Role Summary
We are looking for a detail-oriented and experienced Payroll Specialist with strong expertise in India payroll operations and statutory compliance, along with exposure to Emerging Markets (EM) payroll processing. The role will be responsible for managing end-to-end payroll activities, ensuring statutory compliance, supporting payroll governance, and coordinating with internal stakeholders and external payroll vendors to ensure accurate and timely payroll delivery.
Key Responsibilities
India Payroll (Primary Responsibility)
- Manage end-to-end payroll processing for India including monthly payroll, off-cycle payrolls, annual bonus payouts, and Full & Final settlements.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable India statutory requirements including:
- Provident Fund (PF)
- Employee State Insurance (ESI)
- Professional Tax (PT)
- Tax Deducted at Source (TDS)
- Labour Welfare Fund (LWF)
- Gratuity and other statutory obligations
- Validate payroll inputs such as attendance, leave, overtime, incentives, bonuses, variable pay, reimbursements, and deductions.
- Review payroll calculations, gross-to-net validations, and payroll outputs prior to sign-off.
- Coordinate with HR, Finance, HRSS, and business stakeholders for payroll inputs and approvals.
- Reconcile payroll registers, bank transfer files, GL reports, and statutory submissions.
- Handle employee payroll queries related to salary, taxation, deductions, investments, reimbursements, and payslips.
Emerging Markets Payroll (Secondary Responsibility)
- Support payroll processing activities for assigned EM countries in coordination with payroll vendors (e.g., Neeyamo, ADP, local providers).
- Validate payroll inputs and outputs to ensure accuracy, compliance, and adherence to country-specific requirements.
- Review payroll reports and identify discrepancies before payroll sign-off.
- Coordinate with country HR and Finance teams for payroll inputs and approvals.
- Monitor vendor performance and ensure compliance with agreed SLAs and governance standards.
- Support payroll transitions, stabilizations, process documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Assist in statutory compliance reviews and audit requirements across assigned EM countries.
Compliance & Governance
- Ensure adherence to local labor laws, tax regulations, and statutory requirements across India and assigned EM countries.
- Maintain payroll documentation, process notes, audit trails, and governance controls.
- Support internal, external, and statutory audits by providing required payroll documentation and reports.
- Identify payroll risks and compliance gaps and proactively escalate issues to management.
- Ensure payroll controls are followed to achieve accurate and compliant payroll processing.
Stakeholder & Vendor Management
- Collaborate closely with HR, HRSS, Finance, Tax, and external payroll vendors.
- Act as the primary point of contact for payroll-related escalations and issue resolution.
- Drive timely communication with stakeholders on payroll timelines, validations, and compliance requirements.
- Participate in governance meetings and vendor performance reviews.
Process Improvement & Controls
- Participate in payroll process standardization, automation, and transformation initiatives.
- Support implementation of payroll best practices and continuous improvement programs.
- Develop and strengthen payroll controls to ensure accurate and timely payroll delivery.
- Support global payroll projects, system enhancements, and process optimization initiatives.
Required Skills & Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in commerce, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or related discipline.
Experience
- Minimum 4+ years of payroll experience.
- Strong hands-on experience in India payroll processing and statutory compliance (Mandatory).
- Exposure to multi-country payroll operations, particularly Emerging Markets payrolls, is preferred.
- Experience working with payroll vendors and shared service environments.
Technical Skills
- Strong understanding of India payroll legislation and statutory requirements including PF, ESI, PT, TDS, LWF, and labor compliance.
- Hands-on experience in SAP Payroll (Mandatory), including payroll processing, validation, reconciliation, and reporting.
- Experience working with SAP SuccessFactors (SF) for employee master data management and payroll integration.
- Good understanding of gross-to-net calculations, taxation, payroll accounting, and statutory deductions.
- Advanced Excel skills include payroll reconciliations, validations, reporting, and data analysis.
- Experience in payroll audits and compliance reporting.
