Payroll Administrator

Red Ember Recruitment is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Payroll Administrator on behalf of our client based in the Johannesburg Metropolitan area. The successful candidate will support accurate, compliant, and timeous payroll administration across approximately 720 employees operating within multiple entities. The environment includes a large shift-worker payroll component with payroll inputs captured from manual timesheets. The role requires a highly organised payroll professional with strong payroll processing experience, excellent attention to detail, sound knowledge of South African payroll legislation, and the ability to work within strict payroll deadlines. The Payroll Administrator will provide day-to-day payroll administration support, assist with payroll processing activities, employee payroll queries, benefits administration, reconciliations, compliance requirements, and payroll reporting. Payroll Administration & Processing: Assist with end-to-end payroll administration across multiple payroll entities and payroll cycles. Process payroll batches on Sage 300 People accurately and within payroll deadlines. Capture, load, validate, and reconcile payroll inputs including earnings, deductions, overtime, shift allowances, leave transactions, ad-hoc payments, and employee benefits. Ensure payroll supporting documentation is complete and properly authorised. Maintain payroll checklists, payroll controls, and payroll cut-off schedules. Assist with payroll balancing and payroll reconciliations prior to payroll finalisation. Ensure payroll accuracy and minimise payroll corrections after payroll processing. Time & Attendance / Manual Timesheet Capturing: Capture payroll information from manual timesheets accurately and timeously. Validate shift rosters, overtime, Sunday work, public holiday work, standby hours, and night shift information. Verify approvals and follow up on missing, late, incomplete, or inconsistent payroll submissions. Ensure payroll calculations align with company payroll rules and overtime agreements. Apply payroll rates and premium pay calculations correctly for shift workers. Support improved payroll controls around manual timesheet processing and payroll accuracy. Payroll Compliance & Statutory Administration: Maintain strong working knowledge of South African payroll legislation and statutory deductions. Ensure correct payroll processing relating to PAYE, UIF, SDL, tax directives, and taxable/non-taxable earnings. Maintain accurate employee payroll records and payroll master data. Support payroll audits and payroll compliance requirements. Assist with payroll reconciliations and statutory payroll reporting. Prepare payroll documentation and schedules required for internal and external audit purposes. Ensure payroll documentation is filed and maintained accurately for audit and compliance purposes. Benefits Administration: Administer employee medical aid and retirement fund changes including onboarding, terminations, membership updates, salary changes, and deduction amendments. Ensure payroll deductions reconcile with provider schedules. Liaise with benefit providers regarding employee membership updates and payroll-related queries. Manage provident fund claim administration and related payroll support activities. Resolve employee benefit queries accurately and professionally. Maintain complete and accurate employee benefits documentation and records. Employee & Stakeholder Support: Serve as the first point of contact for employee payroll queries. Assist employees with payslip queries, payroll deductions, leave-related payroll queries, benefits-related queries, and general payroll assistance. Communicate professionally with HR, Finance, management, and employees regarding payroll matters. Maintain confidentiality when handling payroll and employee information. Provide professional and efficient payroll support to internal stakeholders. Payroll Controls, Reporting & Continuous Improvement: Maintain accurate payroll audit trails and payroll records. Ensure all payroll changes and approvals are properly documented and authorised. Maintain both digital and physical payroll filing systems where required. Support internal and external payroll audit requests. Assist with payroll process improvements and payroll administration efficiencies. Contribute towards improved payroll controls and payroll accuracy within the payroll department. Requirements Minimum Requirements: Matric / Grade 12 is essential. Minimum 5 years’ payroll administration experience within a medium-to-large payroll environment. Proven experience working with: Shift-worker payroll Manual timesheet capturing Multiple payroll cycles Payroll reconciliations Strong working knowledge of South African payroll legislation. Experience with statutory payroll deductions including PAYE, UIF, and SDL. Experience with employee benefits administration and claims support. Experience processing payroll on Sage 300 People is strongly preferred. Strong Microsoft Excel skills including: VLOOKUPs Pivot tables Payroll reconciliations Payroll checking Strong numerical accuracy and payroll attention to detail. Preferred / Advantageous: Payroll qualification or payroll certification. Experience supporting payroll across multiple entities and cost centres. Additional payroll or HR administration training would be advantageous. Key Skills & Competencies High attention to detail Strong payroll administration skills Strong numerical accuracy Deadline-driven Ability to work under pressure Organised and process-driven Strong communication skills Professional interpersonal skills Confidentiality and integrity Problem-solving ability Time management Strong administrative skills Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously Service-oriented mindset