Payroll Administrator

SUMMARY:
Experienced Payroll Administrator with international payroll and Payspace experience

POSITION INFO:

PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR – FOREIGN & EXPAT

Woodmead, Johannesburg

DRA Global is seeking an experienced Payroll Administrator specialising in Foreign and Expat payroll to join our team in Woodmead.

About the Role

This is a broad, hands-on position managing local, international and expatriate payrolls across multiple jurisdictions. The role offers the opportunity to take full ownership of the complete payroll cycle, resolve complex payroll matters, and work across payroll processing, accounting, compliance and reconciliation.

Reporting to the Payroll Lead, you will manage assigned payrolls from start to finish, ensuring employees are paid accurately, payroll requirements are met, and discrepancies identified and resolved prior to finalisation.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable handling the full payroll cycle and undertaking a wide range of payroll activities rather than focusing on a single aspect. You will be confident working with numbers, analysing payroll data, identifying anomalies and tracing errors to their source.

Strong international and expatriate payroll experience is essential, along with practical expertise in using PaySpace. You will collaborate closely with HR, Finance, employees, tax advisers and external payroll providers to deliver accurate, compliant and timely payrolls.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage assigned local, international and expatriate payrolls from start to finish.
• Administer payrolls across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring compliance with relevant payroll regulations, statutory requirements and tax obligations.
• Coordinate split payroll arrangements across home and host countries, including payroll inputs, payments, deductions, allowances and currency considerations.
• Gather and validate timesheets, leave records, remuneration changes, allowances, deductions and other payroll inputs.
• Process regular, off-cycle and termination payrolls accurately and within agreed deadlines.
• Review payroll changes, increases, bonuses, back pay, allowances and deductions for accuracy and proper authorisation.
• Apply appropriate payroll treatment to expatriate remuneration, allowances, benefits, reimbursements and deductions.
• Prepare and review payroll reports, variance analyses, audit reports, payment files and supporting schedules.
• Perform payroll reconciliations and variance checks, investigating and resolving discrepancies prior to payroll finalisation.
• Analyse payroll data to identify incorrect or unusual results, trace errors to their source and implement accurate corrections.
• Prepare payroll journals and reconcile payroll-related general ledger accounts, control accounts and statutory deductions.
• Maintain accurate payroll records relating to remuneration, benefits, leave, deductions and employment status.
• Calculate termination payments, leave payouts, back pay and other final remuneration sums.
• Ensure statutory deductions, payments, submissions, payslips and annual tax certificates are processed accurately and punctually.
• Liaise with HR regarding appointments, employee movements, terminations, remuneration changes, leave and benefits.
• Support internal and external payroll audits by providing reports, reconciliations, supporting documentation and explanations.

About You

You are a highly numerate and detail-oriented payroll professional who takes broad ownership of the entire payroll process. You do not merely process information; you question results that appear unusual, investigate discrepancies and follow issues through to resolution.

Essential qualifications and experience:

• A qualification in Accounting, Finance or a related discipline.
• Minimum of five years’ experience managing end-to-end payroll processing and preparing payroll runs.
• At least five years’ experience administering international and expatriate payrolls across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong, hands-on PaySpace experience gained over a minimum of five years.
• At least five years’ South African payroll administration experience, with sound knowledge of relevant legislation and statutory requirements.
• Broad exposure across the payroll cycle, including payroll inputs, processing, accounting, journals, reconciliations and month-end activities.
• Experience working closely with HR, applying employee information, HR processes and company policies to payroll administration.
• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong numerical, analytical and payroll fault-finding abilities.

Desirable: Experience with split payroll arrangements, cross-border payroll administration or Sage X3 ERP would be advantageous.

You will thrive in this role if you enjoy taking ownership, working through complex payroll matters and maintaining a high level of accuracy in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Discretion, integrity and confidentiality are paramount when handling sensitive employee and remuneration information.

If you are seeking a broad payroll position where your international payroll knowledge, PaySpace experience and problem-solving skills will be valued, we would be delighted to hear from you.