The Section Manager is responsible for leading and governing end‑to‑end Payroll operations, Compensation & Benefits (C&B) programs, and HR Reporting & Analytics. This role ensures operational excellence, statutory compliance, data integrity, and insightful people analytics to support business and workforce decision‑making. The incumbent manages a team of specialists and partners closely with HR, Finance, and business leaders.
Key Responsibilities
1. Payroll Governance & Operations
- Provide strategic and operational oversight of monthly payroll processing, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with all statutory and internal requirements.
- Ensure compliance with local labor laws, tax regulations, and statutory filings (e.g., CPF, income tax, government‑paid leave, and relevant claims).
- Oversee payroll audits, internal controls, and process reviews to mitigate risk and ensure data integrity.
- Act as the escalation point for complex payroll issues and liaise with external auditors, authorities, and service providers as required.
- Drive continuous improvement, automation, and system enhancements related to payroll processes.
2. Compensation & Benefits Management
- Lead the design, implementation, and administration of compensation structures, salary frameworks, and incentive programs.
- Oversee annual compensation cycles (salary review, bonuses), including governance, modeling, validation, and reporting.
- Guide market benchmarking, job evaluation, and grading activities to ensure external competitiveness and internal equity.
- Manage company benefits programs, vendor relationships, renewals, and cost optimization initiatives.
- Ensure full compliance with regulatory and governance requirements related to compensation and benefits.
3. HR Reporting & People Analytics
- Own HR dashboards, recurring reports, and ad‑hoc analytics covering headcount, cost, compensation, payroll, and workforce metrics.
- Translate HR data into meaningful insights to support leadership decision‑making, workforce planning, and cost management.
- Establish data governance standards to ensure consistency, accuracy, and confidentiality of HR data.
- Proactively identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities using people analytics.
4. Stakeholder Partnership
- Partner closely with HR Business Partners, Finance, and business leaders to align payroll, C&B, and analytics with business needs.
- Support leadership with data‑driven insights for budgeting, manpower planning, and organizational decisions.
- Provide clear communication to employees and managers on payroll, compensation, and benefits matters.
5. People & Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of payroll, C&B, and analytics professionals.
- Set clear goals, priorities, and performance expectations for the team.
- Build a strong control‑minded, analytical, and service‑oriented team culture.
Qualifications & Experience
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or related discipline.
- Professional certifications in HR, payroll, or compensation are an advantage.
Experience
- 8–12 years of progressive HR experience, with strong depth in Payroll and Compensation & Benefits.
- Proven experience managing teams and complex HR operations in a structured or regulated environment.
- Hands‑on experience with HRIS and payroll systems (e.g. SAP SuccessFactors) and strong reporting capability.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong knowledge of employment legislation, payroll regulations, and compensation governance.
- Advanced analytical skills with the ability to interpret and present data clearly to senior stakeholders.
- High attention to detail, strong risk and control mindset.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
- Ability to balance operational execution with strategic and continuous improvement initiatives.
