People Operations Lead - ASEA

Opella; Kuala Lumpur; Sur place; MYR 180 000 - 240 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Opella is seeking a People Operations Lead for ASEA to lead payroll operations, employee lifecycle, and People Services across the zone. The role works with Country P&C teams, Global PPLS, and providers to ensure accurate, compliant service delivery while driving governance and standardization across markets.

The ideal candidate will drive continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and a data-driven approach to optimize performance and employee experience within a complex matrix

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in Payroll, HR Operations, Shared Services, Employee Services, or related functions.
• Proven experience managing multi-country payroll and in-country end-to-end employee lifecycle operations within ASEA zone.
• Strong experience with vendor governance, outsourced payroll providers, service reviews, and escalation management.
• Demonstrated track record in HR transformation, process improvement, standardization, automation, and digitalization initiatives.

Responsabilités

• Lead zone payroll, time-to-pay, in-country end-to-end employee lifecycle, and People Services operations across ASEA.
• Partner with Country P&C teams, Global PPLS, external payroll providers, and business stakeholders to ensure accurate, compliant service delivery.
• Drive governance, process standardization, continuous improvement, and a consistent employee experience across markets.
• Establish governance frameworks, service performance metrics, and operational KPIs.

Connaissances

Payroll management

Vendor governance

HR transformation

Process automation

Stakeholder management

Workday exposure

Outils

Workday

Description du poste

The People Operations Lead - ASEA is responsible for leading zone payroll, time-to-pay, in-country end-to-end employee lifecycle, and People Services operations across ASEA. The role partners closely with Country P&C teams, Global PPLS, external payroll providers, and business stakeholders to ensure accurate, compliant, and efficient service delivery while driving governance, process standardization, continuous improvement, and a consistent employee experience across markets.

Our Requirements:

• 8+ years of experience in Payroll, HR Operations, Shared Services, Employee Services, or related functions.
• Proven experience managing multi-country payroll and in-country end-to-end employee lifecycle operations within ASEA zone.
• Strong experience with vendor governance, outsourced payroll providers, service reviews, and escalation management.
• Demonstrated track record in HR transformation, process improvement, standardization, automation, and digitalization initiatives.
• Experience with payroll compliance, controls, audits, and risk management.
• Exposure to Workday or similar HRIS platforms preferred.
• Deep knowledge of payroll operations, in-country end-to-end employee lifecycle processes, labour compliance, and statutory requirements.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence across a complex matrix organization without direct authority.
• Experience establishing and managing governance frameworks, service performance metrics, and operational KPIs.
• Data-driven approach to operational performance, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Strong problem-solving, governance, and vendor management capabilities.
• Ability to balance local market requirements with global standards while delivering a positive employee experience.

Key Hiring Priorities:

• Multi-country payroll and employee operations leadership.
• HR transformation, process simplification, and digitalization experience.
• Strong governance, compliance, stakeholder influence, and vendor management capabilities.

Skills / Competencies

• Strong prioritization, organization and time management.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Proactive ownership and decisive problem-solving.
• Resilience under pressure and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Adaptability and cross-cultural collaboration.
• Employee-centric mindset and service excellence.

Language Requirements

• Must-have: English proficiency.
• Good-to-have: Korean proficiency; an added advantage when supporting Korean employees

Key Challenges

• Ensuring 100% accurate and timely payroll delivery with zero failures.
• Managing a complex operating model involving local teams and outsourced providers.
• Standardizing processes while accommodating local market requirements.
• Driving collaboration across People Operations, ELC and Country P&C teams.
• Resolving urgent employee issues while maintaining service quality.

What Success Looks Like

• 100% accurate and timely in-country payroll delivery.
• Consistent, high-quality People Operations services across ASEA.
• Standardized and streamlined processes while meeting local requirements.
• Strong collaboration with outsourced providers and zone stakeholders.
• Improved operational efficiency and a seamless employee experience.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Payroll / People Operations professional from an MNC environment.
• Strong hands-on payroll expertise with multi-country exposure.
• Experienced in managing outsourced payroll models and service delivery.
• Proactive, assertive and results-driven, with strong ownership and stakeholder management skills.
• Payroll migration, setup or vendor transition experience is an advantage.