Kitopi is a creator of magical food experiences—we discover, create, and curate homegrown brands from the region, for the region.
With a purpose to satisfy the world’s appetite to create joy, Kitopi owns and operates a diverse portfolio of over 200+ brands. These brands are either created, discovered, or curated with their customers in mind.
Launched in Dubai, UAE, in January 2018, Kitopi has grown to become one of the greatest success stories in the food tech space. By July 2021, Kitopi achieved Unicorn status, becoming the fastest company in the MENA region to reach this milestone.
Kitopi’s growth has been fueled by its innovative and scalable software solutions. Kitopi’s kitchens are powered by its proprietary Smart Kitchen Operating System (SKOS), an in-house suite of applications that optimizes cloud kitchen operations in real-time. As part of its growth roadmap, technological innovation, data science, artificial intelligence, and robotics will take center stage as Kitopi continues to reinvent the food industry and remain the leading food company in the region.
With over 6,000 employees, Kitopi currently operates 200+ locations across the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. It also operates its Customer Experience Center in Amman, Jordan, and its Engineering Hub in Krakow, Poland.
Job Summary:
We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Payroll Manager to oversee and manage all aspects of payroll processing for Kitopi across multiple regions. The Payroll Manager will ensure timely, accurate payroll execution, compliance with local regulations, and seamless collaboration with Finance, Legal, and HR teams. This role requires strong analytical skills, confidentiality, and a proactive approach to process improvements
Key Responsibilities
- Manage the end-to-end payroll cycle for all Kitopi markets, ensuring accuracy and compliance with country-specific laws and company policies.
- Maintain and update payroll information by collecting, calculating, and entering data.
- Review timesheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
- Coordinate with Finance on salary disbursements and reconciliation.
- Administer statutory deductions (e.g., social security, taxes, end-of-service benefits) accurately and submit required reports to authorities.
- Partner with HR teams to ensure new hires, terminations, promotions, and employee changes are reflected correctly in payroll.
- Implement continuous improvements to payroll systems, policies, and procedures to ensure operational efficiency.
- Support audits (internal and external) by providing payroll information and reports.
- Manage and optimize relationships with external vendors (payroll providers, benefits vendors, etc.).
- Develop and monitor key payroll metrics and share insights with leadership.
- Ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection regulations for all employee data.
- Handle employee queries related to payroll professionally and promptly.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- 7+ years of experience in payroll management, preferably in a multi-country environment.
- Experience with payroll systems (e.g. Dynamics.).
- Strong knowledge of labor and tax laws in the GCC and other countries Kitopi operates in (MENA region preferred).
- Advanced Excel skills and ability to work with large datasets.
- Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, and confidentiality.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, growing environment with competing priorities.
Recruitment Process and Timeline
First, you apply, and our talent attraction team will review your profile. If your profile matches our requirements, you will receive a link to schedule a meeting with a recruiter at your convenience. This meeting is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself and for us to get to know you better.
If you are shortlisted, you will meet with our hiring managers. Depending on the role and its requirements, you may need to attend 2-3 interview rounds. These rounds could include a case study, role-play, trial assignment, or live coding session, which will be communicated to you in the initial conversation.
Upon successful completion of the interview rounds, your recruiter will contact you to discuss the offer. We aim to complete this process within 2-3 weeks.
So, what does it really mean to work at Kitopi?
We are constantly striving to make Kitopi the best place to work, by empowering you to be the best version of yourself every day. Our company values act as our guiding principles to help ensure that everyone feels safe, included, and like they truly belong.
Kitopi is an equal-opportunity employer. While we currently operate in 6 countries, we are over 70 different nationalities of talented Kitopians. Whether you are a seasoned professional, a recent graduate, or someone looking to return to the workforce after a break, we encourage you to apply. We celebrate rich diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and cultures and have a 0-tolerance policy towards racism, bigotry, and hate. Please apply if you see a position that makes your heart skip a beat and help us build a company that we are all proud to work for.
Customer-obsessed and tech-enabled, at Kitopi, we are a team of passionate humans who are on a mission together to satisfy the world’s appetite.
