Payroll Account Manager

Job Description: Payroll Account Manager (India)

Experience: 810 Years

Location: India, Mumbai (On-site)

Reporting to: Senior Account Manager/Head

Role Objective

The Payroll Account Manager will lead the end-to-end payroll delivery and statutory compliance for a portfolio of key clients (or business units). You will be the primary point of contact for stakeholders, ensuring that payroll is not just "on time," but is a seamless, error-free, and highly compliant engine that drives employee satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

1. Service Delivery & Account Management

SLA Ownership: Be 100% accountable for Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including accuracy, timeliness, and query resolution.

Stakeholder Management: Conduct monthly/quarterly business reviews (MBRs/QBRs) with clients to discuss performance, process improvements, and regulatory changes.

Escalation Handling: Act as the first point of contact for high-priority payroll issues, providing swift and professional resolutions.

2. Statutory & Regulatory Compliance

• Legal Expertise: Ensure absolute compliance with the Provident Fund (PF), ESI, Professional Tax (PT), and Labour Welfare Fund (LWF) across various Indian states.
• Taxation (TDS): Oversee Income Tax (TDS on Salary) calculations, investment proof validations, and quarterly filings (Form 24Q).
• Labour Law Monitoring: Stay ahead of changes in Indian Labour Law (including the upcoming New Labour Codes) and advise clients on the impact on their cost-to-company (CTC) structures.

3. Process Optimization & Technology

• Automation: Identify opportunities to automate manual data entry between HRIS, Time & Attendance, and Payroll software.
• Audit Readiness: Lead internal and external payroll audits, ensuring all registers (Form T, Form IV, etc.) are maintained per state-specific requirements.
• Transition Management: Oversee the onboarding of new clients or business units from their legacy systems to the current payroll platform.

4. Team Leadership

• Mentor and lead a team of 35 Payroll Executives/Specialists.
• Manage team workload and cross-training to ensure zero-dependency on specific individuals.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Education: MBA in HR, M.Com, or a degree in Finance/Accounting.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years in Indian payroll, with at least 3 years in a client-facing or account management role (preferably in a payroll outsourcing/BPO setup).
• Technical Knowledge:
• Deep understanding of Gross-to-Net calculations in the Indian context.
• Hands-on experience with payroll software (e.g., SAP, Workday, PeopleStrong, GreytHR, or Keka).
• Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, and the conditional summation formulas we discussed earlier!).
• Soft Skills: Exceptional communication skills (English and regional languages) and the ability to explain complex tax/statutory concepts to non-experts.