Payroll Accountant & HR Administrator at Boardroom Appointments

An established organisation is seeking an experienced Payroll Accountant & HR Administrator to join its Head Office team.
This is an excellent opportunity for a highly accurate, numerically strong payroll professional who combines hands-on payroll expertise with solid finance/accounting experience and HR administration capabilities.
The successful candidate will play a key role in reviewing monthly payroll, investigating variances, performing payroll-to-General Ledger reconciliations, managing payroll accounting entries and supporting statutory compliance, while also providing comprehensive HR administrative support.


Key Responsibilities
Payroll & Accounting


Review monthly payroll accurately and within required deadlines.
Investigate payroll variances and identify reasons for discrepancies.
Perform first-level payroll checks prior to final management sign-off.
Conduct first reviews of monthly EMP201 returns.
Assist with EMP501 reconciliations and submissions where required.
Reconcile payroll to the General Ledger and investigate discrepancies.
Prepare payroll journals and related accounting entries.
Review and approve payroll journals and cost allocations.
Review and approve employee and third-party payments.
Prepare payroll reports and schedules for management and financial reporting.
Assist with month-end and year-end accounting procedures.
Provide supporting documentation during financial and payroll audits.
Respond to salary-related queries from site management.
Maintain strict confidentiality of payroll, employee and financial information.


HR Administration


Maintain accurate and confidential employee personnel records.
Prepare employment packages, salary adjustment documentation, confirmation letters and other HR documentation.
Assist with employee onboarding and offboarding.
Provide recruitment administration support.
Maintain accurate employee information across HR systems and masterfiles.
Assist with employee benefits, medical aid and provident fund administration where applicable.
Assist with monthly, quarterly and annual HR reporting.
Prepare information for Scorecard audits and annual Employment Equity submissions.
Provide general employee and HR administrative support.
Ensure HR records and processes comply with company policies and applicable legislation.


Payroll & Legislative Compliance


Ensure payroll calculations comply with applicable requirements.
Assist with EMP201 and EMP501 submissions and reconciliations.
Ensure compliance with PAYE, UIF, SDL and SARS payroll requirements.
Apply relevant provisions of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and other applicable employment legislation.
Maintain accurate payroll, HR and statutory records.
Assist with compliance audits and inspections.
Ensure employee information is handled with appropriate confidentiality.


Minimum Requirements


Diploma, Degree or equivalent qualification in Accounting, Finance, Payroll, Human Resources or a related field.
5 - 10 years' experience in Payroll and HR Administration.
Minimum 5 years' Finance/Accounting experience.
Practical, hands-on payroll processing experience.
Strong experience with payroll reconciliations and payroll accounting.
Knowledge of PAYE, UIF, SDL and SARS payroll requirements.
Experience with EMP201 and EMP501 processes.
Good understanding of South African employment legislation.
Knowledge of African employment legislation would be advantageous but is not essential.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
Experience working with payroll and/or accounting software.
Strong numerical and reconciliation capabilities.


Key Skills & Competencies


Payroll processing and review
Payroll-to-General Ledger reconciliations
Payroll journals and accounting entries
PAYE, UIF and SDL
SARS compliance
EMP201 and EMP501
HR administration
Employee records management
Strong Excel capability
Excellent numerical ability
Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
Problem-solving skills
Strong time management
Ability to work under pressure and meet strict payroll deadlines
Professional communication and interpersonal skills
High levels of confidentiality and integrity


The Ideal Candidate


You are a detail-driven payroll professional who understands that payroll is about far more than simply processing salaries. You are comfortable reviewing payroll, interrogating variances, reconciling payroll to the General Ledger, working with journals and statutory submissions, and ensuring that every figure can be accounted for.