Executive Manager - Payroll for South Asia

Overview

This position is responsible for leading end-to-end payroll functions across all South Asian countries. The Executive Manager in Payroll serves as the central point of contact to ensure salary processing accuracy, adherence to statutory compliance, and seamless governance of payroll processes. The role involves close coordination between employees, Human Resources, Finance, and various internal and external stakeholders to guarantee payroll precision and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the complete payroll process including monthly, bi-weekly, and off-cycle payrolls.
• Ensure correct calculation and payment of salaries, benefits, deductions, and reimbursements.
• Validate payroll data inputs such as new hires, employee exits, promotions, and transfers accurately.
• Ensure full compliance with payroll-related legislation, tax regulations, and organizational policies.
• Handle all statutory filings, tax deductions, and regulatory documentation.
• Maintain payroll records in audit-ready condition and support internal and external audit activities.
• Review and reconcile payroll data prior to processing to detect and correct errors.
• Implement strong internal controls and maintain audit trails to uphold payroll integrity and accuracy.
• Lead and oversee the payroll team including staffing, workload allocation, training, and performance management.
• Collaborate closely with HR, Finance, payroll partners, external vendors, auditors, and tax authorities.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for employee payroll inquiries.
• Prepare reports on payroll performance monthly, quarterly and annually, providing analytic insights for financial planning and leadership reviews.
• Drive payroll process automation, oversee payroll systems, their upgrades and integrations, ensuring data integrity across platforms.

Qualifications and Experience

• 10 to 12 years of relevant experience in HR Operations or Shared Services, particularly focusing on payroll functions.
• Experience working in global or matrix organizational environments, including international exposure through living and working in multiple global locations.
• Adept at managing change and demonstrating agility in dynamic business scenarios.
• Proven leadership experience with strong people management capabilities and ability to make decisions promptly in ambiguous situations.
• Demonstrated history of delivering high-quality service effectively.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline.
• Possession of payroll professional certification is a plus but not mandatory.