Payroll Specialist

Our confidential client is seeking a Payroll Specialist to manage and support accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across head office and mine/site environments. The role reports directly to the Deputy CEO and is responsible for end-to-end payroll processing, time and attendance validation, payroll reconciliations, statutory compliance support, and payroll-related employee services in a control-focused mining environment.

Key Responsibilities:

|| You will support reliable payroll operations across office and site/camp populations and help ensure accurate payroll execution, disciplined payroll controls, and high standards of confidentiality and compliance.

• End-to-End Payroll Processing: Manage monthly payroll processing activities including payroll inputs, calculations, adjustments, deductions, final settlements, and payroll output validation.
• Time, Attendance & Overtime Validation: Review attendance, roster, overtime, leave, and shift-related inputs in coordination with site/admin teams to ensure payroll accuracy before cut-off.
• Payroll Data Accuracy: Maintain payroll-related employee data, approved changes, salary components, allowances, deductions, and supporting records with strong attention to accuracy and confidentiality.
• Payroll Reconciliations: Prepare and reconcile payroll reports, payroll control totals, bank transfer data, and payroll-related balance items in coordination with Finance.
• Statutory Compliance Support: Support payroll compliance with labor law, social insurance, wage protection, tax, and other applicable payroll-related filing and remittance requirements.
• Final Settlements & Employee Status Changes: Process leaver payments, end-of-service calculations, leave encashment, and other employee lifecycle payroll impacts accurately and on time.
• Benefits, Allowances & Deductions Administration: Administer payroll-related benefits, site allowances, transport/housing elements, deductions, loans, advances, and approved adjustments in line with policy.
• Bank File & Payment Coordination: Prepare payroll payment files, coordinate with banks or approved providers, and help resolve rejected or returned payroll payments promptly.
• Payroll Controls & Audit Readiness: Maintain payroll checklists, approvals, evidence files, SOPs, trackers, and documentation to support internal controls and audit readiness.
• Employee Payroll Queries: Respond to employee payroll questions related to pay, deductions, overtime, final dues, and payslips within agreed service levels.
• System & Process Improvement: Support improvements in payroll systems, interfaces, attendance integration, reporting, and process standardization.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Work closely with Deputy CEO, Finance, HR, Site Managers, Camp Administration, Timekeepers, IT/HRIS, and external providers to maintain smooth payroll delivery.

Qualifications:

• Experience in mining, heavy industry, construction, manufacturing, energy, or other operational/site-based environments is strongly preferred.
• Strong practical exposure to end-to-end payroll processing, attendance and overtime validation, payroll controls, reconciliations, and payroll compliance.
• Experience supporting multi-location workforces, remote sites, camp operations, rotational employees, or expatriate payroll elements is an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of payroll confidentiality, documentation standards, approvals, and payroll error prevention.
• Good understanding of labor law requirements, payroll-related compliance obligations, and employee pay administration.
• Strong coordination skills and the ability to work across corporate and operational stakeholders.

Preferred / Nice-to-have:

• Experience working with ERP payroll systems such as SAP, Oracle, Workday, or similar.
• Exposure to time and attendance systems, payroll accounting coordination, and payroll audit support.
• Experience handling final settlements, payroll queries, benefits-related payroll elements, and bank-file processing.
• Bilingual Arabic / English capability.
• Payroll, HR, or finance-related certification is a plus.

Success Metrics:

• Payroll is processed accurately and within agreed payroll calendar deadlines.
• Attendance, leave, overtime, and payroll inputs are validated with fewer discrepancies and late corrections.
• Payroll reconciliations and support schedules are completed accurately and on time.
• Statutory payroll-related submissions and remittances are completed without delay or compliance gaps.
• Employee payroll queries are resolved within agreed service levels and with improved accuracy.
• Payroll files, approvals, SOPs, and supporting documents remain organized and audit-ready.
• Manual adjustments, payment rejections, and repeat payroll errors are reduced over time.
• Payroll reporting to management is timely, accurate, and useful for operational decision-making.