Senior Payroll Specialist

MOL ACCESSPORTAL SDN. BHD.; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

MOL ACCESSPORTAL SDN. BHD. is seeking a seasoned Regional Payroll Specialist to own Malaysia payroll processing, statutory compliance, and vendor management across APAC.

You will implement AI-driven improvements, lead audits, and partner with HR, Finance, and external vendors to ensure accurate, timely payroll delivery. The role requires hands-on knowledge of Malaysia payroll (EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB) and experience with multi-country payroll operations.

Qualifications

• A specialist with at least 4 years of regional payroll experience.
• Hands-on Malaysia payroll processing (EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB) required.
• Experience managing outsourced payroll vendors across multiple jurisdictions.
• SOX, statutory, or internal/external audits experience preferred.
• Automation or AI-enabled transformation project experience preferred.
• Exposure to AI/RPA tools in HR/payroll processes is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end processing of Malaysia payroll in-house, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, allowances, bonuses, and deductions.
• Calculate and process statutory contributions and ensure timely remittance and filing.
• Prepare and reconcile payroll journal entries, GL postings, and related balance sheet accounts.
• Manage year-end tax reporting and other statutory filings in Malaysia.
• Coordinate monthly payroll cycles with vendors and monitor SLAs.
• Lead SOX audit requirements for payroll processes and remediation.
• Identify process improvements and drive AI/automation initiatives in payroll.
• Prepare monthly/quarterly payroll reports and provide data for budgeting and headcount.

Tools

Timesoft

Workday HRIS

Excel

UiPath

Power Automate

Job description

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