Regional Payroll Manager, SEA+

Position Summary

Based in Malaysia, the incumbent will lead end-to-end payroll operations across multiple SEA+ countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. As an individual contributor, this role operates independently and remotely, working closely with regional business leaders, Finance, HR, and external payroll vendors. You will play a critical role in ensuring payroll accuracy, compliance, and timeliness, while aligning payroll practices with business goals and enhancing the employee experience. The ideal candidate is a hands-on, detail-oriented professional with strong analytical capabilities, a continuous improvement mindset, and proven expertise in managing complex, multi-country payroll processes with minimal supervision.

Principal Responsibilities

Regional Payroll Operations
• Lead end-to-end payroll processing across SEA+ in partnership with external vendors.
• Serve as the regional point of contact for all payroll-related matters.
• Review, validate, and authorize monthly payroll instructions and outputs, ensuring compliance with local regulations and deadlines.
• Drive payroll-related system updates, enhancements, and testing with global HRIS and vendors.
• Maintain the highest standards of payroll confidentiality and data integrity.
• Partner with Finance to ensure accurate payroll reporting, reconciliation, and alignment with financial processes.
• Manage tax-related inquiries and annual tax certificate issuance for both employees and Finance.
• Oversee vendor SLAs, performance, and contractual compliance.
• Coordinate payroll activities related to onboarding and offboarding, ensuring timely processing of new joiners and final payments for exiting employees.

HRIS & Employee Data Governance
• Ensure accurate and timely updates of payroll-impacting employee records, including new hires, exits, and internal movements.
• Provide employee and HR support on payroll-related HRIS matters.
• Ensure data accuracy and consistency in line with audit standards and internal controls.
• Maintain structured documentation and controls for employee lifecycle events, including onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Generate and distribute monthly HR reports (e.g., headcount, turnover, movements, and payroll summaries) to relevant stakeholders.

Compensation & Rewards Coordination
• Collaborate with business leaders on quarterly performance check-ins and year-end Total Compensation Management (TCM) cycles.
• Administer employee benefits, including group insurance for enrollments, terminations, and changes.
• Generate letters for sales incentives, local bonuses, promotions, adjustments, and role changes.
• Support benchmarking efforts by aligning payroll and compensation data with market trends.
• Partner with HRBPs to implement local benefits and wellness initiatives.

Compliance & Process Improvement
• Ensure payroll practices comply with statutory, tax, and audit requirements across SEA+.
• Continuously assess and implement improvements to enhance payroll accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience.
• Prepare reports and documentation for internal and external audits, finance, and regulatory filings.
• Support the development and automation of recurring HR reports and dashboards to improve data-driven decision-making.

Education / Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Human Resources, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience managing regional or multi-country payroll across Southeast Asia.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, statutory compliance, and labor laws across SEA+.
• Demonstrated success managing payroll vendors and operating independently in a regional scope.
• Proficiency in HRIS and payroll systems – SAP SuccessFactors experience is a plus.
• Excellent attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to navigate complexity.
• Self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Specialized Skills / Other Requirements