Payroll & HROps Manager

Job Description – Payroll & HROps ManagerLocation: MaladDepartment: HRReports to: CHROCompany OverviewEstablished in 1968, Universal Education Group is India's fastest-growing formal education enterprise. With 55,000+ students, & 50+ institutions from KG to PG in Mumbai, Thane, Bengaluru, Nashik, Aurangabad, Trichy, and the UAE, we strongly leverage on our 4 decades of experience & team of 5000+ employees to deliver best-in-class education to our studentsPosition OverviewThe Payroll & HROps Manager will be responsible for managing end-to-end payroll processes for academic and non-academic staff across multiple institutions within the education group and its sister companies. The role ensures accurate salary disbursement, compliance with statutory regulations, and smooth coordination between HR, Accounts, and Operations teams.Why join Universal as Payroll & HROps Manager?● Universal is on a high growth trajectory, we envisage a growth of 3-4x over coming 10 years. The Payroll & HROps Manager would be pivotal role in driving effective payroll at group level● Great place to work culture● If you are ambitious, then our strong focus on value creation, continuous learnings & developments, and building a People centric culture would resonate with you● Stability throughout if the Performance, Intent & Key Behaviors are aligned with HR team's ethos● School fees waivers if you choose Universal School for your kids (Our schools are top of the town education providers)Key Responsibilities● Manage end-to-end payroll processing for all teaching and non-teaching staff.● Ensure accurate computation of salaries, overtime, leave adjustments, incentives, and deductions.● Administer statutory compliance, including PF, ESIC, Professional Tax, TDS, Gratuity, and other applicable labor laws.● Handle full & final settlements, arrears, and reimbursements.● Coordinate with HR for employee data updates (new joinees, resignations, transfers, increments, etc.).● Generate and share payroll MIS reports with management.● Reconcile payroll data with Finance/Accounts for timely disbursement of salaries.● Manage audits related to payroll and compliance.● Address employee queries related to salary, payslips, and deductions.● Ensure payroll accuracy while maintaining confidentiality of employee data.● Suggest and implement process improvements in payroll and HRMS/HROne system.● Handling and closing internal/external audits independently with authorities.● Preparation of Organization Structure, MIS Preparation, Record Management, Managing Employees Leaves & Attendance – On roll Off roll employees● Monthly Basis – Attrition Analysis, MIS, Org Chart, Head Count & Cost● Managing Joining formalities Pre-Joining, On-Joining & Post Joining formalities● Manage End to End Exit Process/Formalities - Full & Final Settlement, Exit Preparation of letters– Appointment, Exit (Acceptance resignation, Separation Letter), Warning letter, Confirmation Letter, Contract renewal Letter● Re-Structuring of Salaries, Revision of CTC structure● Employee related Fund accounting i.e. provisions monthly & Quarterly basis-Bonus, Reimbursement, Performance Bonus, Leave encashment, Gift Card, Meal, Gratuity● Generating the Income Tax liability on monthly basis and send to taxation department for Checking. Income Tax Quarterly 24Q & Yearly form No. 16A & 12 BA generated from the system and checked before handing over to taxation department.● To update the information of New joinees in the payroll system along with the CTC details. To Prepare Full & final settlement working of the employees separated from the organization and explained to them before their last working day and get their signature of the full & final settlement statement.● To prepare the Gratuity of separated employees who have served more than 5 years of service in the organization as per the Gratuity Act and as per the Company' Gratuity Ex-Gratia scheme.● Monitoring of Employees attendance in the HR System and deduction of leave as per the company policy on late coming. Employee attendance were checked before processing the payroll and leave without pay were done for unregularized absenteeism.● PF yearly report 3A, 6A & 7 & 8A were generated from the system and submitted to the taxation department in the month of February so that the report is submitted on time to PF authorities. Monthly Professional tax report are generated from the system and submitted to accounts department before 5th of every month.Skills & Competencies● Accuracy and attention to detail.● Strong problem-solving and reconciliation skills.● Confidentiality and integrity in handling sensitive information.● Ability to coordinate with cross-functional teams (HR, Finance, Operations).● Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.Key Metrics (KPI) mapped to this role:Payroll Accuracy & Timeliness● Payroll Accuracy % = (No. of error-free payrolls processed ÷ Total payrolls processed) × 100● Payroll Timeliness % = (No. of payrolls processed on/before deadline ÷ Total payrolls) × 100● Error Rate in Payslips = (No. of payroll-related errors ÷ Total employees) × 100Compliance & Statutory Filings● PF/ESIC/PT/TDS Filing Timeliness % = (No. of statutory filings submitted on/before deadline ÷ Total statutory filings) × 100● Compliance Accuracy % = (No. of error-free statutory returns ÷ Total filings) × 100● Audit Closure TAT = Avg. days taken to close audit queries (internal/external)● Penalty/Notice Incidence = Number of penalties/notices received due to payroll/statutory lapsesEmployee Life Cycle Transactions● Onboarding Completion TAT = Avg. time taken to complete joining formalities & payroll update for new hires● Exit Settlement Timeliness % = (No. of full & final settlements completed within defined TAT ÷ Total exits) × 100● Gratuity Settlement Accuracy & Timeliness = % of eligible employees settled accurately within timelines● Letters/Documentation TAT = Avg. time to release appointment / confirmation / exit / renewal lettersAttendance, Leave & Employee Records● Attendance Accuracy % = (No. of accurate attendance records ÷ Total employees) × 100● Leave Reconciliation Timeliness = % of leave reconciliations completed before payroll run● Record Management SLA Compliance % = % of employee records updated accurately in HRMS/Payroll system within defined timelinesMIS & Reporting● MIS Timeliness % = (Reports shared on time ÷ Total scheduled reports) × 100● MIS Accuracy % = (Error-free reports ÷ Total reports generated) × 100● Attrition Analysis Timeliness = Avg. time taken to deliver monthly attrition/headcount/cost reportsProcess Improvement & Employee ExperienceEmployee Query Resolution TAT = Avg. time to resolve payroll-related employee queriesEmployee Query Resolution Rate = (No. of queries resolved within SLA ÷ Total queries) × 100Employee Satisfaction Score (Payroll/HR Ops) = Feedback score from employees (survey-based)No. of Process Improvements Implemented per Year = Count of automation/process improvement initiatives in payroll/HR opsConfidentiality & Data Security- Zero breaches of sensitive employee payroll information.Qualifications & Experience● Graduate/Postgraduate in Commerce, Finance, HR, or related field.● 6–10 years of experience in payroll management, preferably in the education industry or a multi-location setup.● Strong knowledge of payroll software/HRMS (HROne, SAP, or similar).● Good understanding of Indian labor laws and statutory compliance.● Strong analytical skills with attention to detail.● Proficiency in MS Excel and payroll reporting.Growth Path – Payroll & HR Operations Manager (2 Years)Year 1 – Foundation & Operational ExcellenceRole Focus: Ensuring payroll accuracy, compliance, and smooth employee lifecycle operations.Key Deliverables (Metrics-driven):● Payroll Accuracy ≥ 99.5%● Payroll Timeliness ≥ 99%● Statutory Filing Timeliness ≥ 100% (PF, ESIC, PT, TDS, Gratuity, Bonus Act)● Audit Closure TAT ≤ 10 days● Employee Query Resolution within SLA ≥ 95%● Onboarding & Exit Settlement Timeliness ≥ 95%Growth Outcome:● Recognition as a trusted Payroll & Compliance Specialist● Eligible for Senior Manager – Payroll & HR Operations (end of Year 1/Year 2)● Expanded role: mentoring 1–2 team members, handling complex reconciliations, and leading compliance auditsStretch Goal for Year 1:Process Improvement & Team LeadershipRole Focus: Driving automation, reducing manual dependencies, and managing a small team.Key Deliverables:● Reduce Payroll Error Rate by 20% through process improvements/automation● Implement at least 2 process improvements in payroll/HRMS per year● Employee Query Resolution TAT reduced by 15% vs. Year 1 baseline● MIS Accuracy ≥ 99% and delivery SLA compliance ≥ 100%● Record Management SLA Compliance ≥ 98%● Build capability to handle multi-company/group payroll operations seamlesslyGrowth Outcome:● Transition into Deputy Head – Payroll & HR Operations● Take ownership of HRMS/HROne process optimization, including employee self-service modules● Directly lead a Payroll & HR Ops team (2–4 members)● Involved in policy recommendations (salary restructuring, flexible benefits, compliance changes)Year 2 – Strategic Payroll & People Operations LeadershipRole Focus: Elevate from operational management to strategic payroll & HR operations leadership.Key Deliverables:● Establish zero-penalty compliance track record across 3 years● Deliver cost optimization in payroll operations (reduce manual effort/consulting spend by X%)● Lead cross-functional payroll-Finance-HR reconciliation with