Payroll Implementation Lead (Contract)

Regional Payroll Implementation Lead – Asia Pacific 12 months contract - renewable Central, Singapore Summary: The Regional Payroll Implementation Lead is responsible for driving payroll system projects, optimizing payroll operations, and managing vendor relationships across the Asia Pacific region, including Australia. With at least 10 years of experience in payroll management and project leadership, this role ensures efficient, compliant, and accurate payroll delivery in diverse regulatory environments. The Regional Payroll Implementation Lead collaborates with HR, Finance, IT, and external partners to lead complex implementations and deliver ongoing operational excellence across multiple countries. Key Responsibilities: Project Management Lead and manage large-scale payroll projects throughout the Asia Pacific region, including implementations, upgrades, migrations, and process improvement initiatives. Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource allocations for multi-country projects. Coordinate cross-functional teams, ensuring effective communication and alignment among senior stakeholders in various jurisdictions. Monitor project progress, proactively identify and mitigate risks, resolve issues, and ensure timely delivery of project milestones. Prepare and present executive-level project status updates and reports to regional and global leadership. Facilitate change management, training, and user adoption activities tailored to the Asia Pacific and Australian markets. Payroll Implementation Gather and analyze business requirements to design payroll solutions that meet diverse organizational needs and compliance standards across Asia Pacific and Australia. Oversee payroll system configuration, data migration, rigorous testing, and validation activities for regional implementations and upgrades. Ensure successful go-live execution and provide post-implementation support for new or upgraded payroll systems in multiple countries. Collaborate with IT and HRIS teams to integrate payroll systems with HR, finance, and timekeeping platforms, ensuring compatibility with local requirements. Document implementation processes, workflows, and best practices for the region. Payroll Operations Lead the optimization and continuous improvement of payroll processes and procedures across Asia Pacific and Australia, considering local regulations, tax structures, and employment laws. Ensure payroll operations comply with all relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies, including multi-jurisdictional requirements (e.g., Singapore CPF, Australian PAYG, India PF/ESIC, etc.). Oversee payroll data integrity, accuracy, and confidentiality throughout all operational activities. Identify and implement automation and process enhancement opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce errors in regional payroll operations. Serve as a senior subject matter expert for payroll process and system. Vendor Management Manage strategic relationships with external payroll vendors and service providers operating in Asia Pacific and Australia. Coordinate vendor activities related to system implementation, support, and maintenance, ensuring local compliance and performance standards. Monitor vendor performance, resolve escalated issues, and drive continuous improvement. Evaluate new vendor solutions and make recommendations for improvements or changes, considering market-specific requirements. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Finance, Information Systems, or related field; advanced degree preferred. Minimum 12+ years of progressive experience in regional payroll, project management, or related roles, with significant exposure to Asia Pacific and Australian payroll environments for Bank or Large FI Demonstrated experience leading payroll system implementations and operations (e.g., ADP, Ceridian, Ramco) in large, complex, multi-country organizations. Strong project management skills, including planning, execution, and senior stakeholder management across different cultures and regulatory environments. Deep understanding of payroll processes, compliance, and regulatory requirements in Asia Pacific and Australia, including local statutory requirements. Excellent communication, leadership, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Experience with data migration, system integration, and user training in multi-country settings. Project management certification (e.g., PMP, Prince2, Agile) strongly preferred.