We are supporting a confidential search for an experienced Senior Manager, Payroll - APAC to lead regional payroll operations across multiple countries in Asia-Pacific.
This role is suited to a senior payroll leader with strong multi-country APAC experience, excellent stakeholder management skills, and a proven track record in payroll governance, compliance, vendor management, and service delivery. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery while driving process improvement, operational consistency, and a strong employee experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end payroll operations across multiple APAC countries.
- Ensure payroll is delivered accurately, compliantly, and on time.
- Manage regional payroll performance, including KPIs, SLAs, controls, and service quality.
- Act as the senior escalation point for complex payroll issues, audits, compliance matters, and employee pay concerns.
- Partner closely with HR, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Shared Services, IT, and external payroll providers.
- Manage payroll vendors and local payroll providers, ensuring strong service delivery and accountability.
- Drive payroll process improvement, standardisation, automation, and operational efficiency.
- Support payroll governance, audit readiness, risk management, and statutory compliance across the region.
- Lead resolution of payroll issues through investigation, root cause analysis, and sustainable corrective actions.
- Contribute to broader HR operations, payroll transformation, and service delivery improvement initiatives.
Required Experience
- 10 to 15+ years of progressive payroll experience, including significant multi-country APAC payroll leadership.
- Strong knowledge of APAC payroll regulations, statutory obligations, tax requirements, social security, and employment legislation.
- Proven experience managing payroll vendors or local payroll providers across multiple countries.
- Experience operating in a complex, matrixed, regional or global environment.
- Strong understanding of payroll controls, governance, compliance, audit readiness, and risk management.
- Experience driving process improvement, standardisation, and operational optimisation.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
- Experience working in service-led environments with defined KPIs, SLAs, escalation processes, and performance expectations.
Preferred Experience
- Experience in a multinational organisation with regional or global payroll scope.
- Exposure to payroll system implementations, integrations, migrations, or transformation projects.
- Familiarity with HRIS, payroll platforms, case management tools, or workflow management systems.
- Payroll certification such as CPP, GPP, CIPP, or equivalent.
- Experience supporting vendor consolidation, operating model improvements, or payroll transformation initiatives.
Key Skills
- Strong APAC payroll expertise.
- Excellent stakeholder and vendor management.
- Strong compliance, governance, and risk mindset.
- Analytical, solutions-focused, and detail-oriented.
- Comfortable operating strategically and hands-on.
- Strong communication and influencing skills.
- Service-focused, with a strong commitment to employee experience and payroll accuracy.
This is a confidential opportunity for a senior payroll leader to take ownership of regional payroll delivery across APAC and contribute to wider HR operations and transformation initiatives.
