HR & Payroll Data Administrator

If you believe that clean data is quietly heroic, that a well-governed Time & Attendance system is a thing of beauty, and that “close enough” has no business anywhere near a payroll run, you may have just found your next move.

The Role (or the keeper of order in a world of messy data)

As our Time & Attendance / HR & Payroll Data Administrator, you’ll administer and control our Time & Attendance processes and keep our HR and Payroll data in Sage People 300 accurate, consistent, and audit-ready — across both the Payroll module and the HR/employee-data side.

You’ll provide basic Payroll support, take genuine ownership of data governance and quality, and hunt down data issues before they become someone else’s problem. And where time allows, you’ll turn all that lovely, well-behaved data into analytics and reporting that help the business make smarter workforce and payroll decisions.

What you’ll be doing (besides being brilliant)

Time & Attendance Administration & Control

• Review and validate daily T&A records, and capture and correct leave and absenteeism
• Own the T&A system end to end — adding new starters, removing leavers, and managing access groupings and shift registers
• Process leave requests and keep them aligned with leave schedules and balances
• Import and reconcile leave and attendance data between the T&A system and Sage People 300 Payroll
• Prepare and distribute absenteeism and attendance reports for management
• Monitor leave balances and escalate anomalies to HR / Labour Relations as needed

HR & Payroll Data Management (Sage People 300)

• Load and maintain accurate HR / job data — positions, job details, and all the employee information beyond payroll
• Load and maintain the payroll-side data needed to support basic payroll processing
• Maintain shift registers, union membership, access groupings, and related system configurations
• Keep the HR and Payroll sides of Sage People 300 consistent and in step with one another
• Support system upgrades, testing, and data migration when called upon

Data Governance, Quality Control & Issue Resolution

• Own the formatting standards and structural rules for HR and Payroll data on Sage People 300
• Build data quality checks and validation at the point of capture — stopping bad data at the door
• Run regular data audits to identify, log, and resolve discrepancies across HR and Payroll
• Tell the difference between input errors, formatting issues, and system-level problems — and escalate each to the right place
• Keep documented data standards so that data entered by anyone stays consistent and audit-ready

Basic Payroll Support

• Process basic payroll inputs for salaried, hourly, and contractual employees within defined cycles
• Process engagements, terminations, promotions, and contract changes on the payroll system
• Support statutory deductions (PAYE, UIF, SDL, garnishees) under guidance, and help with reconciliations before finalisation
• Handle routine payroll queries from employees and management, escalating the tricky ones to the Payroll Officer

Data Automation & Analytics (the nice-to-have)

• Where capacity allows, support management reports — headcount, turnover, absenteeism — in Excel or Power BI
• Automate recurring data checks and reports using Power Query, macros, or basic BI tools where it makes sense
• Spot inefficiencies in HR/Payroll data processes and suggest better ways of doing things

Compliance, Filing & General Administration

• Scan, file, and maintain T&A and payroll documentation in line with document-management requirements
• Keep statutory submissions and supporting records complete and audit-ready
• Treat all HR, T&A, and payroll data with the confidentiality it deserves — in line with POPIA and company policy
• Provide general administrative support to the HR/Payroll function as needed

What you’ll need to bring

• Grade 12 (NQF Level 4), plus a Certificate in HR / Payroll / Data Administration (NQF Level 5)
• A Diploma or Degree in Human Resources / Data Analytics / Information Systems (NQF Level 6) — advantageous
• Data Analytics or Power BI certification, or a Time & Attendance / Payroll system certification — advantageous
• 3–5 years administering and controlling T&A systems (e.g. Jarrison), leave processing, and absenteeism management
• 3 years loading and maintaining HR and Payroll data on Sage People 300, including governance and quality control
• 1–2 years’ exposure to payroll cycles, statutory deductions, and basic reconciliations

Skills that make things happen

• T&A system administration and control (Jarrison or equivalent)
• Sage People 300 proficiency — both the Payroll and HR/Employee Data modules
• Data governance, quality control, and audit readiness
• A knack for identifying and resolving input, formatting, and structural data issues
• A solid grasp of HR and payroll data structures and how they flow together
• Strong numerical and analytical ability, and advanced MS Excel (Power Query, Pivot Tables); Power BI a bonus
• Clear communication and dependable time management under deadline

And the behaviours that make it stick

• Meticulous attention to detail — accuracy is non-negotiable
• Discretion and confidentiality — a trusted custodian of sensitive data
• An analytical, inquisitive mind that questions anomalies rather than shrugging at them
• Proactive and improvement-focused, with a healthy sense of urgency and strong follow-through
• Organised, collaborative, and comfortable working across functions

About Montego

Montego Pet Nutrition, a family business established in 2000 in the Karoo region of South Africa, is a well-loved and innovative pet care brand committed to establishing Africa as an important player in the global pet industry. For 26 years, our genuine love of pets has been at the heart of our business and supports our promise of “Better Every Day”. Today, pet owners in more than 39 countries across multiple continents trust us to produce world-class products with the health and wellbeing of pets in mind.