Payroll Incident & Risk Lead

This position is posted by Jobgether on behalf of a partner company. We are currently looking for a Payroll Incident & Risk Lead in South Africa.

In this role, you will lead the strategic management of payroll risk and incident resolution across global operations. You will be responsible for designing and implementing frameworks that proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks while ensuring payroll processes remain accurate, compliant, and efficient. This position allows you to influence operations at a strategic level, collaborating with cross-functional teams to embed risk-aware thinking across the organization. You will manage high-impact incidents, mentor team members, and contribute to continuous process improvement. Working in a distributed, remote environment, you will operate with autonomy while shaping scalable solutions that impact employees worldwide. This is a high-visibility leadership role for someone who thrives in complex, dynamic, and collaborative settings.

Accountabilities

* Design, implement, and oversee global payroll risk management frameworks, ensuring compliance across new product features, operational processes, and market expansions

* Maintain and evolve the global payroll risk register to provide real-time visibility of critical risks and mitigation plans

* Lead cross-functional risk assessments, collaborating with Legal, Product, Payroll Operations, and other teams to identify emerging threats and regulatory changes

* Serve as the escalation point and lead coordinator for complex or high-impact payroll incidents, ensuring thorough investigation, resolution, and follow-up

* Facilitate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) processes, mentoring teams to maintain consistency, quality, and accountability

* Translate incident trends and operational feedback into system and process improvements to reduce recurrence and strengthen controls

* Champion a culture of risk awareness and continuous improvement across payroll operations, influencing practices and decision-making

Requirements

* Extensive experience in payroll risk management, incident response, compliance, or operations management, preferably within global payroll, finance, SaaS, or regulated industries

* Proven ability to lead complex incident resolution and implement sustainable, data-driven solutions

* Expertise in designing and scaling risk governance frameworks, tools, and reporting mechanisms

* Strong project management skills with experience leading cross-functional initiatives from planning through execution

* Demonstrated leadership and mentoring capabilities in a distributed, remote-first environment

* Excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership

* High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and comfort navigating ambiguity and complex operational challenges

* Familiarity with tools such as Notion, Monday.com, and RCA methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone) is a plus

Benefits

* Fully remote work with flexibility to plan your schedule asynchronously

* Competitive salary and stock options

* Flexible paid time off and generous parental leave policies

* Mental health support and wellness resources

* Learning and development budget to support continuous professional growth

* Home office setup allowance and IT equipment support

* Reimbursement for local coworking spaces or in-person team events

* Opportunity to work in a high-impact, strategic leadership role with global visibility

Why Apply Through Jobgether?

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

Why Apply Through Jobgether?

Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.