Job Description

Department of Personnel Management

Designation : Manager-HR Payroll System Governance & Oversight (Code- DPM 14-9)

Job Description / Responsibilities:

1. IDENTIFICATION

AGENCY:

Department of Personnel Management

SYSTEM POSITION# (10-Digits):

 

REF#:

DPM14-9

OFFICE:

Office of the Public Service HR/Payroll Services

DESIGNATION/CLASSIFICATION:

Manager/Grade 16

DIVISION:

HR/Payroll System Governance & Training

LOCAL DESIGNATION:

Manager - HR/Payroll System Governance & Oversight

BRANCH:

HR/Payroll System Governance & Oversight

REPORTING TO:

Executive Manager

SYS POS# (10-Digits):

 

REF#:

DPM14-7

SECTION:

 

LOCATION:

Central Government Office, Level 3, Waigani, NCD
       

HISTORY OF POSITION

 

 

FILE REFERENCE

DATE OF VARIATION

DETAILS

AGENCY REFERENCE/FILE NO:

Structure Approved Date:

 

2.  PURPOSE:

The position of Manager - HR/Payroll System Governance and Oversight exists to ensure the effective fortnightly payroll monitoring for compliance, review, and reporting of fortnightly payroll expenditures across all government agencies. The role ensures compliance with approved personnel emoluments ceilings and guarantees that each agency remains within its allocated fortnightly payroll threshold. This position is critical to maintaining financial discipline, enabling proactive expenditure control, and preventing budget overruns that could compromise the integrity and sustainability of the government payroll system.

If this job did not exist, there would be a significant risk of unmonitored wage bill inflation, unchecked overspending by agencies, and potential breach of government fiscal limits on personnel expenditure.

3. DIMENSIONS:

Financial Scope: Oversight of total fortnightly payroll expenditure valued in billions of Kina across all National Departments, Provincial Administrations, Statutory Bodies, and other funded government institutions.

Staff Supervision: Directly supervise 5 Payroll Monitoring Team Leaders/Analysts.

Reporting: Provides fortnightly threshold performance reports to Executive Management and relevant oversight bodies.

Systems: Uses the Ascender Pay Integrated HR/Payroll System and related digital tools for monitoring and analysis.

4. PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

  1. Ensure all government-funded agencies remain within their approved fortnightly payroll expenditure thresholds.
  2. Identify and report anomalies, overspends, and non-compliance issues in personnel emoluments.
  3. Provide real-time payroll monitoring updates to inform executive decisions.
  4. Strengthen payroll transparency and accountability across the public service.
  5. Support enforcement of corrective measures to maintain payroll integrity.

5. MAJOR DUTIES:

  1. Extract and analyze fortnightly payroll data from the Integrated HR/Payroll System.
  2. Monitor and compare agency payroll spending against approved threshold ceilings.
  3. Generate variance reports and identify potential risks of overspending.
  4. Liaise with agency HR and finance focal points to clarify anomalies or breaches.
  5. Escalate non-compliance to executive leadership and recommend interventions.
  6. Maintain and update a central Payroll Threshold Compliance Dashboard.
  7. Contribute to policy updates relating to payroll monitoring and expenditure control.
  8. Participate in technical working groups and inter-agency meetings as required.
  9. Prepare reports for audits, inquiries, or parliamentary submissions.
  10. Provide training and mentoring to junior officers on payroll monitoring functions.

6. NATURE AND SCOPE:

The role is situated within the Public Service Payroll Office under the Department of Personnel Management. It reports directly to the Executive Manager - HR/Payroll System Governance & Training, and works closely with other units including Payroll Processing, Systems Administration, and Agency Liaison.

The position is central to enforcing fiscal controls on payroll spending and promoting accountability across public sector agencies.

6.1 Working Relationship:

(a) Internal:

  • Executive Manager - HR/Payroll System Governance & Training
  • Other Payroll Unit Managers
  • Systems Analysts and Finance Officers
  • DPM Senior Management

(b) External:

  • Agency HR and Finance Divisions
  • Department of Treasury
  • Department of Finance
  • OSPEAC

6.2 Work Environment:

The position is administrative and analytical in nature, with specialist responsibilities in payroll oversight and financial compliance. The job requires technical acumen with digital payroll systems and financial reporting tools. Most duties are carried out in an office environment using data systems and analytical platforms.

7. CONSTRAINTS FRAMEWORK AND BOUNDARIES:

Rules/Procedures:

  • Public Services General Orders (4th Edition)
  • Public Finance Management Act (PFMA)
  • Public Service Management Act
  • Government Payroll Guidelines
  • NEC Decisions and Department Circulars

Decision:

  • Authority to flag and report agencies in breach of expenditure thresholds
  • Authority to recommend remedial action and engage agencies in compliance efforts

Recommendations:

  • Recommend withholding of overpayments or reversal actions
  • Recommend changes in threshold levels based on structural shifts (e.g., mergers, policy reforms).

8. CHALLENGES:

The biggest challenge is managing real-time payroll monitoring across a complex and decentralized public service structure, where data quality issues and last-minute changes can affect threshold accuracy. Coordinating with under-resourced or non-compliant agencies while maintaining data integrity under time-sensitive constraints adds to the difficulty of the role.

9. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS:

(a) Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Public Administration, Economics, or Human Resource Management.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management or related field (desirable).

(b) Knowledge:

  • Government payroll systems and budget control mechanisms
  • Public finance regulations and compliance frameworks
  • Human Resource policies and General Orders

(c) Skills:

  • Data analysis and financial reporting
  • Advanced Excel and HRIS systems knowledge (Ascender Pay preferred)
  • Communication and stakeholder engagement
  • High attention to detail and analytical thinking
  • Time management and multitasking under pressure

(d) Work Experience:

Minimum of 5 - 7 years in payroll monitoring and compliance, HR/Finance, or compliance roles, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or analytical role in the public sector.

Job Type:

Full Time

Language Requirements:

English

Salary(per annum):

K56172.00

Job Location:

Waigani

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