Careers
Payroll and HR administration officer
Every month, hundreds of payslips must be accurate, on time and defensible under inspection. The payroll officer carries that responsibility: a rare, technical skill that moves from one company to another without losing value.
The payroll cycle, first to last
The month starts with collection: absences, overtime, bonuses, advances, arrivals and departures. Then comes calculation, where every payslip line is explained by a rule — base, rate, ceiling, exemption. Checking takes at least an equal share: compare with the previous month, explain every variation, correct before printing rather than after. Social filings close the cycle, followed by the archiving that will allow a precise question to be answered two years later.
- Collect and check the period's variable inputs
- Calculate a payslip and justify every line by its rule
- Prepare social filings and settle them on time
- Handle a hire, a departure and a final settlement
Organisations that entrust payroll
- HR departments of large companies
- Accounting practices running payroll for their clients
- Mining and industrial sites with large, shift-based workforces
- Hospitals, school groups and security companies
- International organisations and programmes employing local staff
What the official catalogue states
These values are not estimates: they are the very definition of the programme in the filed document. Any change goes through a catalogue update, hence through a formal decision. That is what allows a figure announced today to be found unchanged on enrolment day, then on award day.
- qualification level
- 5
- months of programme
- 9
- taught hours
- 600 h
- credits
- 60
- competency blocks
- 5
Senior technician and supervisor
Led by an instructor.
1 credit = 25 h of work, 10 of them taught.
Framework of the « Payroll and HR Administration Officer » qualification, code TP09.
The learning the qualification attests
The qualification attests these blocks, and it names them. A recruiter reading an application can therefore know precisely what the holder demonstrated, rather than infer it from a title. The hours shown for each block complete the picture: they state how long the skill was practised with an instructor present.
- 01
The legal framework of employment
Contracts, working time, leave, absence, termination — 150 taught hours.
- 02
Running payroll
Pay components, contributions, deductions, payslips, adjustments — 200 taught hours.
- 03
Filings and dealings with agencies
Periodic returns, registrations, inspections, disputes — 130 taught hours.
- 04
HR administration and workforce data
Files, registers, HR dashboards, data protection — 80 taught hours.
- 05
Professional conduct
Confidentiality, dealing with employees and managers — 40 taught hours.
Becoming a payroll officer
Entry into this occupation runs through one or more of these programmes. They combine: a short certificate opens the door, a longer programme consolidates the position a few years later. The fees shown match the real billing unit — per year for a long programme, one-off for a short format.
| Programme | Duration | Credits | Taught hours | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Management · Bachelor's degree | 2 years | 120 | 1200 h | 4 800 000 GNF per year |
| Advanced Excel · Short course | 2 months | 4 | 40 h | 900 000 GNF in total |
What comes up in an admissions meeting
Is the skill transferable between countries?
The method transfers entirely: payslip structure, the logic of contribution bases, checking by comparison. Rates and ceilings belong to each national legislation, and the framework teaches you to locate them in a text rather than memorise them.
Does this lead to HR management?
It leads there by the most solid route, the one that knows the costs. The human resources manager qualification, at level 6, adds recruitment, training, employee relations and payroll cost steering.
Explore next
- Customs declarantCustoms declarant and forwarding agent: tariff classification, customs value, procedures, clearance and release. Level 5 qualification in 9 months and 600 taught hours.
- HSE supervisorHSE supervisor: pre-task risk assessment, running a zone, coordinating contractors, investigation and reporting. Level 5 qualification, 9 months, 700 taught hours.
- Automation technicianSenior automation and instrumentation technician: controller programming, sensors and control loops, supervision, process diagnosis. Level 5 qualification, 12 months, 800 hours.
- Systems administratorSystems and network administrator: servers and virtualisation, directory and rights, backup and restore, monitoring, hardening. Level 5 qualification, 9 months, 700 taught hours.
- Application developerApplication developer: software design, data modelling, automated tests, continuous integration and evolutionary maintenance. Level 5 qualification over 12 months and 800 taught hours.
- Company accountantCompany accountant: full bookkeeping, year-end work, OHADA financial statements, routine taxation and dealings with the auditor. Level 5 qualification, 9 months, 700 hours.