Director, Apac

**Position Overview**
The Director of APAC and EMEA Payroll provides leadership of our payroll operations across multiple countries. This role is responsible for bringing comprehensive knowledge of payroll processing, tax compliance, third party vendor management, local market social security adherence and process optimization. This payroll leader is responsible for creating a team environment that enables and encourages collaboration with key stakeholders across and outside the organization to ensure RGA employees are paid accurately, efficiently and in accordance with all relevant external regulations and company policies. This role is responsible for being the senior approver in the payroll approval process for numerous markets across the Asia Pacific and ensuring that governance and controls are met within each of the 15 APAC entities.

**Responsibilities**
Leadership and Strategy:

- Provide strategic direction and leadership for the APAC and EMEA Payroll functions.
- Develop and implement evergreen payroll policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure excellence in accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.
- Lead, mentor and develop a diverse team of payroll professionals. Champion the team’s continuous education and growth required in this rapidly evolving space.
- Efficiently and effectively direct resources in the regions, promoting agility and development while supporting Business Continuity best practices and segregation of duties requirements.
- Foster a collaborative and results-driven team culture.

Payroll Processing and Compliance:

- Provide leadership and direction for team members in the APAC and EMEA regions and ensure strict governance and compliance for each business entity.
- Ensure accurate and timely distribution of payments while maintaining highest compliance standards aligned with complex and ever-evolving regional and local regulations including GDPR as well as cross border data controls.
- Proactively stay abreast of tax legislation changes in all markets including changes to social security regulation and payment calculations for separating employees through voluntary, involuntary, mutual separation or retirement.
- Ensure payroll tax compliance through extensive collaboration internal stakeholders and external stakeholders including tax authorities and vendors.
- Oversee tax filing and reporting to local inland revenue or national tax authority audits (i.e., Hong Kong, Japan) and related government bodies. In particular, ensure proper payroll and tax treatment for globally mobile and expatriate scenarios - especially related to variable compensation plans.

Vendor Management:

- Proactively manage relationships with payroll service providers and vendors to ensure service level standards are achieved.
- Negotiate contracts and service level agreements to optimize service delivery, employee experience and value.
- Develop a long-term regional payroll vendor strategy and roadmap to ensure alignment with HR and business strategies and technology integrations.

Process Optimization:

- Play a critical role in our global payroll transformation initiatives. Continuously evaluate payroll processes for opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience. Drive the implementation of these continuous improvement efforts.
- Adapt our processes and technologies to reflect the dynamic working environment (including flexible and multi-jurisdiction arrangements).
- Bring a compliance and internal control orientation to process optimization efforts.

Audit and Reporting:
- Conduct regular self-audits to ensure payroll accuracy and compliance.- Generate comprehensive reports for internal and external stakeholders.
- Manage internal and external audit stakeholders, with expectation of positive outcomes and lead any suggested enhancements to processes stemming from such audits.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Employee Experience:

- Collaborate with HR, IT, Tax, Local & Regional Compliance, Audit, Finance, and Legal teams to address cross-functional payroll-related matters.
- Provide expertise and support for payroll-related inquiries, ensuring accurate and timely delivery while maintaining high level of professionalism and confidentiality.

**Requirements** Education & Experience**
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, Tax, Accounting, HR, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
- Proven experience (10 years) in a leadership role overseeing payroll operations in APAC and / or EMEA regions. Experience in both regions strongly preferred.
- In-depth experience with payroll systems and related technology solutions. Experience with Workday strongly preferred, in addition to ADP and Activ Payroll.
- Demonstrated success in process optimization and efficiency improvements.

**Skills**
- Working knowledge of payroll-facing employee life cycle processes, especially benefits and time & absence.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills in English and ide