Assistant Director, Payroll Services

VITAL; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

VITAL is seeking an Assistant Director, Payroll Services to lead Payroll & Claims Shared Services for Singapore Public Service. The role drives policy-ops-tech integration with MOF, PSD, and AGD, and supervises a team of payroll specialists to deliver high-standards operations and governance.

The role emphasizes workforce planning, process improvements, analytics, and cross-agency collaboration to ensure resilient, compliant payroll services in a dynamic regulatory environment.

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of HR & Payroll (SAP) ecosystems and industry practices locally and internationally.
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Proven leadership of payroll specialists and middle-management teams.
• Advanced analytics mindset with ability to drive data-informed decisions.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced governmental context.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership for Payroll & Claims Shared Services teams to ensure smooth daily operations.
• Oversee manpower planning, team restructuring, and process re-engineering initiatives.
• Lead policy-ops-tech integration projects with MOF, PSD, and AGD stakeholders.
• Ensure governance and risk management plans are followed and gaps are remediated.
• Analyze operations performance using analytics and workforce management tools.
• Guide Section Managers in day-to-day management and career development.
• Plan and ensure sustainable staffing and resource utilization.
• Review, manage, and report team performance.

Skills

HR & Payroll SAP

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Analytical skills

Fast-paced environment

Job description

What the role is:

The Assistant Director, Payroll Services is a member of the VITAL middle management team and leads and guides a group of specialists to deliver Payroll & Claims shared services to Government Agencies and is the driver for executing policy-ops-tech integration with the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Public Service Division (PSD) and the Accountant-General Department (AGD), the policy and system owners for HR and payroll in the Singapore Public Service.

What you will be working on:

• Provide professional leadership, including overseeing the Payroll and Claims Shared Services teams to ensure smooth delivery of daily operations, high standards of performance and operational readiness at all times, particularly in integrating and managing human and digital workforce.
• Drive forward-thinking initiatives to accomplish operational objectives which include manpower planning, team restructuring, business process re-engineering, technological advances and adaptability to changing business and regulatory environments.
• Drive the implementation of projects and initiatives to strengthen policy-ops-tech integration, transform work and the way Payroll and Claims Shared Services is delivered through close collaboration with relevant stakeholders and ensuring availability of resources.
• Ensure teams comply with the Division’s governance and risk management plan to mitigate and minimise risks and work closely with Compliance and Quality Assurance teams to identify gaps and rectification and remediation measures to close the gaps or even eliminate known risks.
• Analyse and critically evaluate the effectiveness of existing operations and initiatives using analytics, workforce management tools and related platforms and recommend and implement improvement actions.
• Guide and supervise Section Managers on the day-to-day management of the teams and the operations.
• Plan and ensure sufficient and sustainable resourcing for the team, including regular review on staff utilisation and making appropriate adjustments in resourcing to meet operational requirements.
• Provide guidance to teams on daily operation work and career growth.
• Review, manage and report performance of the teams.

What we are looking for:

• Good knowledge of HR & Payroll (SAP), and its eco-system and landscape, including in the industry locally and internationally.
• Advanced knowledge of emerging digital and automation technologies and data analytics and their application in the HR & payroll function.
• Good collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Good logical thinking skills and analytical skills.
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Good management skills to oversee a team of payroll specialists.