Payroll Implementation Specialist

About this role

The role is for a Payroll Implementation Specialist at Unilever in Lagos. It supports payroll operations and Day 1 readiness across assigned markets, focusing on compliance with local tax, statutory, and social security rules. The job involves working with vendors, analysing payroll processes, creating and updating SOPs, and ensuring accurate payroll systems integration and data migration. It requires experience with multi-country payroll implementations and hands-on knowledge of payroll systems, especially Workday and SAP. The employer is a leading consumer goods company with brands in foods, home care, and personal care, operating across Nigeria and employing teams in various functions including HR, Finance, IT, Tax and Treasury.

What you would do

• Support payroll implementation and Day 1 payroll readiness across assigned markets
• Gather payroll requirements and coordinate with vendors for regulatory compliance
• Review payroll processes and suggest improvements for efficiency and compliance
• Create and maintain payroll SOPs and process documentation
• Assist with payroll data migration activities including data mapping, validation and testing
• Execute payroll testing, parallel runs, reconciliations, and go-live readiness checks
• Review and validate payroll inputs such as benefits, deductions, and time and attendance data
• Support payroll system integrations between HR, payroll, finance, banking and other systems
• Ensure payroll accounting entries, cost allocations and finance interfaces are accurate
• Track project risks, issues and dependencies and escalate as needed, maintain documentation and governance

What they are asking for

• 5-8 years of payroll implementation, transition or transformation experience, preferably in a multi-country environment
• Hands-on knowledge of payroll systems and integrations (Workday and SAP) and general ledger/finance interfaces
• Experience with gross-to-net payroll processing, statutory deductions, benefits, and time & attendance
• Experience managing third-party payroll vendors, SLAs and governance
• Knowledge of test management, data migration and cutover methodology
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent requests with tight payroll deadlines
• Strong governance, controls and compliance discipline (SOX, COBP, GFCF) and risk/issue management
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills across technical, HR, Finance and senior leadership
• Strong project management capability (PMO, RAID, status reporting)
• Payroll certification (e.g. FPC/CPP) is an added advantage

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