Regional Payroll Lead Asia

Trinseo is a different kind of global materials company – at the intersection of people, technology, and customers. We are a world leader in the production of plastics and latex binders. Our culture is built on passion and innovation. 

A career at Trinseo presents a unique opportunity to work in a highly collaborative environment. Helping customers solve their most complex material challenges is the reason we come to work each day. We are seeking innovative thinkers – ready to tackle any challenge and passionate about delivering value. 

As a global materials solutions provider focused on delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to our customers, we need people to feel respected and included so they can be more creative, innovative, and successful. We strive to create workplaces that reflect all communities and customers we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work. That's why we're fully committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience to drive us forward every day. 

Regional Payroll lead is responsible for ensuring the payroll process execution results in the delivery of a compliant, controlled, efficient, accurate, and timely pay. Responsibilities include leading and producing multinational payrolls for approximately 500+ employees in 8 countries (10 legal entities). Specific duties involve leading and supervising the external payroll vendor, ensuring compliance with current government regulations, auditing payroll processes and tax filing, developing and maintaining written departmental policies and procedures, and responsible for monitoring adherence to policies and internal controls. Additionally, the Regional Payroll lead plays as the individual contributor and will directly be responsible to execute all Paymaster duties in the regions.

Payroll Processing - 50%

• Responsibility for all day-to-day payroll administrative functions for a multi-national monthly payroll in collaboration with the Third Party payroll service provider.
• Ensure payroll general ledger postings are accurate and timely. Additionally, ensure reconciliations are completed accurately and timely.
• Co-ordinate with Treasury to ensure sufficient funds are available to meet payroll related expenses including pension plans and other added benefits.
• Coordinate and perform troubleshooting & investigation of payroll system problems and take appropriate corrective actions. Assisting in the troubleshooting and investigation of payroll system problems and making appropriate corrections
• Provide excellent customer service to internal and external parties.
• Participates in the production and evaluation of computerized payroll, HR, and Benefits system products and makes appropriate recommendations ;
• Support regular management reporting on all payroll related information.

Leadership - 20%

• Initiates and promotes continual process improvements within HR department and implements changes leading to best-practice operations. Identifies areas of improvement opportunity, formulates an improvement plan, presents recommendations, and leads the execution while maintaining alignment with other regions and corporate policy and process. Works to align regional processes with global standards driving efficiency, effectiveness, and accuracy.
• Build relationships and work closely with all business unit leaders, HR, Headquarters Payroll, and Finance to understand and support the needs of the business and business partners. Builds partnership with external vendors while driving performance as well as establishing and managing solid SLAs.
• And as requested, manages special projects

Compliance - 30%

• Supports internal and external audits ensuring deadlines are met and each request is responded to with a timely and accurate response. Ensure appropriate internal controls, approval and validation checks are in place for the payroll processes. Ensures appropriate reconciliations exist and are documented and performed for the payroll processes including processing, GL postings, tax, and year end.
• Complies with federal, state, and international localized legal requirements by studying existing and new legislation; enforcing adherence to requirements; obtaining qualified opinions; advising management on needed actions. Ensure timely submission, reconciliation of quarterly & annual earnings statements and year-end tax returns in accordance with each country’s local tax authority requirement. Ensure timely filings for full compliance to all local statutory tax and local labor law.
• Ensure policies and procedures are flawlessly administered and new policies adequately documented and communicated across all divisions and companies, and all processes are thoroughly documented.

The Regional Payroll lead role is responsible to oversee, manage and process the payroll for the region. This includes managing process, and relationships with other related areas. Understanding and applying compliance, procedural, and leadership/motivational knowledge is critical to succeed in this capacity.

Critical Success Factors:

• Keen attention to detail
• Strong knowledge of payroll accounting, in country tax regulations, compliance regulations, and expatriate payroll processing
• The ability to multitask in a fast paced group/team environment, and must be deadline and detail-oriented.
• Excellent communications skills, verbal and written communications, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to collaborate and partner with others
• Strong knowledge of payroll system functionality including payroll, time and attendance, interface and integration, banking, and accounting

Education:

• BS/BA in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting or Human Resources
• Experience: (range of years  and type of experience
• 7 years leading a multinational payroll
• Extensive experience working with payroll systemsExperience with all aspects of payroll deductions and reporting as it relates to employee benefits, taxes,
• Fluent in English and Mandarin
• Multi-lingual is preferred

Competencies:

Technical – competencies & degree of proficiency required to do the job effectively

• Working knowledge of rules and regulations impacting payroll processing including pension, taxation, pay frequency, wage and time payment
• Comprehensive knowledge of payroll processes, procedures, and controls
• Extensive knowledge of payroll systems, calculations, interfaces, and functionality
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word and Excel)

Behavioral – competencies & degree of proficiency that effects how the work will be done. 

• Strong leadership qualities; ability to assess performance, coach, motivate, and influence staff
• Strong analytical skills; ability to review complex situations and identify and drive systematic and process oriented changes

Diversity And Inclusion

With our expanding global presence, cross-cultural insight and competence are essential for our ongoing success. We believe that a diverse workforce contributes different perspectives and creative ideas that enable us to continue to improve every day. Race, gender, ethnicity, country of origin, age, personal style, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, life experiences and many more factors contribute to this diversity.