Payroll Officer

Job Purpose

Under the direct supervision of the Director, Accounts Payable and Receivable the Payroll Officer is responsible for processing monthly and fortnightly payroll transactions, ensuring that all payments are accurate, on time and paid in accordance with compensation policies, guidelines and circulars as well as relevant laws (Income Tax, NIS, NHT, and HEART). The incumbent ensures that appropriate and accurate information is provided to management, employees and other stakeholders. 

In addition the Payroll Officer is required to assist the Authority’s employees with any questions they may have about their salaries and deductions and liaises with the Human Resource Branch to resolve payroll discrepancies. The incumbent is also responsible for deducting and remitting relevant taxes and statutory payments and for preparing monthly, quarterly and year-end payroll statements. 

Key Responsibilities

Management/Administrative: 

• Participates in the development of the Branch’s Strategic and Operational Plans and Budget;
• Provides leadership for the payroll activities of the Authority; 
• Reviews work assignments of subordinate staff for adherence to financial management policies, procedures, guidelines and regulations; 
• Prepares monthly, quarterly and annual Payroll Reports for submission to the Director through the Manager, Payments and Payroll. 

Technical/Professional: 

• Ensures timely and accurate preparation of payroll and disbursement of salaries in accordance with the compensation policies, guidelines and circulars issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service from time to time; 
• Establishes and maintains employee payroll records; ensures that employee changes are entered correctly and made on a timely basis; reviews changes for proper authorization and adherence to established guidelines; 
• Reviews, investigates and responds to payroll related enquiries from employees, liaises with management and the Human Resources Branch for clarification in order to resolve discrepancies;
• Receives Personnel Advice, interprets employment agreements and contracts as well as awards in relation to acting, special allowances, overtime, honorarium, duty allowance and similar payments and makes the necessary calculations; 
• Calculates and makes employment termination payments; processes salary increases and calculates retroactive payments; 
• Prepares payroll payments; checks payroll for accuracy and ensures that NHT, NIS, P45’s are correct before they are sent out to the relevant authority; 
• Certifies the accuracy of payroll payment vouchers; 
• Maintains payroll files and records, including regular filing of correspondence and forms;
• Assists the Manager, Payments and Payroll with reconciling the payroll related General Ledger accounts and with month end consolidation;
• Participates with the Manager, Payments and Payroll and the HR office in preparing the annual staff establishment Budget; 
• Provides accurate and timely payroll information and reports to Senior Managers, as needed;
• Liaises with the bank to schedule disbursement of salaries and travelling directly to employees accounts; 
• Distributes salary advice statements to employees and gathers signed receipts;
• Makes recommendations for improving the efficiency of the payroll process. 

Human Resource: 

• Monitors and evaluates the performance of direct reports, prepares performance appraisals and recommends and or initiates corrective action, where necessary, to improve performance;
• Provides leadership and guidance to direct reports through effective planning, delegation, communication, training, mentoring and coaching; 
• Ensures the welfare and developmental needs of direct reports are clearly identified and addressed; 
• Establishes and maintains a system that fosters a culture of teamwork, employee empowerment and commitment to the Division’s and Organization’s goals; 
• Performs any other related duties that may be assigned from time to time by the Manager, Payments and Payroll. 

Required Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

Core: 

• Good oral and written communication skills; 
• Good analytical, problem solving and judgment skills; 
• Good customer relations skills; 
• Good interpersonal skills; 
• Good planning and organizing skills; 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion. 

Technical: 

• Excellent knowledge of the policies, procedures and guidelines for payroll, taxation and compensation; 
• Excellent knowledge of Government Accounting, policies and procedures; 
• Good knowledge of the stipulations of the FAA Act; 
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail; 
• Excellent numeric skills; 
• Working knowledge of the Fisheries Act and Regulations; 
• Working knowledge of the Authority’s Policies, Practices and Procedures; 
• Working knowledge of Labour Laws and the Jamaican Income Tax Act; 
• Proficiency in the use of relevant accounting software. 

Minimum Required Qualification and Experience

• Associate Degree/Advanced Diploma in Accounting or AAT Level 3; 
• Successful completion of the required Government accounting Certificate; 
• Two (2) years’ experience in a comparable working environment. 

OR 

• Diploma in Accounting/ Certificate (Upper Secondary) with courses in Accounting;
• Successful completion of the required Government accounting Certificate; 
• Four (4) years’ experience in a comparable working environment. 

Special Conditions Associated with Job

• Regularly spends long hours sitting and using office equipment and computers;
• Regularly spends long hours in intense concentration reviewing and entering financial information into a computer.

Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted