Associate, HR & Payroll

ACCA Careers; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 39,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

TMF Group is seeking a Payroll Associate in Malaysia to handle end-to-end payroll processing for a defined client portfolio, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant delivery while escalating complex issues to senior colleagues.

You will maintain client documentation, respond to routine payroll queries, and contribute to process improvements and automation. A bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years payroll experience, with English at B2 level, are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Accounting, HR, Business, or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in payroll processing in shared services/BPO.
• English proficiency at B2 level or higher; additional languages are a plus.
• Payroll certifications such as FPC are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Deliver end-to-end payroll processing for assigned clients, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Ensure compliance with tax, social security and labour laws.
• Reconcile monthly payrolls and prepare standard reports (payslips, tax filings, year-end docs).
• Maintain client documentation, calendars and work instructions for audit readiness.
• Handle routine client queries and escalate complex issues to seniors.
• Identify process improvements and contribute to standardization and automation.

Skills

Payroll processing

Excel

Communication

Attention to detail

Time management

Customer service

Problem solving

Independence

Data protection

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/HR/Business

Payroll certifications (FPC)

Tools

SAP

Visma

Softland

Sage

Job description

We never ask for any kind of payment as part of our selection process, and we always contact candidates via our corporate accounts and platforms. If you are approached for payment or asked to make a purchase, this is likely to be fraudulent. Please check to see whether the role you are interested in is posted through our official channels.

About TMF Group

TMF Group is a leading provider of critical administrative services, helping clients invest and operate safely around the world. We provide legal, financial and employee administration through TMF Group’s teams in 125 offices across 87 jurisdictions, covering 92% of world GDP and 95% of FDI inflow.

As we’re a global company with 12,000 colleagues, we actively seek out people with the talent and potential to flourish at TMF Group, whatever their background, and offer job opportunities to the broadest spectrum of people. Once on board we nurture and promote talented individuals, making sure that senior positions are open to all.

Discover the Role

The Payroll Associate is responsible for the operational processing of payrolls for a defined portfolio of clients, primarily low‑complexity accounts. The role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery by executing end‑to‑end payroll tasks independently, while escalating complex issues to senior colleagues. As a key contributor to the payroll service team, the Payroll Associate supports client satisfaction, compliance with local regulations, and continuous improvement of payroll processes. The role also acts as a point of contact for routine client queries and contributes to documentation and standardization efforts.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver end-to-end payroll processing for assigned clients, including data input, calculations, validation, and reporting, in accordance with local regulations and internal procedures.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements related to tax, social security, and labor lawsby applying up-to-date knowledge and following established controls.
• Reconcile monthly payrolls and prepare standard reports such as payslip summaries, tax filings, and year-end documentation.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date client documentation, payroll calendars, and work instructions to support audit readiness and service continuity.
• Manage routine client communication, responding to standard payroll queries and escalating complex or non-standard issues to senior team members.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and contribute to standardization and
• automation initiatives within the team.
• Support onboarding and informal training of JB1 colleagues by sharing knowledge of
• procedures, tools, and best practices.
• Adhere to service level agreements (SLAs), quality standards, and internal controls to ensure
• consistent service delivery.

Key Requirements

• Strong technical knowledge of payroll processes, systems, and local legislation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., formulas, pivot tables) and experience with payroll systems (e.g., SAP, Visma, Softland, Sage).
• High attention to detail and accuracy in processing payroll data and generating reports.
• Strong organisational and time management skills to meet strict deadlines and manage multiple client accounts.
• Effective communication skills for handling client queries and collaborating with internal teams.
• Customer service orientation and ability to build trust with clients through reliable and responsive support.
• Problem-solving skills to identify and resolve payroll discrepancies and suggest process improvements.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while adhering to standard procedures and controls.
• Commitment to confidentiality and data protection in handling sensitive payroll information.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred, ideally in Accounting, HR, Business, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience in payroll processing, preferably in a shared services or BPO environment.
• Languages: English proficiency at B2 level or higher required; additional languages are an advantage.
• Certifications: Payroll-related certifications (e.g., FPC, national payroll qualifications) are advantageous.
• Other: Demonstrated ability to manage routine client portfolios, apply payroll knowledge in practice, and contribute to team development and process improvement.

What’s in it for you?

Pathways for career development

• Work with colleagues and clients around the world on interesting and challenging work;
• We provide internal career opportunities so you can take your career further within TMF;
• Continuous development is supported through global learning opportunities from the TMF Business Academy;

Making an impact

• You’ll be helping us to make the world a simpler place to do business for our clients;
• Through our corporate social responsibility programme, you’ll also be making a difference in the communities where we work;

A supportive environment

• Strong feedback culture to help build an engaging workplace;
• Positive and healthy working environment - TMF Group Greece is Great Place to Work certified. The Great Place to Work model is the world’s most researched, accepted and sustainable definition of a great workplaces from an employee’s point of view.

Candidates must be resident in Malaysia, or have the right to work in Malaysia.