People and Culture Associate

Role Overview

The People and Culture Associate acts as a trusted advisor to clients, offering expert guidance on human resource strategies, organizational culture, and core HR processes. This role merges deep knowledge of HR with consulting skills to design, implement, and refine systems in talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, compensation, payroll administration, and leadership development. Accurate, timely, confidential, and compliant management of payroll and employee benefits for Oakheed and its clients is central to this position, including validation of inputs, reconciliation, statutory deductions, reporting, and resolution of payroll-related queries.

Key Responsibilities

• Support execution of client projects spanning people strategy, cultural assessments, talent management, organizational growth, employee engagement, and HR technology.
• Conduct benchmarking and research, preparing detailed reports and analyses for clients.
• Develop customized HR frameworks, policies, and tools that meet client needs.
• Stay current with HR regulatory requirements and ensure client compliance with policies and reporting.
• Provide high-level expertise to solve client HR challenges effectively.
• Contribute to Oakheed’s growth strategies, including business development and client relationship management through networking and branding efforts.
• Manage end-to-end client engagements, from proposals and scoping to pricing and delivery.
• Oversee monthly payroll administration for clients, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and adherence to timelines.
• Maintain payroll schedules, validate inputs including new hires, exits, salary revisions, bonuses, leaves, and deductions.
• Perform payroll reconciliations and variance investigations before and after payroll completion.
• Coordinate payroll approvals, salary payments, payslip distribution, and controls compliance.
• Ensure accurate calculation and remittance of payroll taxes, pension, social insurance, and other statutory deductions, maintaining full audit records.
• Maintain accurate employee payroll and compensation records ensuring consistency across systems.
• Address employee and client payroll inquiries professionally and resolve discrepancies timely.
• Administer employee benefits management, including enrolments, claim support, eligibility checks, vendor coordination, and invoice reconciliations.
• Support compensation initiatives such as benchmarking, job grading, salary structure design, incentive planning, and equity analysis.
• Generate payroll, benefits, headcount and labor cost reports to aid management decision-making and compliance audits.
• Develop and refine payroll and benefits procedures, controls, and templates, seeking continual improvements in accuracy and employee experience.
• Assist with selection, implementation, and enhancement of payroll and HRIS systems.

Complex Payroll Coordination

• Oversee and validate payroll for clients with diverse workforces, including national and expatriate employees, consultants, and on-site staff with rostered schedules.
• Manage detailed payroll input processes involving varied employee changes such as promotions, salary adjustments, allowances, and bonus payments.
• Reconcile payroll data with manpower plans, contracts, attendance, and approved payroll changes to avoid errors and unauthorized payments.
• Prepare monthly variance reports detailing headcount, pay components, deductions, and personnel costs.
• Ensure compliance with statutory payroll obligations and maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Administer specialized employee rewards such as retention bonuses, accommodation payments, and leave adjustments.
• Support payroll integrity through data clean-up, accurate employee records, and robust internal controls.
• Collaborate with Finance, HR, payroll providers, and regulators to resolve discrepancies and confirm all transactions.
• Participate in annual salary reviews, market analysis, collective bargaining adjustments, and manpower costing.
• Maintain dashboards and tracking tools for workforce, costs, and payroll changes across diverse personnel categories.
• Provide payroll data for audits, governance, budgeting, and management reporting.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum 4 years of progressive experience in human resources with expertise in talent management, acquisition, HR strategy, compensation, organizational design, learning and development, leadership, and succession planning.
• Proven track record in developing and implementing HR programs.
• Consulting or project-based HR experience is advantageous.
• Excellent communication, research abilities, and documentation skills.
• Ability to operate autonomously and excel in a fast-moving, remote work environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel for documentation and data analysis.
• Strong presentation skills with experience using PowerPoint, Canva, Envato, or similar design tools.
• At least 3 years’ direct payroll and compensation administration experience including input validation, reconciliation, reporting, and query resolution.
• Knowledge of payroll legislation and statutory deductions such as PAYE, social insurance, and pension laws.
• Advanced numerical competence and Excel use including formulas, pivot tables, lookups, and data validation for payroll and compensation analysis.
• Experience working with payroll software, HRIS platforms, or external payroll providers; involvement in system implementations beneficial.
• Proven ability to handle confidential compensation information with discretion and strong control discipline.
• Experience supporting payroll in site-based or mining environments with complex workforce structures is highly valued.
• Familiarity with payroll administration requirements across different jurisdictions is advantageous.
• Capability to manage high volume payroll changes and detailed workforce cost reconciliations.

Personal Attributes and Work Approach

• Client-focused with meticulous attention to detail ensuring consistent high-quality outputs.
• Adept at building strong relationships with clients and fostering team camaraderie across locations.
• Experience working in rapidly growing companies is a plus.
• Highly dedicated, dependable, proactive, and initiative-driven individual.
• Excellent networking skills and ability to effectively bridge organizational gaps.
• Strong interpersonal communication and relationship management skills.
• Practical problem solver with sound judgment and ability to make decisions based on timely data.
• High integrity, responsibility, and a results-oriented mindset with a sense of urgency.

Communication and Analytical Expertise

• Superior verbal and written communication skills, tactfulness, and ability to influence outcomes positively.
• Strategic mindset with strong research and analytical capabilities using AI tools to enhance effectiveness.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, capable of managing multiple, sometimes competing priorities punctually.
• Collaborative approach with strong business acumen, supporting managers, and building cross-unit partnerships.
• Flexible, adaptable, with a positive attitude, executive presence, and capacity to work effectively with senior leadership.
• Meticulous and consistent accuracy in payroll processes, controls, and reporting.
• Practical knowledge of managing employee benefits and vendor relations.
• Maintains confidentiality and integrity when handling sensitive employee data.
• Focus on excellent service delivery explaining payroll and benefit matters clearly to clients and employees.