Senior Payroll Specialist

MOL AccessPortal; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

MOL AccessPortal is seeking a seasoned regional payroll specialist to own end-to-end Malaysia payroll operations, supporting APAC jurisdictions. You will manage in-house processing, statutory contributions, vendor management, and audits, while leveraging AI, RPA, and automation to drive accuracy and efficiency.

This role requires 4+ years of regional payroll experience, strong knowledge of EPF/SOCSO/EIS/PCB, and hands-on Workday or Timesoft experience.

Qualifications

• At least 4 years of regional payroll experience in a multi-country environment.
• Hands-on Malaysia payroll processing (EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB) required.
• Experience managing outsourced payroll vendors across jurisdictions.
• Experience supporting SOX, statutory, or internal/external audits preferred.
• Experience in payroll automation or AI-enabled transformation preferred.
• Exposure to AI/RPA/data analytics in HR/payroll a strong plus.
• Knowledge of UiPath/Power Automate/Workday AI capabilities is advantageous.
• Strong APAC payroll regulatory knowledge; internal controls and SOX familiarity.
• Excellent vendor management and stakeholder communication skills.
• Analytical, problem-solving, and process-mapping abilities.
• Proficiency in Timesoft payroll system; Workday HRIS and advanced Excel.
• Attention to detail, organization, and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently across multiple countries/time zones.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end processing of Malaysia payroll in-house, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, allowances, bonuses, and deductions.
• Apply RPA and automated workflows to reduce manual touchpoints.
• Calculate and process statutory contributions and ensure timely remittance.
• Prepare and reconcile payroll journal entries and postings.
• Manage year-end tax reporting and other statutory filings.
• Ensure compliance with the Employment Act and applicable regulations.
• Act as the primary contact for outsourced payroll vendors.
• Review and validate payroll inputs and outputs for accuracy and compliance.
• Coordinate monthly payroll cycles with vendors and meet SLAs.
• Manage escalations, discrepancies, and queries between vendors, employees, and stakeholders.
• Monitor vendor performance and participate in reviews.
• Stay current on regulatory changes and implement updates across APAC.

Skills

Payroll processing

Vendor management

SOX compliance

RPA / AI tools

Timesoft

Excel advanced

Workday HRIS

APAC regulations

Data analytics

Tools

UiPath

Power Automate

Workday AI/ML

Job description

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Own end-to-end processing of Malaysia payroll in-house, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, allowances, bonuses, and deductions, applying RPA and automated workflows to reduce manual touchpoints wherever possible.

Calculate and process statutory contributions (EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB/MTD) and ensure timely remittance and filing.

Prepare and reconcile payroll journal entries, GL postings, and payroll-related balance sheet accounts.

Manage year-end tax reporting (e.g., EA forms) and other statutory filings for Malaysia.

Ensure full compliance with the Employment Act and other applicable Malaysian labor regulations.

Rest of APAC (excl SG) Payroll Operations (Vendor-Managed)

Act as the primary point of contact and relationship owner for outsourced payroll vendors across assigned APAC countries.

Review and validate payroll inputs, calculations, and outputs (salary, statutory contributions, tax filings, benefits deductions) submitted by vendors for accuracy and compliance with local regulations, leveraging AI-assisted data validation and anomaly detection tools where available to strengthen quality checks.

Coordinate monthly payroll cycles with vendors, ensuring adherence to agreed SLAs and internal deadlines.

Manage escalations, discrepancies, and query resolution between vendors, employees, and internal stakeholders.

Monitor vendor performance against KPIs/SLAs and participate in periodic vendor reviews and contract renewals.

Stay current on statutory and regulatory changes (e.g., tax, social security, employment law) across APAC jurisdictions and ensure vendors implement required changes.

2. Audit & Compliance Management

Lead and coordinate SOX audit requirements related to payroll processes, including control documentation, walkthroughs, and remediation of findings.

Manage statutory and external/internal audits for all applicable entities across APAC, acting as the key liaison between auditors, vendors, and internal teams.

Prepare audit schedules, supporting documentation, and evidence for payroll-related controls and transactions, using automation and AI-assisted tools to accelerate evidence gathering and strengthen audit trail accuracy.

Track audit findings and action items through to closure, ensuring timely remediation and process updates.

Maintain payroll process documentation, SOPs, and control matrices to support audit readiness at all times.

3. Process Improvement & AI Transformation

Identify inefficiencies, risks, and gaps in current payroll processes and controls across the region.

Lead the exploration, design, and rollout of AI-driven and automation solutions (e.g., AI-assisted data validation, anomaly detection, generative AI/chatbots for employee payroll queries, intelligent document processing, RPA, predictive analytics for payroll cost forecasting) to improve payroll accuracy, speed, and cost efficiency.

Evaluate emerging AI/automation tools and vendor capabilities, building business cases and roadmaps for adoption across APAC payroll operations.

Partner with HR, Finance, IT, and vendors to streamline payroll workflows, system integrations (e.g., HRIS-payroll interfaces), and data flows to support AI-enabled processes.

Develop and maintain payroll process documentation, checklists, and control frameworks, including updates needed to support new AI/automation tools.

Support system implementations, upgrades, or vendor transitions as needed.

Lead or contribute to other payroll, HR, or finance transformation projects as assigned, acting as a flexible resource for cross-functional initiatives beyond core payroll operations.

4. Reporting & Stakeholder Management

Prepare monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc payroll reports and reconciliations for management and finance teams, increasingly leveraging AI-powered analytics and dashboards to surface trends and insights.

Provide payroll data and analysis to support budgeting, forecasting, and headcount reporting.

Build strong working relationships with in-country HR, Finance, vendors, and regulatory bodies as needed.

Requirement:

A specialist with at least 4 years of regional payroll experience gained, preferably in a multi-country environment.

Hands-on experience with Malaysia payroll processing (EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB) is required.

Experience managing outsourced payroll vendors across multiple jurisdictions.

Prior experience supporting SOX, statutory, or internal/external audits is highly preferred.

Experience in payroll process improvement, automation, or AI-enabled transformation projects is highly preferred.

Exposure to RPA, AI tools, or data analytics platforms applied to HR/payroll processes is a strong plus.

Hands-on experience with automation or AI platforms such as UiPath, Power Automate, or Workday AI/ML capabilities is an advantage.

Strong knowledge of APAC payroll regulations, statutory requirements, and compliance frameworks.

Solid understanding of internal controls, SOX requirements, and audit processes.

Excellent vendor management and stakeholder communication skills.

Strong analytical, problem-solving, and process-mapping abilities.

Proficiency in Timesoft payroll system, preferably Workday HRIS and advanced Excel skills.

High attention to detail with strong organizational and time-management skills.

Ability to work independently across multiple countries, time zones, and cultures.

Resourceful, independent, analytical and is self-driven with high degree of professional integrity with ability to handle confidential information

Working knowledge of or strong curiosity about AI/automation tools (e.g., RPA, generative AI, machine-learning-based analytics), with a demonstrated ability to translate them into practical payroll efficiency gains.

Flexible and adaptable, able to pick up ad hoc projects outside core payroll duties as business needs evolve.

A team player and possess a customer-focused attitude

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