Senior Manager, Payroll Singapore, Singapore

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Position Summary

Seeking a strategic Regional Payroll Expert to manage payroll operations and compliance in APAC.

The job is essential for ensuring the on-time and accurate processing of payroll and for successfully transitioning to a future-state operational model in line with global/regional transformations. Additionally, it will take charge of the APAC Payroll Roadmap, serving as the strategic representative for payroll, and advocating for payroll needs with senior HR leadership.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Transformation & RFP Leadership

• Establish and manage the future payroll framework, following global guidelines for improving existing payroll procedures.
• Lead APAC input into the RFP process, including requirements gathering, vendor evaluation, and transition planning.
• Provide project management oversight for payroll transformation initiatives, align collaborators to timelines and deliverables, and report progress to executive leadership.
• Act as the key advocate for payroll in APAC, championing payroll needs and leading the regional Payroll Roadmap. Develop cohesive relationships across HR, Benefits, Compensation, Finance, and Business collaborators.

2. Regional Payroll Governance & Compliance

• Align payroll operations with laws and statutory reporting requirements, ensuring all tasks are completed in accordance with statutory deadlines across the APAC region, including Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and New Zealand.
• Lead vendor governance reviews, produce performance scorecards, and ensure outsourced providers are held accountable to SLAs and contractual obligations.
• Ensure Standard Operating Procedures remain current with vendor model practices and regulatory changes.
• Maintain and strengthen control frameworks, risk management, and audit readiness.
• Serve as the primary contact for addressing customer concerns related to payroll compliance and delivery issues.

3. Payroll Oversight & Business Continuity

• Direct and control payroll services from vendors and internal sources, maintaining precision, timeliness, and consistency across APAC markets including Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and New Zealand.
• Ensure an accurate and timely payroll, including but not limited to base pay, stock compensation, payroll taxes, pension, statutory and supplemental benefits.
• Supervise expatriate and shadow payrolls for mobility cases in collaboration with Mobility Services.
• Validate payroll outputs and sign-off with Finance Managers and Local HR Managers.
• Safeguard business continuity through proactive planning and documentation.
• Lead system automation projects and resolve payroll technology integrations alongside HRIS/IT.
• Monitor vendor performance metrics, produce payroll scorecards, and lead service improvement initiatives in collaboration with providers.
• Take charge of automation and digitization projects to streamline operations, boost scalability, and elevate reporting.
• Champion ongoing payroll optimization initiatives across the region.
• Build frameworks to support onboarding of new countries/entities into APAC payroll operations.
• Identify knowledge gaps and areas of training at the local country level for process improvement and standard methodology.

5. Finance & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with the Finance team on reconciliations, integrating the general ledger, managing accruals, and preparing statutory reports.
• Own month-end close, quarter-end, and year-end processes for APAC entities including reviewing/approving journal entries,