International Payroll Manager: APAC

Third Bridge is a leading global research firm established in 2007, with a team of over 1,500 employees worldwide dedicated to fueling decisions with expert insights. We accelerate and enhance decision-making for investors and business leaders by unearthing unique expert insights across multiple sectors, geographies, and topics. For nearly 20 years, we’ve helped clients access knowledge on demand from experts, in-person and through our Library covering over 65,000 companies. Third Bridge is seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented, and forward-thinking Regional Payroll Manager to lead payroll operations across our APAC regions. This critical role will lead the local payroll team members in Mumbai and oversee multi-country payroll operations, statutory tax compliance, and vendor relationships across the Asia-Pacific regions. As a key member of our Payroll and Finance Teams, you’ll report to the VP, Payroll based in the United States and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams across our global organization. What You’ll Do Oversee end-to-end, multi-country payroll processing for the APAC region, ensuring adherence to strict internal calendars and Service Level Agreements Ensure compliance with all relevant local labor laws, tax regulations, and internal governance standards Partner with external payroll providers and internal stakeholders to streamline operations and resolve issues Serve as the escalation go-to contact for payroll questions from employees, vendors, and internal teams, ensuring clear and accurate communication Maintain and improve payroll-related systems, processes, and controls Assist with timely payroll journal entry delivery during month-end close Support audits and implement recommendations for continuous improvement Collaborate with HR to ensure data accuracy, timely delivery and alignment with employee lifecycle events (e.g. onboarding, offboarding, promotions, terminations) while adhering to the relevant jurisdictional regulations Who You Are 9+ years proven experience managing multi-country payroll operations across Asia Pacific (ideally in Hong Kong, Japan, India, South Korea and China) Strong knowledge of labor law and statutory requirements is required Exceptional attention to detail and problem-solving skills Demonstrated experience managing relationships with external payroll providers across multiple countries Outstanding internal & external-facing customer service skills with a sense of urgency Must be self-driven and able to work autonomously Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables and lookup functions Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, and international environment Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion Fluent written and spoken English is required Additional information What can you expect: 🌏 Work From Anywhere: Up to 4 weeks per year. 🏠 Hybrid Work: Flexible hybrid office setup built for work-life balance.