Payroll Automation & Transformation Specialist

1. Payroll 

Malaysia In-House Payroll 

• Own end-to-end processing of Malaysia payroll in-house, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, allowances, bonuses, and deductions, applying RPA and automated workflows to reduce manual touchpoints wherever possible. 

• Calculate and process statutory contributions (EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB/MTD) and ensure timely remittance and filing. 

• Prepare and reconcile payroll journal entries, GL postings, and payroll-related balance sheet accounts. 

• Manage year-end tax reporting (e.g., EA forms) and other statutory filings for Malaysia. 

• Ensure full compliance with the Employment Act and other applicable Malaysian labor regulations. 

Rest of APAC (excl SG) Payroll Operations (Vendor-Managed) 

• Act as the primary point of contact and relationship owner for outsourced payroll vendors across assigned APAC countries. 

• Review and validate payroll inputs, calculations, and outputs (salary, statutory contributions, tax filings, benefits deductions) submitted by vendors for accuracy and compliance with local regulations, leveraging AI-assisted data validation and anomaly detection tools where available to strengthen quality checks. 

• Coordinate monthly payroll cycles with vendors, ensuring adherence to agreed SLAs and internal deadlines. 

• Manage escalations, discrepancies, and query resolution between vendors, employees, and internal stakeholders. 

• Monitor vendor performance against KPIs/SLAs and participate in periodic vendor reviews and contract renewals. 

• Stay current on statutory and regulatory changes (e.g., tax, social security, employment law) across APAC jurisdictions and ensure vendors implement required changes. 

2. Audit & Compliance Management 

• Lead and coordinate SOX audit requirements related to payroll processes, including control documentation, walkthroughs, and remediation of findings. 

• Manage statutory and external/internal audits for all applicable entities across APAC, acting as the key liaison between auditors, vendors, and internal teams. 

• Prepare audit schedules, supporting documentation, and evidence for payroll-related controls and transactions, using automation and AI-assisted tools to accelerate evidence gathering and strengthen audit trail accuracy. 

• Track audit findings and action items through to closure, ensuring timely remediation and process updates. 

• Maintain payroll process documentation, SOPs, and control matrices to support audit readiness at all times. 

3. Process Improvement & AI Transformation 

• Identify inefficiencies, risks, and gaps in current payroll processes and controls across the region. 

• Lead the exploration, design, and rollout of AI-driven and automation solutions (e.g., AI-assisted data validation, anomaly detection, generative AI/chatbots for employee payroll queries, intelligent document processing, RPA, predictive analytics for payroll cost forecasting) to improve payroll accuracy, speed, and cost efficiency. 

• Evaluate emerging AI/automation tools and vendor capabilities, building business cases and roadmaps for adoption across APAC payroll operations. 

• Partner with HR, Finance, IT, and vendors to streamline payroll workflows, system integrations (e.g., HRIS-payroll interfaces), and data flows to support AI-enabled processes. 

• Develop and maintain payroll process documentation, checklists, and control frameworks, including updates needed to support new AI/automation tools. 

• Support system implementations, upgrades, or vendor transitions as needed. 

• Lead or contribute to other payroll, HR, or finance transformation projects as assigned, acting as a flexible resource for cross-functional initiatives beyond core payroll operations. 

4. Reporting & Stakeholder Management 

• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc payroll reports and reconciliations for management and finance teams, increasingly leveraging AI-powered analytics and dashboards to surface trends and insights. 

• Provide payroll data and analysis to support budgeting, forecasting, and headcount reporting. 

• Build strong working relationships with in-country HR, Finance, vendors, and regulatory bodies as needed. 

• A specialist with at least 4  years of regional payroll experience gained, preferably in a multi-country environment.  

• Hands-on experience with Malaysia payroll processing (EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB) is required. 

• Experience managing outsourced payroll vendors across multiple jurisdictions. 

• Prior experience supporting SOX, statutory, or internal/external audits is highly preferred. 

• Experience in payroll process improvement, automation, or AI-enabled transformation projects is highly preferred. 

• Exposure to RPA, AI tools, or data analytics platforms applied to HR/payroll processes is a strong plus. 

• Hands-on experience with automation or AI platforms such as UiPath, Power Automate, or Workday AI/ML capabilities is an advantage. 

• Strong knowledge of APAC payroll regulations, statutory requirements, and compliance frameworks. 

• Solid understanding of internal controls, SOX requirements, and audit processes. 

• Excellent vendor management and stakeholder communication skills. 

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and process-mapping abilities. 

• Proficiency in Timesoft payroll system, preferably Workday HRIS and advanced Excel skills.  

• High attention to detail with strong organizational and time-management skills. 

• Ability to work independently across multiple countries, time zones, and cultures. 

• Resourceful, independent, analytical and is self-driven with high degree of professional integrity with ability to handle confidential information  

• Working knowledge of or strong curiosity about AI/automation tools (e.g., RPA, generative AI, machine-learning-based analytics), with a demonstrated ability to translate them into practical payroll efficiency gains. 

• Flexible and adaptable, able to pick up ad hoc projects outside core payroll duties as business needs evolve. 

• A team player and possess a customer-focused attitude