Business Analyst - People and Payroll

Overall purpose of the job:

This role provides business analysis capability across the hire-to-retire (employee lifecycle) process landscape within the People and Payroll business space, with specific accountability for the payroll domain.

Advtech manages People and Payroll systems across multiple countries. The role therefore analyses processes that must accommodate differing statutory, tax and regulatory requirements by country, while holding a common group process and data standard wherever that is possible.

The role methodically investigates, analyses and documents business processes and the information used within them, defines requirements for improving any aspect of those processes and systems, and produces viable functional specifications in preparation for system configuration and development. It maintains the documented view of People and Payroll processes, data flows and dependencies within the enterprise architecture tool, and applies the Advtech IT change and communication framework to all analysis artefacts.

The position operates alongside the Senior Business Analyst - People and Payroll, who retains accountability for SAP audit remediation, enterprise architecture modelling and AI use case definition. Both positions report to the Business Application Manager. This position carries the payroll domain and business-as-usual change and enhancement delivery.

Requirement definition and management:

• Investigates and defines requirements for People and Payroll business processes across divisions and brands.
• Elicits, challenges and validates requirements with business process owners, managers and end users.
• Produces business requirement specifications, user requirement specifications and functional specifications.
• Documents data models, interface layouts, data flows, screen and report layouts, wireframes and process flow diagrams.
• Prioritises system changes and initiatives with the brands on the basis of business need, impact and urgency.
• Takes business process requirements and recommends how to flex the technology to enable the process, rather than defaulting to customisation.
• Documents defects and system enhancements and maintains requirement traceability.
• Applies the Advtech IT change and communication framework to all analysis artefacts.

People and Payroll systems analysis, optimisation and support:

• Analyses People and Payroll business processes to determine problems, bottlenecks, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Optimises and implements new and revised data processes within SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and the payroll platforms.
• Maintains People and Payroll data tools, reporting and dashboards. Produces standard monthly, quarterly and annual reporting, and responds to ad hoc data requests.
• Upholds People and Payroll data integrity: audits data, troubleshoots irregularities, maintains the data glossary, and supports master data quality and data governance.
• Provides front-line functional support to end users across incident, problem, release and deployment activity, and handles escalations from business.
• Conducts root cause analysis on recurring issues and routes work to the appropriate delivery teams for permanent resolution.
• Partners with People and Payroll on system upgrades and assesses the impact of the SAP SuccessFactors half-yearly releases.
• Reconciles People and Payroll data between systems, investigates mismatches, and drives correction at source.
• Supports the country-specific configuration and process variations required by the group's multi-country footprint.
• Maintains awareness of the platform roadmap and of technology advances that could automate or modernise People and Payroll processes.

Acceptance testing and quality assurance:

• Prepares test plans and test scripts traceable to documented requirements and reviews them for quality and coverage.
• Undertakes system testing and facilitates and coordinates user acceptance testing with business.
• Logs and manages defects through to closure and classifies defect severity.
• Supports test automation where repeatable regression coverage is warranted, particularly across payroll cycles and SAP release windows.
• Produces release notes and ensures that all testing protocols and SDLC controls are adhered to.
• Confirms operational readiness and handover to support before deployment.

Change management and business readiness:

• Evaluates change requests, assesses feasibility, effort and business impact, and presents recommendations.
• Manages the change control process for People and Payroll applications.
• Plans and delivers business readiness activity: stakeholder communication, user guides, training material and post-implementation support.
• Provides direct support and coaching to managers and supervisors as they take their teams through system transition.
• Maintains evidence logs supporting COBIT controls and applies IT governance practice within business analysis work.

Process documentation and enterprise architecture:

• Documents and maintains People and Payroll business processes, data flows and dependencies within the enterprise architecture tool.
• Reviews processes, conducts process audits as required, and designs new business processes or adjustments to existing ones.
• Keeps procedure documentation current and version-controlled and validates it with subject matter experts.
• Consults to management, in both IT and business, on business procedures and policies.

Stakeholder relations and service reviews:

• Engages People, Payroll, Finance, divisional and brand stakeholders, and third-party vendors and partners.
• Attends brand management meetings and participates in customer service review meetings.
• Provides business with a monthly review of services provided and the status of planned changes and enhancements.
• Influences stakeholders to support business initiatives and manages expectations against agreed service levels.
• Serves as the liaison between business need and technical delivery, including end-user training and facilitation.

Project participation and capacity planning:

• Participates in projects as required, ensuring that milestones and goals are met and that approved budgets are adhered to.
• Provides effort estimation and workload forecasting for business analysis deliverables, and logs deliverables accurately in AIT PMO tooling.
• Works with the Programme Manager to define project plans and timelines, and to ensure adherence to agreed project methodology.
• Escalates issues in a timely manner, suggesting improvements and proposing solutions.

Education (Minimum):

• Bachelor's degree (NQF 7) in Information Systems, Informatics, Computer Science or Information Technology; or a bachelor’s degree (NQF 7) in Accounting, Human Resources or a related commercial field.
• Alternatively, a relevant diploma (NQF 6) supported by a demonstrable track record across the key performance areas set out in this profile.

Experience (minimum experience required):

• 3 to 5 years’ Experience in Business analysis within an IT, shared services or enterprise applications environment
• 3 to 5 years’ Experience in South African payroll processing or payroll systems support
• 3 to 5 years’ Experience in End-to-end delivery across the project lifecycle
• 2 to 3 years’ Experience in People systems or people operations exposure across the employee lifecycle
• 2 to 3 years’ Experience in Analysis and modelling of complex, multi-entity business processes
• 2 to 3 years’ Experience in Writing requirement specifications (BRD, URS, functional specifications) for large enterprise information systems
• 2 to 3 years’ Experience in System testing, including UAT facilitation and defect management
• 1 to 3 years’ Experience Microsoft SQL, Power BI, Power Apps and Azure DevOps