Payroll Support Lead, SE Asia & Pacific

Neara; Pune District; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Neara is looking for a Payroll Support Lead to oversee payroll operations across SE Asia & Pacific. This role requires expertise in resolving complex payroll queries and guiding a support team with a focus on quality. You will be the primary escalation point and drive improvements in payroll processes.

Ideal candidates will possess strong local payroll knowledge, excellent communication skills, and a hands-on approach to team management. The role is based in Pune, Maharashtra, India, and requires a mix of technical and interpersonal abilities.

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years in payroll support or related fields.
• Experience in handling complex payroll queries.
• Ability to resolve queries under time pressure.

Responsibilities

• Act as the senior point of contact for payroll queries.
• Resolve complex country-specific payroll cases.
• Coach and review response quality for support specialists.

Skills

Payroll support

Knowledge of local payroll rules

Problem-solving

Team leadership

Salesforce experience

Excellent communication

Detail-oriented

Experience in HR tech

Tools

Salesforce

Zendesk

Job description

Payroll Support Lead, SE Asia & Pacific

Job type: Full Time — Department: Customer experience — Work type: On-Site

Pune, Maharashtra, India

About Job

As Payroll Support Lead, SE Asia & Pacific, you are the senior payroll support owner for the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Australia. You handle the most complex queries in these markets, set the quality bar, and guide the wider support team on country‑specific issues. This is a hands‑on lead role: you own the hardest cases, you are the escalation point for your markets, and you help shape how we support payroll across the region. You work closely with the Payroll Support Manager, Payroll Operations, and in‑country partners to keep service fast, accurate, and compliant.

Skills & Qualification

• 5-7+ years in payroll support, payroll processing, or payroll operations, with hands‑on experience in at least two or three of these markets (broader coverage a strong advantage).

• Strong, practical knowledge of local payroll rules — Philippine SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG, Indonesian BPJS/PPh 21, Malaysian EPF/SOCSO, Thai SSF, Singaporean CPF, and Australian super/PAYG/STP — and the confidence to handle complex cases.

• A track record resolving difficult payroll queries accurately and under time pressure.

• Experience as a senior team member or lead, comfortable being the escalation point and coaching others.

• Hands‑on experience with Salesforce and a support platform such as Zendesk.

• Excellent written and verbal communication — clear, calm, and customer‑friendly.

• Detail‑obsessed and dependable, especially during peak payroll cycles.

• Experience in an EOR, PEO, global payroll, or HR tech environment.

• Familiarity with in‑country partner / provider models.

• Additional APAC market knowledge beyond the core six.

• Local‑language ability relevant to the region.

• Knowledge base or support tooling experience.

Responsibilities

Own payroll support across SE Asia & Pacific

• Be the senior point of contact and subject‑matter expert for payroll queries across all six markets.

• Resolve complex, country‑specific cases — gross‑to‑net, statutory contributions, corrections, and off‑cycle scenarios.

• Apply deep local knowledge:

  • Philippines — BIR withholding, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG (HDMF), and mandatory 13th month pay.

  • Indonesia — PPh 21, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, BPJS Kesehatan, and THR (Tunjangan Hari Raya).

  • Malaysia — EPF (KWSP), SOCSO (PERKESO), EIS, PCB/MTD, and EA forms.

  • Thailand — Social Security Fund, withholding tax (PND1), and provident fund.

  • Singapore — CPF, IRAS, IR8A, and the Skills Development Levy (SDL).

  • Australia — ATO, PAYG withholding, superannuation guarantee, Single Touch Payroll (STP), state payroll tax, and Fair Work / award obligations.

Set the quality bar & handle escalations

• Act as the escalation point for your markets, driving complex issues to resolution within SLA.

• Apply the P1–P4 severity model to prioritise and route issues appropriately.

• Review and coach on response quality, ensuring answers are accurate, clear, and empathetic.

Drive resolution & continuous improvement

• Spot recurring issues in your markets and partner with Payroll Operations, Product, and in‑country partners to fix root causes.

• Keep the knowledge base current with accurate, market‑specific content so the team and customers can self‑serve.

• Feed local regulatory changes and process gaps back to the right teams.

Support the team & systems

• Guide and upskill support specialists on Philippine, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean, and Australian payroll nuance.

• Manage cases cleanly in Salesforce and Zendesk, keeping data and reporting trustworthy.

• Support coverage planning across APAC time zones and peak payroll cycles.