Payroll Administrator APAC
Cochlear | Kuala Lumpur | People and Culture Service and Experience
Every Cochlear implant represents a life changed—a person hearing for the first time, a child able to engage with the world, a grandparent reconnecting with family.
Before any of that can happen, before the surgeries and fittings and life-changing moments, there's a team in Kuala Lumpur making sure 7,000 people across APAC get paid accurately and on time.
That team is looking for its next member.
THE ROLE
Position: Payroll Administrator APAC
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Department: People and Culture Service and Experience
Reports to: Director, Global Payroll Governance & Control
Experience required: Minimum 2 years in shared services, payroll coordination, or HR systems
WHY THIS POSITION EXISTS
Cochlear operates across multiple APAC countries, each with its own payroll regulations, currencies, and complexities. Employees expect accuracy. Regulators require compliance. Finance needs timeliness.
The Payroll Administrator APAC ensures all of these happen, quietly and reliably, every pay cycle.
When payroll works, no one thinks about it. When it doesn't, it's all anyone discusses. This role exists to make sure payroll always works.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Case Management
- Respond to payroll-related Workday Help cases in line with agreed service standards
- Provide accurate and timely resolutions to employee queries
- Manage complex payroll enquiries independently or in collaboration with subject matter experts
Data Accuracy
- Validate employee self-service entries, system interfaces, and manual data inputs
- Ensure all payroll changes are accurately reflected and processed within required timelines
- Maintain data integrity across payroll systems
Payroll Processing
- Coordinate with external payroll providers and Finance to validate biweekly and monthly payroll runs
- Review benefits, one-time payments, and deductions for accuracy
- Ensure compliance with country-specific requirements
Operational Support
- Cover additional payroll responsibilities during team leave to maintain continuity
- Support cyclical People and Culture activities across the employee lifecycle
- Promote employee and manager self-service solutions to build organizational capability
Process Improvement
- Identify opportunities for process enhancement
- Contribute to country-level and regional payroll improvements
- Create and maintain payroll process documentation, work instructions, and knowledge articles
Compliance
- Apply Cochlear's service and experience frameworks in all employee interactions
- Comply with quality, safety, and workplace procedures
- Support audit activities as required
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- Minimum 2 years' experience in shared services, payroll coordination, or HR systems environment
- Experience supporting APAC payrolls
- Strong customer service capability with focus on accuracy and professionalism
- Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, and work instructions
- Experience with HRIS, payroll, or case management systems (Workday or ADP preferred)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
- High attention to detail and accuracy with data
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
- Ability to manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines
- Ability to work autonomously while exercising sound judgment
- Strong collaboration skills across regional and global stakeholders
Preferred
- Additional languages relevant to APAC region
- Experience in global or multinational organization
- Knowledge of payroll regulations across multiple APAC countries
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
In the first 90 days:
- Complete onboarding and system access
- Understand Cochlear's payroll processes across key APAC countries
- Begin managing routine payroll queries independently
- Build relationships with key stakeholders in People and Culture and Finance
In the first year:
- Independently manage a portfolio of payroll queries and cases
- Contribute to at least one process improvement initiative
- Demonstrate deep understanding of payroll data flows and validation requirements
- Receive positive feedback from employees and stakeholders on service quality
Beyond:
- Serve as a subject matter expert for specific countries or processes
- Lead or co-lead process improvement projects
- Mentor newer team members
- Contribute to regional payroll strategy discussions
WHY COCHLEAR
Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, ranked among the top 100 medical device companies worldwide. More people choose a Cochlear-branded cochlear implant system than any other.
Our employees consistently tell us the number one reason they stay is the opportunity to make a difference. Your payroll work enables 7,000 people to focus on that mission, without worrying about whether they'll be paid correctly.
Cochlear Malaysia provides shared services supporting global operations across:
- IT infrastructure and applications
- Development and testing
- Business intelligence
- Procurement
- Customer service
- Service and repairs
- Returned device analysis engineering
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Based in Kuala Lumpur
- Part of growing global shared services hub
- Collaborative team environment
- Exposure to regional and global stakeholders
- Focus on continuous improvement and employee experience
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Do you have experience with Workday, ADP, or similar payroll systems?
Have you managed payroll queries across multiple countries?
Can you maintain accuracy while managing competing priorities?
Do you enjoy process improvement and finding better ways to work?
Are you comfortable explaining payroll concepts to non-payroll people?
Would you like your work to support a mission that changes lives?
THE COCHLEAR EXPERIENCE
Cochlear offers more than a job. We offer:
- Purpose-driven work that makes a tangible difference
- Opportunity to build deep expertise in APAC payroll operations
- Collaborative, supportive team environment
- Clear pathways for career growth
- Commitment to quality, safety, and employee experience
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Submit your application through the Cochlear careers site
- Applications reviewed by the hiring team
- Qualified candidates contacted for initial conversation
- Interviews with key stakeholders
- Decision and offer
READY TO APPLY?
If you have the skills and experience to ensure payroll accuracy across APAC—and you want to build your career with a company that changes lives—we want to hear from you.
Apply now for the Payroll Administrator APAC position at Cochlear Malaysia.
Cochlear is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and helping people hear and be heard. #CochlearCareers
