the input has been processed correctly. The responsibility of the Payroll Specialist team is to provide services to all employees and contractors on the South African and Botswana payrolls. Functions include payroll and benefits administration in PaySpace and Workday, HR data maintenance, organisational management (OM), and administration of retirees (Medical aid and group life benefits).

Strategic Implementation

Translate strategy into operational initiatives with measurable business outcomes and targets.
Actively contribute to the continuous improvement, standardisation, simplification and automation of payroll processes.
Identify and recommend enhancements to payroll systems, controls, policies and procedures to improve efficiency, compliance and data quality.
Support organisational projects by assessing payroll implications and ensuring payroll requirements are incorporated into project plans.
Contribute to HR operational excellence initiatives and the development of payroll best practices.
Maintain a robust payroll control environment, including segregation of duties, validation controls, exception reporting and audit compliance.
Support governance frameworks and ensure payroll processes align with legislative, regulatory and internal policy requirements.

Operational Efficiency

End-to-End Payroll Management:

Own and manage the complete monthly payroll cycle for South Africa and Botswana from data validation through to final payroll sign-off.
Manage and execute payroll calendars and ensure all payroll activities are completed within agreed timelines.
Review, validate and reconcile payroll inputs prior to processing.
Prepare payroll sign-off documentation and obtain the necessary approvals prior to payroll release.
Verify payroll results, including salaries, wages, overtime, allowances, deductions, taxes and net pay calculations.
Manage off-cycle payrolls, ad hoc payments, payroll adjustments and payroll corrections.
Ensure payroll accuracy and timely salary payments to all employees.
Process all employee life-cycle transactions, including:

New appointments
Transfers
Promotions
Terminations
Salary changes
Organisational changes
Cost centre changes

Process employee benefit and allowance changes in accordance with company policy.
Review payroll exceptions and anomalies and implement corrective actions where necessary.

Payroll Reconciliations and Financial Controls:

Perform comprehensive monthly payroll reconciliations and validations.
Ensure payroll results reconcile accurately and support Finance with payroll accounting and month-end reporting requirements.
Reconcile and validate:

PAYE
UIF
SDL
Retirement fund contributions
Medical aid contributions
Garnishee orders
Third-party deductions

Investigate and resolve payroll variances and balancing issues.
Manage payroll accounts and ensure accurate allocation and reporting of payroll costs.
Support workforce planning, budgeting and forecasting activities relating to payroll expenditure.
Identify, assess and mitigate payroll-related financial and operational risks.
Maintain complete, accurate and audit-ready payroll records and supporting documentation.
Benefits Administration and Third-Party Payments:

Manage the accurate and timely payment of employee and employer benefit contributions to all service providers.
Prepare payroll component reconciliations and payment schedules for approval and payment processing.
Administer and reconcile:

Retirement funds
Medical schemes
Group life and risk benefits
Union subscriptions
Bargaining council levies
Pension-backed loans
Garnishee orders
Other approved deductions

Generate and distribute monthly contribution schedules to service providers.
Perform monthly billing and payroll reconciliations to ensure alignment between payroll and service provider records.
Ensure employee benefit records are maintained accurately and updated timeously.

Statutory Compliance and Tax Administration:

Ensure payroll compliance with all applicable legislation, regulations and company policies.
Manage payroll-related statutory obligations in South Africa and Botswana.
Administer tax directives and support tax-related payroll activities.
Coordinate payroll year-end processes, including tax reconciliations and legislative reporting requirements.
Support the preparation and submission of EMP501 reconciliations and IRP5 certificates.
Monitor legislative changes and assess their impact on payroll processes, systems and policies.
Advise HR and business leaders on payroll taxation and compliance-related matters.
Support internal and external audit activities and ensure prompt resolution of audit findings.

Payroll Query Resolution and Employee Support:

Act as the escalation point for complex and sensitive payroll matters.
Investigate and resolve advanced payroll queries relating to remuneration, benefits, taxation, deductions and payroll calculations.
Conduct root cause analysis of payroll issues and implement preventative measures to reduce recurrence.
Resolve escalated employee, management and HR payroll concerns within agreed service levels.
Support employees, managers and HR teams through the interpretation and application of payroll-related policies and procedures.
Deliver payroll education and awareness sessions where required.
Monitor payroll service delivery standards and continuously improve the employee experience.

Payroll Systems Governance:

Ensure data integrity and alignment between Workday, PaySpace and related payroll systems.
Perform payroll system configuration validations and control reviews.
Lead payroll user acceptance testing (UAT) for system changes, upgrades and enhancements.
Support implementation of payroll system improvements and automation initiatives.
Maintain payroll process documentation, standard operating procedures and process maps.
Ensure appropriate payroll system controls and access governance requirements are maintained.

Annual and Periodic Payroll Activities:

Implement annual salary increases and remuneration adjustments.
Process bonus, incentive and ad hoc payments.
Coordinate annual benefit renewals and contribution updates.
Implement collective bargaining and union-related remuneration changes.
Complete annual payroll compliance and tax activities.
Support annual payroll audits and statutory reporting submissions.
Participate in public and statutory reporting requirements and surveys where applicable.

People Management

Ensure LPS objectives are completed in a timely manner.
Build strong collaborative relationships across HR, Finance and business teams.
Coach and support HR Operations Advisors on payroll processes and practices.
Share payroll knowledge and provide training to managers and employees where required.
Contribute positively to a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Financial Management

Ensure accuracy of payroll outputs and benefit contribution payments.
Timely payment of benefits, to not expose Astron Energy to claims due to suspension of membership and therefore non-coverage.
Business planning and budgeting support of payroll costs for the organisation.
Verification of net pay, taxation, deductions, and third-party payments.
Payroll reconciliation, Payroll account balancing.
Identification and mitigation of payroll risks (Payroll risk management).
Maintain a robust payroll control environment, including segregation of duties, audit controls, exception reporting, validation controls and compliance reviews.
Monitoring legislative changes and assessing payroll impacts.
Tax and Statutory Compliance:

Payroll legislative compliance.
Compliance with SARS requirements.
Compliance with Botswana statutory payroll requirements.
IRP5 and EMP501 submissions support.

Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Compliance

Ensure compliance with all Safety, Health, Environmental and all other applicable regulatory statutes, and all other safety and quality processes for the area of responsibility/work.

Key Success Measures

Payroll accuracy maintained at agreed target levels. Payroll accuracy >99.8%.
100% on-time payroll processing. Payroll processed within agreed deadlines.
100% on-time statutory submissions. Statutory submissions completed within legislative deadlines.
100% on-time third-party benefit payments.
Query resolution within agreed SLA.
Zero material payroll audit findings.
Zero compliance penalties.
Successful annual tax year-end completion.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

Identify, build, and nurture trust and collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Act as the trusted payroll subject matter expert and advisor to HR, Finance, leadership and employees on payroll, taxation, remuneration administration, benefits, statutory compliance and payroll governance matters.
Provide guidance on payroll implications of organisational changes.
Interpret payroll legislation and policy. Assess payroll impacts of policy changes.
Provide recommendations on payroll governance and risk management.
Management of service level agreements with payroll service providers.
Escalation management with vendors.
Support for remuneration and workforce planning discussions

Professional Qualification and Certifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business Administration or similar.
Postgraduate degree / Advanced program advantageous.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5+ years’ experience, with specific experience required in reward/ payroll management and / or Administration/ Benefits Management and / or Finance
Experience working in a similar role in a complex unionized environment advantageous.

Knowledge and skills

Proven competency in Employment Equity Reporting, analysis & consultation processes
Strong knowledge of Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Labour Relations Act, Protection of Personal Information Act, and other relevant legislation.
Excellent knowledge or hands on experience of accounting, employee tax, HR information, IT, and payroll services/systems/applications.
Sound understanding of relevant HR policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
Strong analytical, business acumen, and computer literacy skills. Extraction and analysis of payroll data is critical to enable payroll query resolution, accuracy and exact benefit contribution payments which balance with the payroll results posted to the Finance General ledgers. Skilled in payroll calculations, reporting, and audit processes.
Experience in the resolution of payroll accounts by resolving payroll discrepancies, experience in managing third party service providers, budgeting and accounting experience relating to payroll and staffing.
Excellent Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
Sufficient experience in managing accurate and timely processing of payroll updates including new employee engagements, terminations, and changes to pay rates, shift pattern changes, and department or divisional transfers.
Understands the requirements for reports by compiling summaries of earnings, taxes, deductions, leave, disability, and non-taxable wages or salaries.
Knowledge in approvals and governance steps before payroll payments.
Knowledge of payroll taxation is crucial.
Ability to work independently, manage pressure, and drive results in a dynamic environment.

Application deadline

02 August 2026