Assistant Manager Flight Crew Payroll & Projects (19-month Contract)

Cathay Pacific; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 420,000 - 640,000; Full time

Job summary

Cathay Pacific Group is seeking an Assistant Manager Flight Crew Payroll & Projects to support the Strategic Planning & Projects Manager in governance, processing and improvement of the flight crew payroll cycle. You will help ensure accurate, compliant and timely payroll, and provide data for pilot cost budgeting and remuneration studies.

The role focuses on meticulous execution, quality assurance, and collaboration with GBS, IT, Finance and People to drive payroll automation and efficiency

Qualifications

• Experience in payroll operations and governance.
• Strong data handling and reconciliation skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy under pressure.
• Good communication with cross‑functional teams including IT, Finance and People.
• Proficient in English, both spoken and written.

Responsibilities

• Execute end‑to‑end flight crew payroll cycle with data prep, validation, reconciliation and timely delivery.
• Perform QA checks, resolve discrepancies and maintain audit trails for each payroll run.
• Maintain payroll reference data, pay rules and calculation logic per current agreements and regulations.
• Manage payroll adjustments, arrears, ad‑hoc payments and approvals.

Skills

Payroll operations

Data reconciliation

Attention to detail

Communication

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher diploma in Business Administration/Finance/HR

Tools

Excel

Job description

Role Introduction

Reports to: Strategic Planning & Projects Manager.

This role is part of a professional team in our Flight Operations Department (FOP), which consists of flight crew and ground staff teams, both working to ensure the highest standards of operational efficiency and service. Safety is intrinsic to everything we do. As an Assistant Manager Flight Crew Payroll & Projects, you will be responsible for providing hands‑on execution support to the Strategic Planning & Projects Manager in the day‑to‑day governance, processing, and continuous improvement of the flight crew payroll cycle. The role serves as a key operational contributor – ensuring payroll accuracy, compliance, and timeliness through meticulous execution, quality assurance, and stakeholder coordination. In addition, the role supports the broader team by preparing and supplying reliable data sets, reports, and reconciliations that feed into pilot cost budgeting and remuneration studies.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute and coordinate the end‑to‑end flight crew payroll cycle, covering data preparation, input validation, exception handling and reconciliation to ensure accurate, compliant and timely delivery.
• Perform detailed quality assurance checks, resolve payroll discrepancies and maintain comprehensive audit trails for each payroll run.
• Maintain payroll reference data, pay rules and calculation logic in line with current employment conditions, collective agreements and regulatory requirements.
• Manage payroll adjustments, arrears, ad‑hoc payments and corrections, ensuring appropriate documentation and approval workflows are followed.
• Respond to payroll‑related queries from pilots, Global Business Services (GBS), People and Finance with timely and accurate information.
• Coordinate payroll changes arising from policy updates or system enhancements, including user acceptance testing, data migration and post‑implementation validation with Flight Operations, GBS and IT.
• Support corporate‑wide pilot payroll audits and reviews by preparing documentation, responding to queries and tracking remediation actions to maintain audit readiness.
• Identify opportunities for payroll process improvement and automation, support transformation initiatives, and track efficiency metrics to demonstrate measurable improvements and inform investment in payroll modernisation.
• Prepare and validate payroll and cost data for annual budgeting, ad‑hoc forecasts, variance analysis, pilot cost key performance indicator tracking and management reporting.
• Provide data for strategic remuneration studies and reconcile payroll actuals against budgets and forecasts, flagging variances and preparing supporting schedules for review.

Requirements

• University degree or higher diploma in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in payroll operations, payroll administration, or a closely related function.
• Experience in an aviation or large‑scale operational environment is preferred.
• Solid understanding of payroll processes, pay rules, tax and statutory deductions, and compliance requirements.
• Detail‑oriented, with strong data handling and reconciliation skills and proficiency in Excel.
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, meet tight payroll deadlines and maintain accuracy under pressure.
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to liaise with cross‑functional teams including Global Business Services (GBS), IT, Finance and People.
• Good command of both spoken and written English.

Equal Opportunity

Cathay Pacific is committed to fostering an environment that values Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to attracting and hiring qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities. We strive to create a respectful, inclusive workplace free from discrimination, harassment and bullying.

Privacy

Personal data provided by job applicants will be used strictly in accordance with our Applicant Personal Information Collection Statement and for recruitment purposes only. Candidates not notified within eight weeks may consider their application unsuccessful. We keep records of your data for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which we obtained them and any other permitted linked purposes. If your application is unsuccessful, we will keep your details on file for as long as is necessary to process your application or for the purposes of further job opportunities if you agree to such longer periods.