Payroll Accountant

Description Zutari: Co-creating an engineered impact. Zutari is a multinational buildings, infrastructure engineering and advisory firm with over 90 years of experience across Africa and the Middle East. We partner with clients across the full infrastructure lifecycle, delivering digitally driven solutions that shape schools, stadiums, dams, bridges, and the systems that connect them.

We are enablers of progress, transforming ambition into impact and infrastructure into opportunity. Every role in Zutari contributes to building sustainable futures that extend far beyond the projects themselves.

What kind of talent do we pursue? We employ people with the right attitude and a positive mindset, who are motivated by doing the right thing, getting things done and share a sense of urgency. People who have an impact in our teams and broader community. People who think differently and connect with those around them to co-create new opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.

Job Summary The main purpose of the Payroll Accountant role is to oversee payroll operations across multiple countries within Zutari. The focus will be on payroll tasks, processing of payroll-related journals, preparation of payroll-related accruals, provisions and reconciliations. The Payroll Accountant will support the Payroll Analyst in ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing and general ledger accounting. The Payroll Accountant role requires knowledge of accounting treatment of various transactions and reconciliations. The role has direct impact on financial reporting accuracy, audit readiness, compliance, and the integrity of payroll-related general ledger balances. Whilst this role does not have any direct reports it has a requirement to be able to operate independently and as such a high level of accountability is required

Role Responsibilities General Ledger Accounting for Payroll:

• Prepare, review, and post payroll-related journal entries accurately and within agreed reporting timelines.
• Ensure payroll costs, employer contributions, deductions, provisions, and liabilities are correctly allocated to the general ledger.
• Maintain the integrity of payroll-related general ledger accounts through accurate classification, coding, and posting.
• Verify that payroll outputs are correctly translated into accounting entries and reflected in the financial records.

Payroll Balance Sheet Reconciliations:

• Prepare and review reconciliations for all payroll-related balance sheet accounts, including salaries control accounts, statutory liabilities, benefit deductions, payroll clearing accounts, leave provisions, bonus accruals, and other payroll-related provisions.
• Investigate reconciling items, unusual balances, and aged items and ensure timeous resolution.
• Substantiate payroll-related balances with complete supporting schedules and audit-ready documentation.
• Monitor reconciliation quality and escalate unresolved or material items.

Month-End and Year-End Payroll Close:

• Coordinate payroll-related month-end close activities to ensure all payroll accounting entries are complete, accurate, and posted on time.
• Prepare payroll accruals, provisions, prepayments, and adjustment journals as required for monthly reporting.
• Support year-end close activities by preparing final payroll accounting schedules, reconciliations, and supporting working papers.
• Ensure payroll-related ledger balances are accurately reflected in financial reporting and year-end audit submissions.

Ledger Alignment and Payroll-to-Finance Interface:

• Ensure accurate alignment between payroll system outputs, payroll reports, third-party schedules, and the general ledger.

Statutory and Third-Party Ledger Accountability:

• Reconcile statutory deductions, benefit contributions, and third-party payroll liabilities to supporting schedules and ledger balances.
• Ensure payroll-related liability accounts are accurately recorded and cleared in line with payment cycles.
• Investigate differences between payroll reports, payment schedules, and ledger balances and resolve discrepancies.

Audit and Compliance Support:

• Prepare payroll-related audit schedules, reconciliations, journals, and supporting documents for internal and external audit purposes.
• Maintain a clear and complete audit trail for all payroll accounting entries and reconciliations.
• Respond to payroll accounting queries raised by auditors, finance leadership, and compliance stakeholders.

Analysis and Reporting:

• Analyse payroll ledger movements and identify unusual trends, misallocations, or accounting anomalies.
• Provide commentary on payroll-related account movements during month-end and year-end reporting cycles.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of payroll accounting reports and management information.

Process Improvement and Systems Support:

• Recommend improvements to payroll accounting processes, controls, and ledger reconciliation practices.
• Support the documentation and maintenance of payroll accounting procedures, month-end checklists, and reconciliation standards.
• Contribute to process standardisation that improves financial accuracy, transparency, and reporting efficiency.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Commerce - Essential
• Completed articles - advantageous
• Postgraduate qualification in accounting, taxation, or finance will be advantageous
• Minimum 5 years’ relevant experience in payroll accounting, financial accounting, or general ledger accounting
• Demonstrated practical experience in:

• payroll-related journal processing
• balance sheet reconciliations
• accruals, provisions, and month-end accounting
• payroll-to-general ledger integration
• financial reporting support and audit preparation

• Experience working in an integrated ERP, payroll, and HRIS environment
• Proven experience dealing with complex reconciliations, ledger substantiation, and payroll-related control accounts
• Experience in a multi-entity, shared services, or medium-to-large organisational environment will be advantageous

Skills, And Characteristics

• Ms Office Proficiency: (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
• Stakeholder Management and Communication: Engages professionally with Payroll, HR, Finance, auditors, and service providers to resolve issues and ensure aligned, accurate information flow.
• General Ledger Accounting Expertise: Applies strong knowledge of journals, accruals, provisions, reconciliations, and account substantiation to ensure payroll transactions are accurately reflected in the general ledger.
• Reconciliation and Analytical Ability: Reviews payroll-related balances critically, identifies discrepancies, and resolves reconciling items through structured financial analysis.
• Systems and Data Proficiency: Uses ERP systems, payroll platforms, and spreadsheets effectively to process, reconcile, and report payroll accounting information.
• Payroll Accounting: Prepares and reviews payroll-related journals, balance sheet reconciliations.

Competencies

• Attention to Detail: Checks payroll journals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules carefully to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
• Problem-Solving and Judgement: Assesses payroll accounting issues, determines appropriate corrective action, and escalates material exceptions where necessary.
• Confidentiality and Integrity: Manages sensitive payroll and employee financial information with discretion, professionalism, and a high standard of ethical conduct.
• Time Management and Ability to Work Under Pressure: Prioritises effectively and delivers accurate outputs within strict payroll, month-end, and year-end deadlines in a high-pressure environment.
• Process Improvement and Optimisation: Identifies inefficiencies in payroll accounting processes and i