Job Summary

The Senior Manager serves as the regional process owner for Payroll Payment operations, providing leadership over service delivery, governance, controls, compliance, and transformation initiatives. The role is accountable for ensuring effective payment governance, operational excellence, stakeholder satisfaction, and continuous improvement while maintaining strong financial stewardship and risk management practices across Asia Pacific. The role partners closely with the Regional Director, Finance Projects (RDFP) to deliver operational excellence, process standardization, and continuous improvement across Procure-to-Pay and payroll payment processes. The Senior Manager provides leadership to payroll team, supports audit and compliance activities, and partners with stakeholders to achieve organizational objectives while maintaining the highest standards of financial stewardship, payment governance, and risk management.

Key responsibilities

Primary Business Partners:

• Regional Finance & Accounting teams

• Onsite and Regional HR Leaders

• Corporate Finance & Accounting Team

Interfaces With:

• Business Unit Finance Leaders

• Corporate and Regional Tax Team

• Payroll Services Providers

• Operational and Commercial Teams

• Internal and external auditors

Overall responsibilities

• Lead and manage Payroll Operations, ensuring high-quality and cost-effective service delivery.

• Ensure timely and accurate processing of employee reimbursements and payroll disbursements.

• Maintain a robust control environment in compliance with SOX, company policies, treasury and banking controls, and regulatory requirements.

• Oversee payroll operations across multiple markets within Asia Pacific.

• Drive process standardization, operational efficiencies, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Lead and develop high-performing payroll operations teams.

• Support finance transformation and automation initiatives to enhance efficiency and controls.

• Manage risks, escalations, fraud prevention measures, and payment exceptions.

• Execute operational priorities and transformation initiatives under the direction of the RDFP.

• Lead day-to-day operations of payroll functions and ensure delivery against established performance targets and service levels.

• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for payroll teams.

Strategic Planning & Business Partnerships:

• Serve as the regional functional Payroll Payment processes across Asia Pacific.

• Partner with HR, Treasury, and business stakeholders to identify service improvement opportunities.

• Develop and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and performance dashboards to drive operational excellence.

• Lead governance forums with key stakeholders to review performance, risks, control effectiveness, and improvement opportunities.

• Support organizational redesign and migration initiatives into centralized environments.

• Lead regional initiatives involving payment automation, transformation, payroll process improvements, and ERP enhancements.

• Monitor project timelines, budgets, risks, and benefits realization.

• Ensure payment processes align with both local compliance requirements and global standards.

• Make sound business decisions that balance stakeholder needs, operational realities, and long-term objectives.

• Monitor project timelines, budgets, risks, and benefits realization.

• Make quality business decisions that thoughtfully weigh the facts and understand the interests of stakeholders involved.

Centralized Operations & Controls

Responsible for operational leadership and service delivery performance of payroll processes including finance operations. Accountable for achieving agreed service levels, process efficiencies, and quality standards.

• Payroll Operations

• Act as primary finance owner for payroll governance across the region.

• Ensure payroll funding, payroll accounting, and disbursement processes comply with established internal controls.

• Review payroll-related balance sheet reconciliations and control account integrity.

• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties exists across payroll processing, approval, and payment activities.

• Monitor payroll compliance risks and coordinate remediation activities with HR and payroll service providers.

• Review payroll metrics, trends, and exception reports to identify process improvement opportunities.

• Ensure compliance with local labor laws, payroll regulations, tax requirements, and statutory obligations across all countries under scope.

• Treasury & Cash Management Partnership

• Partner with Regional Finance & Accounting team and Corporate Treasury team to optimize payment cycles and working capital management.

• Support cash forecasting related to payroll payments.

• Oversee cash utilization processes.

• Support management of banking platforms and electronic payment systems.

• Collaborate with Regional Finance & Accounting team and Corporate Treasury team on initiatives involving payment automation and liquidity optimization.

• Governance and Controls

• Serve as process owner for SOX controls relating to Payroll Payments.

• Ensure adherence to SOX, MVW policies, Delegation of Authority requirements, and banking controls.

• Perform regular control reviews to identify weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.

• Ensure audit readiness and timely closure of audit findings.

• Lead compliance reviews relating to financial, statutory, and corporate policy requirements.

• Maintain documentation of key controls, process maps, and operating procedures.

• Implement fraud prevention and payment verification controls.

• Lead remediation efforts for control gaps and audit findings.

• Support internal and external audits relating to payments and payroll processes.

• Drive a culture of accountability, compliance, and control consciousness across centralized payroll teams.

• Project & Transformation Leadership

• Lead the execution of approved regional transformation initiatives and projects.

• Manage project plans, milestones, budgets, risks, and stakeholder communications.

• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful implementation and business adoption.

• Support business case development and benefits realization tracking.

• Drive automation and digital solutions that improve efficiency, control, and service quality.

• Provide regular project status updates and recommendations to the RDFP and leadership teams.

Team Development

• Build and lead high-performing, geographically diverse teams.

• Develop capabilities in centralizing payroll team, transformation, and project management.

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and innovation.

• Develop succession plans and capability-building initiatives within payroll functions.

• Collaborate with HR on workforce planning and capability building.

• Foster engagement and retention across in-market and payroll teams.

• Recommend organizational and operating model improvements to support payroll team effectiveness and scalability.

• Promote associate growth through mentorship, job shadowing, and rotation opportunities, fostering a culture of continuous development.

• Strengthen the organization by recruiting, motivating, and retaining talent, including remote or matrixed teams within the portfolio.

• Translate regional objectives into departmental goals and performance expectations for payroll team.

• Actively drive training programs by Regional or Corporate-led - to upskill team capabilities (technical, interpersonal or digital skills)

• Continuously enhance financial reporting by analyzing job tasks and structures to maintain strong controls, transparency, and operational efficiency.

• Work cross-functionally to identify and eliminate obstacles that hinder team performance and goal achievement.

Candidate Profile

Preferred Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance or Accounting preferred; or related major.

• 8 -12 years of progressive payroll and accounting experience.

• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing payroll teams.

• Proven experience in leading Global Business Services organizations is preferred.

• Experience managing cross-border teams and complex regional operations.

• Proficiency in reading and writing in English (additional language required for certain positions).

• Positive, self-starter and highly driven

• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking

• Deep understanding of P2P and payroll processes.

• Working knowledge of payroll tax and statutory requirements across APAC markets.

• Expertise in process improvement (Lean, Six Sigma, automation)

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skill.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills

• Effective communication and executive presentation skills

• Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and analytics tools (e.g., Power BI)

• This role requires flexibility to support business needs across time zones and may involve occasional travel within the region.