Senior Manager, Payroll APAC

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Regional Payroll: Manage and coordinate all payroll activities across APAC countries—including Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea—ensuring consistent, timely, and compliant delivery .
• Team Leadership: Directly manage (3) payroll professionals , providing coaching, professional development, and support . Oversee hiring and play an active role in workforce planning and budget management for the payroll APAC region functions .
• Vendor and Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong partnerships with external payroll vendors and internal cross-function teams . Internal stakeholders include, but are not limited to: People Operations, Benefits, Legal, Tax, Equity, and Accounting . Additionally, foster collaborative relationships with the Workday HRIS team and benefit providers.
• Payroll Excellence: Oversee the full payroll lifecycle for all APAC employees, including wages, equity awards, statutory and supplementary benefits, and taxes . Confirm that pay and benefits are accurate and on time, every pay cycle .
• Compliance & Risk Management: Stay current with statutory payroll and benefits regulations in each country . Ensure all payroll processes uphold compliance, mitigate risks, and prepare for internal or external audits .
• Process Improvement: Lead projects to streamline, transform, or standardize regional payroll processes —including potential system upgrades, vendor migrations, M&A integrations, or expansions into new markets .
• Reporting & Analysis: Prepare, review, and present payroll data and operational metrics using Excel and other reporting tools . Use insights to drive continuous improvement .
• Hybrid Collaboration: Work in the Pune office 3 days a week (Tuesday–Thursday) , engaging actively with your team and remote stakeholders .

Qualification & Requirements

Basic

• 8+ years of progressive experience managing end-to-end payroll for multiple countries within the APAC region (including mandatory experience in India, Singapore, and Australia)
• 4+ years of proven experience managing and developing a team of payroll professionals
• Expert knowledge of APAC payroll withholding taxes, related tax filings, compliance frameworks, statutory benefits, employment regulations, and complex pay element handling (e.g., equity, executive compensation)
• Understanding of payroll accounting principles , the impact of payroll activities on financial statements, and the ability to partner with the Finance team to resolve issues as they arise on a timely basis
• Strong working relationship experience with outsourced payroll vendors and using HRIS platforms (preferably Workday)
• Strong customer service mentality
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (VBA, pivot tables, complex formulas) for reporting, data analysis, and validation controls
• Clear, empathetic communicator—able to explain complex payroll concepts to a variety of audiences
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities and meet tight deadlines
• Flexible and open-minded, comfortable with change, ambiguity, growth, and working across multiple time zones, sometimes outside of the conventional workday when urgent matters arise.

Preferred

• Experience implementing or migrating payroll systems, integrating M&A payrolls, or leading large-scale standardization projects
• Familiarity with equity compensation administration in a global organization
• Track record of improving or transforming payroll operations across regions, including automation and standardization
• Experience operating within a shared service model or a high-growth, globally matrixed technology company collaborating across multiple time zones
• A proven track record of using technology (automation, system workflows) to eliminate manual work and enhance the employee payroll experience

Benefits