Senior Payroll Specialist APAC

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Payroll Specialist APAC to oversee end-to-end payroll operations across multiple countries within the Asia-Pacific region, with primary accountability for Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand, while providing support to additional APAC markets as required.

This role demands in-depth expertise in regional payroll legislation, statutory compliance, payroll governance, vendor management, and continuous process improvement. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted Subject Matter Expert (SME) for APAC payroll operations, ensuring payroll accuracy, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and a positive employee experience across the region.

Role & responsibilities

Payroll Operations

Manage and execute end-to-end payroll processing for Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and other assigned APAC countries.

Ensure payrolls are processed accurately, compliantly, and within established service level agreements (SLAs) and payroll calendars.

Review and validate payroll inputs, earnings, deductions, taxes, benefits, and statutory contributions to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Conduct detailed payroll audits, reconciliations, and variance analyses before and after payroll processing.

Review payroll outputs and reports, ensuring data integrity between HRIS, Time & Attendance, Finance, and Payroll systems.

Administer off-cycle payrolls, bonus payments, incentive payouts, salary adjustments, and employee final settlements.

Support payroll transitions, acquisitions, integrations, and process enhancements across the APAC region.

APAC Compliance & Statutory Management

Serve as the payroll compliance SME for APAC, providing expert guidance on payroll legislation, statutory regulations, and labour law requirements.

Ensure full compliance with country-specific employment laws, tax regulations, social security schemes, and statutory reporting requirements.

Manage statutory filings, tax payments, social insurance remittances, and year-end reporting obligations within prescribed timelines.

Monitor regulatory and legislative changes, assess payroll impacts, and implement required process updates promptly.

Collaborate with external payroll providers, tax consultants, and local stakeholders to maintain ongoing compliance and operational effectiveness

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

Partner closely with payroll service providers and vendors to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery.

Manage payroll escalations, investigate complex payroll issues, and provide effective resolutions to employee and stakeholder queries.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Human Resources, Finance, Tax, Benefits, Legal, Compliance, and Shared Services.

Lead regular service reviews, governance discussions, and performance evaluations with payroll vendors to drive service excellence.

Build and maintain strong professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders, fostering collaboration and trust across the organization.

Payroll Controls & Governance

Maintain robust payroll controls, governance practices, and audit readiness across all payroll processes.

Ensure adherence to internal control frameworks, company policies, and compliance standards.

Support internal and external audit activities by preparing payroll documentation, reports, reconciliations, and evidence as required.

Develop, maintain, and continuously improve payroll standard operating procedures (SOPs), process flows, and knowledge documentation.

Identify and mitigate payroll-related risks through proactive controls, monitoring, and issue resolution.

Continuous Improvement & Transformation

Identify opportunities to streamline payroll operations through automation, standardization, and process optimization.

Participate in payroll transformation initiatives, system implementations, process migrations, and continuous improvement projects.

Drive the harmonization and standardization of payroll practices across multiple APAC countries while maintaining local compliance requirements.

Utilize payroll metrics, analytics, and reporting to enhance operational efficiency, compliance, and service delivery.

Contribute to the development of scalable payroll processes that support organizational growth and changing business needs.

Preferred candidate profile

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related discipline.

Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive payroll experience, including significant exposure to multi-country APAC payroll operations.

Extensive hands-on experience managing payroll for Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand, with strong knowledge of country-specific payroll legislation and statutory requirements.

Working knowledge of payroll regulations and practices across additional APAC countries is highly desirable.

Proven experience managing outsourced payroll providers and operating within global or regional payroll delivery models.

Strong understanding of payroll controls, compliance frameworks, auditing requirements, and statutory regulations.

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, payroll reporting, data analysis, and reconciliation activities.

Experience working with global HRIS and payroll systems such as Workday, SAP, ADP, Oracle, SuccessFactors, or similar platforms.

Strong proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, with the ability to analyze complex payroll data and reporting requirements.

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet critical deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced, multinational environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting regional or global payroll operations within a multinational organization.

Professional payroll certification or related payroll qualification.

Knowledge of payroll project management, payroll transitions, and transformation initiatives.

Proven track record of driving process improvements, automation initiatives, and operational efficiencies within payroll functions

meenakshi.dixit@persolapac.com

www.persolindia.com

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