Johannesburg: Financial Manager – Payroll posted by Edgexec (Pty) Ltd

Financial Manager Payroll | Johannesburg | Permanent

Lead one of the most complex payroll environments in the country. This is an opportunity to take ownership of a large-scale payroll function where technical expertise, governance, and leadership are critical to business success.

A leading national organisation is seeking a seasoned Financial Manager Payroll to oversee the full payroll finance function across a large, multi-site workforce. Reporting to the CFO and managing a sizeable payroll team, this role carries responsibility for payroll governance, statutory compliance, systems integrity, audit readiness, and payroll reporting. The successful candidate will serve as the organisations authority on payroll legislation, employee tax, retirement funds, medical aid governance, and payroll-related regulatory matters.

This position requires a highly experienced payroll professional with deep expertise in South African payroll legislation, SARS compliance, ETI, labour regulations, retirement funds, medical aid structures, and payroll systems management. A strong leadership capability is essential, as the role oversees a large team and drives continuous improvement across payroll operations.

Our client is a well-established organisation operating across multiple regions with a large workforce and complex payroll requirements. They are recognised for their operational scale, strong governance standards, and commitment to compliance and excellence.

What Youll Do

Lead the end-to-end payroll function across all payroll cycles
Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, controls, and governance standards
Manage payroll reconciliations, validations, reporting, and exception handling
Oversee SARS submissions, employee tax compliance, ETI administration, and statutory reporting
Act as the primary liaison with regulatory authorities and statutory bodies
Manage retirement fund and medical aid payroll integration and compliance
Provide strategic ownership of SAGE 300 People and payroll system integrity
Lead payroll audits, risk management, and corrective action initiatives
Drive payroll process optimisation, automation, and reporting enhancements
Develop and mentor payroll, finance, and time-and-attendance teams

What You Bring

Relevant qualification in Finance, Accounting, Payroll, or a related discipline
Minimum 810 years of payroll experience with at least 35 years in senior management
Payroll Practitioner accreditation or equivalent payroll professional standing
Advanced expertise in SAGE 300 People
Strong knowledge of BCEA, EEA, ETI, labour legislation, bargaining council agreements, and SARS regulations
Proven experience managing complex payroll environments with multiple regulatory requirements
Expertise in retirement funds, medical aid governance, and payroll compliance frameworks
Experience with payroll audits, system migrations, and time-and-attendance systems
Strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and problem-solving abilities

What Success Looks Like

Accurate and timely payroll processing across the organisation
Strong compliance outcomes with minimal audit findings or statutory penalties
Effective governance across payroll, benefits, and statutory reporting processes
Stable and optimised payroll and time-and-attendance systems
Enhanced reporting capability and payroll operational efficiency
Strong succession planning and institutional knowledge retention within the payroll function