Payroll Manager

About the Role

At UNIQLO Malaysia, payroll is more than processing numbers. We are looking for a Payroll Manager who combines strong payroll expertise with a genuine passion for supporting people.

This role requires someone who can ensure payroll accuracy and compliance while also understanding the impact payroll has on employee experience.

As a trusted payroll partner, you will work closely with employees, managers, HR, Finance, and external vendors to resolve issues, provide guidance, and deliver a positive and reliable payroll experience.

You will play a key role in payroll governance, process improvement, vendor management, and payroll transformation projects, while maintaining a people-first approach in everything you do. This positioning aligns with the role's responsibilities for payroll operations, stakeholder management, compliance, vendor oversight, and transformation projects.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

• Lead and review end-to-end payroll processing to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
• Validate payroll calculations, payroll inputs, statutory deductions, allowances, bonus payments, overtime, and employee lifecycle transactions.
• Conduct payroll reconciliation and variance analysis before payroll finalization.
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies and complex employee payroll enquiries.
• Act as the escalation point for payroll-related issues and provide practical solutions.

Payroll Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with Malaysian statutory requirements, including EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB, and Employment Act requirements.
• Maintain payroll controls, SOPs, governance frameworks, and audit documentation.
• Support internal and external audits and ensure payroll compliance standards are met.

Vendor Management

• Manage external payroll service providers and monitor service delivery performance.
• Lead regular payroll governance and review meetings with vendors.
• Drive issue resolution, process improvements, and service excellence initiatives.

Payroll Transformation & Projects

• Lead payroll-related projects such as payroll migration, vendor transition, HRIS implementation, and system enhancements.
• Drive business requirement gathering, UAT testing, payroll parallel runs, and data validation activities.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, IT, Regional Teams, and external partners throughout project implementation.

Stakeholder Partnership

• Provide payroll advice and consultation to employees, managers, and HR stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships across the business and support payroll-related decision-making.
• Deliver a positive employee experience through responsive and empathetic payroll support. Payroll partnership with HRBP, Finance, Store Operations, and management stakeholders is a key component of the role.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or related disciplines.
• Minimum 8-10 years of payroll experience with a strong understanding of Malaysian payroll legislation and statutory requirements.
• A people-centric mindset with the ability to handle sensitive employee matters with professionalism and empathy.
• Experience in payroll migration, HRIS implementation, or payroll transformation projects is highly desirable.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to balance compliance, operational excellence, and employee experience.
• Retail, FMCG, or multi-site operational experience will be an added advantage

Who Will Thrive in This Role

You are someone who:

• Enjoys working with people as much as working with numbers.
• Is approachable, solutions-oriented, and trusted by stakeholders.
• Takes ownership of issues and ensures they are resolved effectively.
• Understands that payroll accuracy directly impacts employee trust and engagement.
• Can lead change while maintaining a high level of service and care for employees.