Senior Manager, Payroll APAC

Job Description Who we're looking for At Zendesk, we know that getting payroll right means more than just accuracy—it’s about creating trust and peace of mind for every employee. We’re searching for a Senior Payroll Manager to oversee our Asia-Pacific payroll operations, driving excellence and equity in everything we do. This is a role for a collaborative leader who thrives in complexity, believes in the impact of reliable payroll, and is eager to build a culture where everyone belongs. This position will be reporting directly to the Senior Director of Global Payroll. If you value teamwork, care deeply about process and people, and seek to make a difference as Zendesk continues to grow, we would love to hear from you.What you'll be doing Lead Regional Payroll: Manage and coordinate all payroll activities across APAC countries—including Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea—ensuring consistent, timely, and compliant delivery . Team Leadership: Directly manage (3) payroll professionals , providing coaching, professional development, and support . Oversee hiring and play an active role in workforce planning and budget management for the payroll APAC region functions . Vendor and Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong partnerships with external payroll vendors and internal cross-function teams . Internal stakeholders include, but are not limited to: People Operations, Benefits, Legal, Tax, Equity, and Accounting . Additionally, foster collaborative relationships with the Workday HRIS team and benefit providers. Payroll Excellence: Oversee the full payroll lifecycle for all APAC employees, including wages, equity awards, statutory and supplementary benefits, and taxes . Confirm that pay and benefits are accurate and on time, every pay cycle . Compliance & Risk Management: Stay current with statutory payroll and benefits regulations in each country . Ensure all payroll processes uphold compliance, mitigate risks, and prepare for internal or external audits . Process Improvement: Lead projects to streamline, transform, or standardize regional payroll processes —including potential system upgrades, vendor migrations, M&A integrations, or expansions into new markets . Reporting & Analysis: Prepare, review, and present payroll data and operational metrics using Excel and other reporting tools . Use insights to drive continuous improvement . Hybrid Collaboration: Work in the Pune office 3 days a week (Tuesday–Thursday) , engaging actively with your team and remote stakeholders . What you bring to the role Basic Qualifications 8+ years of progressive experience managing end-to-end payroll for multiple countries within the APAC region (including mandatory experience in India, Singapore, and Australia) . 4+ years of proven experience managing and developing a team of payroll professionals . Expert knowledge of APAC payroll withholding taxes, related tax filings, compliance frameworks, statutory benefits, employment regulations, and complex pay element handling (e.g., equity, executive compensation) . Understanding of payroll accounting principles , the impact of payroll activities on financial statements, and the ability to partner with the Finance team to resolve issues as they arise on a timely basis . Strong working relationship experience with outsourced payroll vendors and using HRIS platforms ( preferably Workday ) . Strong customer service mentality . Advanced proficiency in Excel (VBA, pivot tables, complex formulas) for reporting, data analysis, and validation controls . Clear, empathetic communicator—able to explain complex payroll concepts to a variety of audiences . Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities and meet tight deadlines . Flexible and open-minded, comfortable with change, ambiguity, growth, and working across multiple time zones, sometimes outside of the conventional workday when urgent matters arise . Preferred Qualifications Experience implementing or migrating payroll systems, integrating M&A payrolls, or leading large-scale standardization projects . Familiarity with equity compensation administration in a global organization . Track record of improving or transforming payroll operations across regions, including automation and standardization . Experience operating within a shared service model or a high-growth, globally matrixed technology company collaborating across multiple time zones . A proven track record of using technology (automation, system workflows) to eliminate manual work and enhance the employee payroll experience . #LI-MJ1 Please note that Zendesk can only hire candidates who are physically located and plan to work from Karnataka or Maharashtra. Please refer to the location posted on the requisition for where this role is based. Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.