Payroll Specialist

Job purpose

This position supports the Payroll Manager in running payroll for designated business units. The focus is on making sure employees are paid correctly and on schedule, while staying aligned with company rules, internal procedures, local labour requirements, and tax regulations. The role also calls for reviewing existing payroll methods and system workflows, proposing practical improvements, and working with strict confidentiality to improve service quality and operational efficiency.

The job further requires a solid grasp of HR system design, configuration control, and troubleshooting of critical business applications. The person in this role must be able to judge the operational, compliance, and downstream effects of any configuration change before it is introduced. Careful risk assessment, impact analysis, testing, validation, and a documented change-management approach are essential to preserve system reliability and business continuity.

Key responsibilities

• Manage payroll processing and related data analysis for assigned areas, ensuring work is completed accurately and on time in line with approved policies and procedures. Coordinate required approvals and waivers with Line Managers, HR Managers, and Finance as needed.
• Review existing payroll practices and system workflows on a regular basis, identify opportunities to improve efficiency, and partner with IT to implement approved enhancements.
• Check and process payroll-related requests and transactions such as new joiners, advances, claims, deductions, adjustments, increments, promotions/upgrades, contractual bonds, incentives, and bonuses, ensuring all entries match employment terms and company policy.
• Carry out post-payroll checks and extract reports from the HR system to confirm payroll updates, while coordinating with IT for any necessary corrective actions.
• Prepare journal vouchers after payroll processing, reconcile them, and submit them to Finance for payroll costing.
• Create recharge reports for Finance so that fixed and variable charges are debited to the correct hub accounts and cost centers.
• Make required payroll corrections to resolve mismatches and release payroll only after all validations are complete, including checks related to currencies and bank accounts.
• Verify the upload of payroll transfers to the designated bank accounts to ensure payments are completed accurately and on time.
• Review end-of-service calculations and related formalities, and obtain the approvals needed before EOS payment is released.
• Validate entitlement and process education reimbursements and housing payments handled by the payroll team, ensuring the system reflects actual receipts and approved records.
• Monitor attendance records each month and flag any inconsistencies or unusual patterns.
• Collect overtime details from departments, compute overtime pay, and include it in the monthly payroll run.
• Ensure supporting documents for leave, sick leave, annual leave, credit hours, training, and absences are obtained, matched against records, and approved where exceptions apply.
• Make sure system interfaces are completed on time and work with stakeholders to resolve issues and carry out corrective steps.
• Coach and support other HR team members by sharing knowledge and expertise to improve performance and productivity.
• Maintain all data repositories and payroll transactions securely and accurately, ensuring confidential information is protected from leakage.
• Keep payroll operation records and supporting documents updated and properly maintained for different business needs.
• Handle payment requests received from other departments or sections, verify the accuracy of data and calculations, and challenge information or payouts that do not follow policy or logic.
• Support audit checks by keeping related documents, reports, attendance sheets, and records available, updated, and compliant with approved standards.
• Prepare payroll and HR system reports, including ad hoc financial reports for HR leadership and management.

People management

• Provide direction, coaching, and guidance to team members for career growth and professional development.
• Help create a positive work environment that supports engagement, accountability, and strong performance.
• Ensure people-management duties are carried out effectively in line with company procedures.

Qualifications and training

• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, HR, Statistics, Administration, or a related field from a recognised university is preferred; alternatively, a higher diploma in a related discipline plus the required work experience may be accepted.
• Working knowledge of HR payroll systems and concepts, including HRIS and tools such as SAP or Oracle ERP.
• Exposure to airline HR systems is required.
• Strong numerical ability and a high level of accuracy are essential.
• English fluency is required; Arabic is an added advantage.

Work experience

• 5 to 7 years of payroll experience in any industry, ideally within airlines, travel, or tourism.
• At least 2 years of experience leading a payroll function, including administration, configuration, and support of HRMS, payroll, ERP, or other business-critical systems.
• Clear understanding of system dependencies, workflows, integrations, and how configuration changes affect downstream processes.
• Practical experience with change-management processes.
• Experience working in a mid-sized regional or multinational organisation and managing a team.
• Background in leading or developing a team while handling heavy workloads and ad hoc situations.