Payroll Specialist

Job Title: Payroll Specialist

Reports To: Payroll Manager, APJ

Location: Malaysia

Countries in Scope: Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia

Role Purpose

Own end-to-end monthly payroll processing and statutory filing execution for employees across Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, operating day-to-day compliance monitoring, controls, and vendor oversight for this market cluster within the regional governance framework, risk register, and control model owned by the Payroll Manager, APJ. This role works closely with the counterpart Payroll Specialist based in India, who holds the equivalent combined responsibility for India, Australia (NSW/VIC), Japan, and the two provide mutual backup coverage across the full eight-market APJ region as required, under the Payroll Manager's oversight.

Key Responsibilities

Monthly Payroll Processing

• Process monthly payroll end-to-end for Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, including new hires, terminations, transfers, and mid-cycle changes.
• Validate payroll inputs (attendance, leave, overtime (if any), commission, bonuses, allowances, benefits, incentives, one-off payments) received from HR and local operations before each pay run.
• Run payroll calculations through the relevant payroll system or vendor platform and perform pre-payment reconciliation checks for accuracy.
• Coordinate with in-country payroll agencies/vendors (e.g. ADP) to ensure payroll is delivered against the agreed monthly calendar for each market.
• Submit payroll bank files for payroll payment. All bank files except Indonesia uploading into the banking system.
• Provide payroll GL file for accounting posting.
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies, employee queries, and payment errors within agreed turnaround times.
• Prepare monthly payroll reconciliation reports and variance analysis for review by the Payroll Manager.
  
  
  

Annual Salary Income Tax Return Processing

Prepare and support filing of annual employee salary income tax returns/statements across markets in scope, including:

Country

Annual Salary Income Return Requirement

Malaysia

Form EA (annual remuneration statement), CP8D submission to LHDN

Singapore

Form IR8A and appendices, auto-inclusion scheme (AIS) submission to IRAS

Vietnam

Annual personal income tax (PIT) finalisation for employees

Hong Kong

IR56B annual employer's return to the Inland Revenue Department

Indonesia

Annual PPh21 tax reconciliation and employee tax slip (Bukti Potong)

• Reconcile annual salary and tax data against monthly payroll records prior to filing.
• Distribute annual tax statements/certificates to employees within statutory deadlines.
• Escalate any data gaps or discrepancies to the Payroll Manager well ahead of filing deadlines.
  
  
  

Statutory Payments

Calculate and process all statutory payments arising from monthly payroll across markets in scope, including:

• Malaysia: EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB, HRDF levy
• Singapore: CPF contributions
• Vietnam: Social/Health/Unemployment Insurance (SI/HI/UI), Personal Income Tax (PIT)
• Hong Kong: Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions
• Indonesia: BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, BPJS Kesehatan, PPh21
• Prepare payment instructions/remittance files and submit within statutory due dates for each country.
• Maintain evidence of timely payment (receipts, bank confirmations, filing acknowledgements) for audit purposes.
• Track statutory due dates on the regional filing calendar and flag upcoming deadlines proactively.
  
  
  

Statutory Compliance by Market

Monitor, interpret, and ensure compliance with local statutory payroll requirements across markets in scope:

Country

Key Statutory Areas

Malaysia

EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB (monthly tax deduction/LHDN), HRDF levy

Singapore

CPF contributions, IRAS tax filing (IR8A), Skills Development Levy

Vietnam

Social/Health/Unemployment Insurance (SI/HI/UI), Personal Income Tax (PIT), trade union fees

Hong Kong

Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), IRD employer's return, MPF exemption handling

Indonesia

BPJS Ketenagakerjaan & BPJS Kesehatan, PPh21 income tax, THR (religious holiday allowance)

• Track legislative changes across markets in scope and translate them into process or system updates.
• Partner with local tax/legal advisors or in-country finance teams to validate statutory interpretations, especially in complex markets such as Indonesia.
  
  
  

Governance & Controls

• Apply the regional governance framework and standardized SOPs defined by the Payroll Manager for markets in scope, flagging where legally required local variation may be needed.
• Operate within the control ownership model (approvals, segregation of duties, statutory filing sign-off matrix) defined by the Payroll Manager for markets in scope.
• Maintain a statutory filing calendar spanning markets in scope — deadlines vary significantly by frequency and jurisdiction — and keep the Payroll Manager informed of upcoming milestones.
• Support internal and external audits and statutory authority reviews, coordinating documentation across time zones under the direction of the Payroll Manager.
  
  
  

Risk Management

• Identify and report compliance risk items for markets in scope into the regional risk register owned by the Payroll Manager.
• Flag jurisdictions with elevated regulatory change velocity to the Payroll Manager for closer monitoring.
• Escalate material gaps to the Payroll Manager promptly, with supporting detail to inform remediation timelines.
  
  
  

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Manage day-to-day relationships with in-country payroll vendors/agencies and BPOs across markets in scope, holding them to statutory SLAs.
• Serve as the operational point of contact for statutory queries from Finance, Legal, HR, and auditors for markets in scope, escalating audit and leadership-level matters to the Payroll Manager.
• Liaise with local tax or social security authorities and advisors as needed, keeping the Payroll Manager informed on material matters.
• Escalate material vendor performance issues to the Payroll Manager rather than resolving unilaterally.
  
  
  

Reporting & Documentation

• Maintain country-specific statutory compliance calendars and a centralized knowledge repository for markets in scope.
• Produce governance reporting — compliance dashboards, audit status, risk heat maps — for the Payroll Manager, who consolidates and presents to leadership.
• Document jurisdiction-specific nuances relevant to markets in scope.
  
  
  

Continuous Improvement

• Drive standardization and automation of statutory processes across markets in scope where feasible.
• Support payroll system and tax engine implementations from a compliance lens.
• Provide training to in-country payroll teams on statutory changes, particularly where requirements shift frequently.
  
  
  

Backup Coverage

• Provide backup support to the counterpart Payroll Specialist based in India for India, Australia (NSW/VIC), Japan during leave, absence, or peak workload periods.
• Maintain sufficient cross-market familiarity to step into backup coverage without material disruption to processing or filing deadlines.
  
  
  

Compliance & Quality Support

• Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and control checkpoints for markets in scope.
• Support internal and external payroll tax and local statutory financial audits by preparing requested payroll and statutory documentation.
• Flag any observed statutory or process changes in-market to the Payroll Manager for review.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date employee payroll records and statutory filing documentation in the central repository.
  
  
  

Stakeholder Support

• Respond to employee payroll queries (payslips, deductions, tax statements) within agreed service levels.
• Liaise with in-country payroll agencies/vendors on day-to-day processing issues.
• Coordinate with HR and Finance/Accounting teams on payroll inputs, cost center allocations, and general ledger postings.
  
  
  

Key Requirements

Experience

• 3–5 years of hands-on payroll processing experience, ideally spanning Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia.
• Experience preparing or supporting annual salary income tax returns/statements is strongly preferred.
• Experience with statutory compliance, governance, or controls-focused payroll work, not processing alone.
• Experience managing payroll agencies/vendors and BPOs across multiple jurisdictions.
  
  
  

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of statutory payroll requirements in preferably Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Hong Kong and Indonesia is an advantage given the regional scope.
• Strong grasp of statutory frameworks across all markets in scope: Malaysia (EPF/SOCSO/PCB); Singapore (CPF); Vietnam (SI/HI/UI/PIT); Hong Kong (MPF); Indonesia (BPJS/PPh21).
• Familiarity with SOX/SOC 2-style control environments.
• Working knowledge of payroll platforms (e.g. ADP, Workday)
  
  
  

Skills

• High attention to detail and accuracy under monthly processing deadlines.
• Strong reconciliation and numerical skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word and advanced level Excel, data entry skills
• Strong liaison capabilities and analytical skills to navigate multiple distinct legal and regulatory regimes simultaneously.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work
• Excellent problem-solving skills, resourcefulness in solving issues and IT savvy
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including written communication
• Clear communication skills, able to translate complex statutory requirements
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment, as well as independently
• Ability to work under pressure and meet closing deadlines
• Team-oriented, flexible, proactive and positive working attitude
• Cross-time-zone stakeholder management across markets in scope.
  
  
  

Education

Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Finance, Accounting, HR, or a related field. Payroll or tax certification (e.g. Certified Payroll Professional, or local equivalents) is an advantage.

Language

Proficiency in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Key Performance Indicators

• 100% on-time and accurate monthly payroll processing across all markets in scope.
• 100% on-time filing of annual salary income tax returns/statements across all markets in scope.
• 100% on-time statutory payments with zero late-payment penalties.
• Zero material audit findings related to statutory compliance or processing errors.
• Full governance framework documentation coverage across all in-scope entities.
• Payroll query resolution within agreed service level turnaround times.
  
  
  

Quarter-over-quarter reduction in open risk register items