Principal Payroll Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/19/114
Location: Cote d’Ivoire
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50070533

The Complex

• The Vice-Presidency, Human Resources and Corporate Services (CHVP) ensures the delivery of efficient, people-centered, client-oriented, corporate services to ensure overall institutional effectiveness in all aspects of the Bank’s corporate services.
• The complex leads efforts to ensure the competitiveness of the Bank as the employer of choice and is responsible for providing leadership in the formulation and implementation of Bank’s strategies on people, IT, general services and institutional procurements, language services, business continuity and, health and safety strategies.

The Hiring Department/Division

• The role of the Human Resources Management department is to develop and execute a People Strategy, Policies, processes and practices which will enable the Bank to achieve its strategic Agenda. Core to the HR Strategy will be the attraction, development, engagement, motivation and retention of a best-in-class workforce.
• In order to create a truly transformed HR work-way, CHHR department is structured around a triangular Model: Business Partnerships for strategy, client contracting and HR delivery, Centers of Expertise/Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for internal consulting, thought leadership, design, talent and staff development and training and best practice benchmarking, HR Shared Services for transactional excellence and employees outreach. This new HR Model will deliver a world-class employee life-cycle experience.
• Within the Human Resources Department (CHHR), HR Shared Services (CHHR.2) is responsible to the administration of employee, management of benefits, HR transactional processing and data center.

The Position

• The Principal Payroll Officer will be responsible  to administer the bank's payroll system, with responsibility for the day-to-today co-ordination of related process and activities; and to provide SAP RJ3 Payroll technical support

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the immediate supervision of the Division Manager CHHR2, the incumbent will undertake the following Key Responsibilities:

Payroll Administration Activities:

• Propose the annual payroll calendar and indicative dates (payroll schedule) for management consideration and approval. Prepare detailed monthly payroll operations plans and ensure strict adherence with the operational programme;
• Manage the day-to-day activities of the payroll section to ensure timely and accurate processing of the Bank's payroll;
• Supervise the administration and the maintenance of Payroll master data;
• Administer and update the data base for employees’ salaries and staff benefits managed in payroll such as pension contributions, foreign salary and staff benefits adjustments;
• Co-ordinate the Bank's payroll run activities that comprise of simulation payroll runs, releasing payroll, starting payroll, checking the payroll data (transactions and master data);
• Execute payroll subsequent activities including payments data medium exchange administration covering local and international payment transfers, as well as;
• Supervise activities relating to the printing and timely distribution of the staff remuneration statements(payslips);
• Execute payroll posting runs to accounting and budget systems, investigating and correcting un-posted payroll results and missing accounting and cost assignments;
• Evaluate payroll reports, follow-up, and resolution of exceptions, if any;
• Handle payroll services and staff support in liaise with Employee Helpdesk Office;

Functional and Technical Assistance:

• Provide functional and technical assistance to Staff in the Division and Field Office Administrative and Finance Officers/Assistants;
• Provide continuous Training and Coaching for others HR and FI users in the resolution of Internal control and reconciliation issues on payroll and staff expenses;
• Propose changes to configuration to improve controls and maximise efficiency in liaise with HRIS Officer, Other section heads, CHIS, FIFC etc
• Administer the SAP Payroll environment mainly with the maintenance of the payroll control record, the scheduling of batch processes, the maintenance of payroll schema (calculation rules, functions and operations);
• Follow up with CHIS, IT Security and ICU on all matters relating to SAP Payroll system, such as access authorizations, availability of the system, efficient execution of scheduled payroll jobs, segregation of duties…etc…;
• Manage Post Implementation Issues, Evolution, Improvements and Upgrades of Payroll and Benefits Administration systems.

Accounting and Fiduciary Activities:

• Ensure completeness of payroll postings and personal expenses posting in Accounting;
• Ensure consistency of HR and FI records;
• Verify of payroll costs in line with IFRS standards;
• Monitor payments proposals for the entire division, check for accuracy and follow up with section heads for final verification before transmission to FTRY for disbursement;
• Follow up of account reconciliations for suspense accounts and staff account receivables for loans and Staff payments;
• Implement salary adjustments in accordance with Management decisions and provide interface with compensation benefits Officer;
• Ensure reasonabless checks and analytical reviews for payroll expenses and Staff benefits, provide explanations and reports on variances on a regular basis;
• Perform Benchmarking by assessing the best practices for others organizations, analyze methodologies and business processes and draft issues papers and recommendations for implementation to the Bank’s environment;
• Advice Management on methods and procedures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the control environment over Payroll and Staff benefits;
• Participate in the review and formulation of accounting procedures, policies and practices for payroll and Benefits.

Reporting and Actuarial Activities:

• Key focal point for Staff expenditure costs and Personal Cost planning
• Coordinate activities for Internal and external audit activities related to Payroll and Benefits
• Respond to requests from Management on actuarial issues such as payroll and staff costs analysis which are useful for decision making
• Provide Assistance for budget preparation  for staff expenses

Accountabilities Common to Section Heads:

• Participate actively in the short- and mid-term planning of the activities of his/her section to make sure that they are in line with the mission and work programmes deliverables and take appropriate action when objectives or resources availability are modified, in order to maintain delivery and efficiency;
• Supervise and control the implementation of the relevant client service and quality procedures by his/her section staff, and recommend improvements in the service to clients and in quality of the deliveries, procedures and tools of his/her section, in order to ensure quality and client service in each activity, and enhance such mind-set and results in his/her section;
• Participate in defining the manpower needs of his/her section, and in the implementation of the approved recruitment, and training and development actions, in order to ensure that his/her workshop is adequately staffed and trained. Feed his/her staff members back on their performance, achievements and shortfalls, and train and guide them to fulfil the expectations of their jobs;
• Propose actions aimed at maintaining and further enhancing the work climate and staff efficiency in his/her section, and actively participate in their implementation, in order to ensure a high level of motivation and efficiency of his/her staff";
• Analyze his/her section processes, procedures and tools, identify efficiency improvement opportunities, and propose and participate in the design and the introduction of improvement programmes in order to reach and further exceeds CHHR standards;
• Maintain and nurture a good communication of his/her section with the other units of the Bank, further nurture values of team work and shared accountability in his/her section, in order to ensure the proper transfer of the information necessary to manage his/her division and achieve CHHR and other departments' missions and objectives;
• Ensure full compliance with the Bank's control and reporting procedures in his/her section, inform his/her management frequently about his/her section's results, current and anticipated issues, and propose solutions to address them;
• Control the enforcement of the Bank's ethics, health, safety, security, environment and hygiene policies and procedures in his/her division and report shortcomings to his/her management, in order to ensure an optimal working environment to his/her section staff, external partners and visitors.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a  minimum of a Master’s degree or its equivalent in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Information Technology, Auditing/Accounting or other related disciplines
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant practical working experience in a high volume administration department.
• A relevant and practical experience in Human Resources Management, Staff and Legal counselling will be an asset.
• Proactive, solution oriented individual, keen to resolve challenges through innovation.
• Ability to implement continual improvement activities to processes, with a keen eye for detail.
• Ability to multitask, meet strict deadlines and work under a pressure.
• Ability to work independently and coordinate with peers and other HR experts in a multidisciplinary multicultural team.
• Excellent levels of initiative, enthusiasm, team spirit and organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrates tact and diplomacy in dealing with clients and other team members.
• Operational effectiveness.
• Communication.
• Problem solving.
• Client orientation.
• Team working and relations.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Good knowledge of the use of standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and SAP). Good typing skills is highly desirable.