Payroll Specialist (South America & U.S. Payroll)

We’re supporting a growing organisation looking for an experienced Payroll Specialist to join their global payroll operations team. This role will focus on accurate, compliant payroll processing across South America, while also playing an active role in supporting U.S. payroll operations.

The ideal candidate will have strong end-to-end payroll experience, excellent attention to detail, and a solid understanding of payroll compliance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions. Candidates must have hands-on experience processing U.S. payroll.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-end payroll processing across South American countries
• End-to-end support and processing of U.S. payroll operations
• Support payroll operations using platforms such as ADP or similar systems
• Ensure accurate calculation of salaries, benefits, deductions, taxes, and statutory contributions
• Maintain compliance with local labour laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements
• Support payroll reconciliation and month-end close processes
• Respond to employee payroll queries in a timely and professional manner
• Liaise with HR, Finance, and external payroll providers where required
• Assist with payroll audits and ensure data accuracy across systems
• Support onboarding and offboarding processes from a payroll perspective
• Contribute to process improvements and standardisation of payroll operations
• Where applicable, support coordination of Canada payroll activities

Requirements

• Mandatory: Proven hands-on experience processing U.S. payroll from start to finish
• Proven payroll experience supporting South American countries
• Experience with Workday, ADP, PEO, or similar payroll platforms
• Knowledge of Rippling
• Strong understanding of U.S. payroll legislation, tax withholding, deductions, and compliance requirements
• Strong understanding of South American payroll compliance and statutory requirements
• Experience working with multi-country payroll environments
• Customer-facing or managed services experience preferred
• Strong numerical accuracy and attention to detail
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, cross-functional environments
• Ability to work with EST time zone overlap

Nice to Have

• Experience processing Canada payroll
• Experience working across multiple countries or regions
• Background in shared services or outsourced payroll environments
• Experience supporting HRIS or payroll system transitions
• Strong Excel skills for reconciliation and reporting

If you’re interested in hearing more, please apply or get in touch for a confidential conversation.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Luchian Van Der Merwe