Senior Payroll Accountant

Tatu is a project of Rendeavour, Africa’s largest urban land developer with over 30,000 acres of visionary projects in the growth trajectories of large cities in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo. Rendeavour’s vision goes beyond alleviating what is a self-evident problem – that of stifling urban congestion and a dearth of quality housing and commercial property in Africa. Rather, we aim to help create the infrastructure – the living and working spaces, communities, schools and hospitals – that will help sustain and accelerate Africa’s economic growth, meet the aspirations of Africa’s burgeoning middle classes, and serve as a catalyst for further urban development.

Senior Payroll Accountant

Description

• The Senior Payroll Accountant owns the accurate, timely and fully compliant delivery of payroll for all of Tatu City’s Kenyan legal entities. Beyond regular monthly payroll, the role manages a complex layer of additional pay elements — notably property sales commissions, bonuses, allowances, staff loans and taxable benefits — and the specific payroll, tax and mobility requirements of expatriate employees. Sitting within Finance, the role is both an operator and a controller: it runs payroll end-to-end on Sage 300 People, accounts for staff costs in the general ledger of each entity, and safeguards Tatu City’s compliance with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Social Health Authority (SHA), the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and other statutory bodies. The role will also be the payroll lead for the planned 2027 migration to a Tier-1 ERP, shaping how payroll is designed, controlled and reported for the next stage of Tatu City’s growth.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-Entity Payroll Processing & Control

• Run the end-to-end monthly payroll for all Tatu City legal entities on Sage 300 People: collection and validation of inputs (new hires, exits, salary changes, overtime, leave, allowances, deductions), gross-to-net calculation, payslip issue, and preparation of bank payment files in KES and foreign currency.

• Maintain a separate, auditable payroll set-up for each entity (KRA PIN, NSSF, SHA and Affordable Housing Levy employer registrations, pay groups, cost centres), and manage inter-entity secondments, recharges and staff cost allocations.

• Perform monthly payroll variance analysis (headcount, gross pay, statutory deductions, net pay) and obtain approval before release under a strict payroll calendar.

• Operate robust payroll controls: maker-checker review, segregation of duties, master-data and bank-detail change controls, and a clear audit trail for every adjustment.

• Process off-cycle payments, final dues and terminal benefits in line with the Employment Act, 2007 (notice, accrued leave, service pay where applicable, redundancy dues) and issue the related documentation on time.

• Administer third-party deductions accurately and on time: HELB loan repayments, SACCO and welfare contributions, insurance premiums, court orders and other agency notices.

Kenyan Statutory Compliance

• Calculate, file and remit PAYE under the Income Tax Act (Cap. 470) through KRA iTax, including monthly P10 returns by the 9th of the following month, and apply reliefs and allowable deductions correctly (personal and insurance relief, registered pension contributions, post-retirement medical fund, mortgage interest, SHIF and Affordable Housing Levy deductibility).

• Compute and remit all other statutory contributions by their deadlines: SHIF contributions to the Social Health Authority (Social Health Insurance Act, 2023), the Affordable Housing Levy (Affordable Housing Act, 2024), NSSF Tier I and Tier II contributions under the NSSF Act, 2013 (including the phased increases to the earnings limits) and the NITA training levy — with zero penalties or interest.

• Apply the correct tax treatment to benefits in kind: company cars, housing, employer-paid school fees, club memberships, meals, and low-interest staff loans (deemed interest and fringe benefit tax), as well as per diems and reimbursements.

• Issue P9 forms by the statutory deadline, complete year-end PAYE reconciliations per entity, and support employees with their annual iTax returns.

• Track and implement each year’s Finance Act and statutory changes in the payroll system on the effective date (e.g. the Finance Act, 2026 rules on tax-exempt gratuity and the revised return-filing deadlines from January 2027), and brief Finance and HR on their impact.

• Manage KRA, SHA and NSSF compliance checks and audits, respond to queries, and ensure every entity maintains a valid Tax Compliance Certificate.

• Protect payroll and employee personal data in line with the Data Protection Act, 2019, and keep payroll records for the periods required by law.

Sales Commissions, Variable Pay & Complex Benefits

• Calculate and pay sales commissions for the property sales teams in line with approved commission plans — including milestone-based triggers (deposit received, sale agreement signed, completion or transfer), split sales, tiered rates, accelerators and clawbacks on cancelled or defaulted sales.

• Reconcile commission calculations to the CRM, sales ledger and cash collections with Commercial Finance before payment, and resolve disputes quickly and transparently.