Manager / Senior Manager, Payroll

The role is responsible for leading regional payroll operations across Asia, providing oversight of payroll governance, vendor performance, compliance, operational controls, and process improvement initiatives. As the regional payroll Subject Matter Expert (SME), the role partners with key stakeholders to ensure accurate and compliant payroll delivery, drive operational excellence, and build organizational capability through strong team leadership and development. Responsibilities: Regional Governance & Operational Excellence • Lead payroll operations across Asia, ensuring accurate, timely, compliant, and confidential payroll delivery through a robust governance framework that upholds data privacy, information security, and global standards. • Provide strategic oversight of outsourced payroll partnerships, driving vendor governance, service performance, risk management, and continuous improvement to ensure operational excellence and business continuity. • Drive regional payroll strategy and transformation through process standardization, automation, system enhancements, and scalable operating models that enhance efficiency, compliance, and employee experience. • Oversee payroll-related compensation and financial reporting activities, including executive payroll, equity administration, proxy disclosures, accruals, and statutory reporting, partnering with HR, Finance, and Global Compensation & Benefits to ensure accuracy, compliance, and governance. • Lead payroll-related projects and strategic initiatives, including payroll transformation, vendor transitions, and process optimization to support evolving business and organizational needs. Business Partnership • Serve as the Payroll SME and trusted partner to HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, Global Compensation & Benefits, business leaders, and external providers on payroll-related matters to support organizational initiatives, workforce changes, compensation programs, mergers and acquisitions, and other business activities impacting payroll. • Provide payroll analytics, insights, and governance support to enable informed decision-making across workforce planning, compensation programs, organizational changes, and business transformation initiatives. Audit & Compliance • Regional payroll process owner, ensuring compliance with statutory, tax, labor, reporting, SOX, internal control, and data privacy requirements across Asia Pacific. • Lead payroll governance, risk management, and internal control frameworks, ensuring timely statutory filings, mandatory contributions, tax reporting, employee remuneration disclosures, and adherence to corporate policies and regulatory requirements. • Drive internal and external audit activities, proactively identifying and mitigating payroll risks, driving timely remediation of audit findings, and strengthening the overall control environment. • Proactively monitor legislative, tax, labor, and payroll regulatory developments across the region, assessing business impact and implementing process, policy, and control enhancements ahead of regulatory changes to ensure continued compliance and operational effectiveness. Leadership & People Development • Provide strategic leadership for payroll operations across Asia Pacific while maintaining hands on involvement in critical reviews, controls, audits, escalations, and complex payroll matters to ensure accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence. • Lead and develop a high-performing payroll team through coaching, performance management, succession planning, and capability building, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Qualifications: • Degree with minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in regional payroll operations, with at least 3–4 years in a managerial or team leadership capacity, within a multinational corporation (MNC) or shared services center (SSC) environment. Experience managing payroll across multiple Asia countries is preferred. • In-depth knowledge of payroll principles, statutory regulations and compliance frameworks including SOX and internal controls. Knowledge of payroll governance, risk management, and data privacy requirements is essential. • Experience managing outsourced payroll providers, including vendor governance, service delivery, performance management, and issue resolution. • Strong financial and analytical skills, with the ability to translate payroll data into accounting entries, reconciliations, accruals, reports, and meaningful business insights. Experience with payroll systems, HRIS, and reporting tools is an advantage. • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with HR, Global Compensation & Benefits, Finance, Tax, Legal, auditors, payroll vendors, and regional business teams. • Experience leading payroll-related projects and continuous improvement initiatives, including process standardization, automation, system enhancements, payroll transformation, or vendor transitions. • Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess risks, exercise sound judgment, and drive timely resolution of payroll, compliance, and employee-related issues. • Ability to balance strategic leadership with operational execution, including independently managing complex payroll matters, escalations, audits, and critical payroll cycles while overseeing team delivery. • Demonstrated ability to balance strategic leadership with operational execution in a fast-paced regional environment, leading the payroll function, developing team capabilities, influencing senior stakeholders, and remaining actively involved in complex payroll operations, governance, compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure accurate and timely payroll delivery. Company overview: Founded in 1951, Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLIC) specialize in developing cutting-edge semiconductor and electronics a…