Payroll Specialist

About Darwinbox:

Darwinbox is Asia's fastest-growing HR technology platform, designing the future of work by building the world's best HR tech, driven by a fierce focus on employee experience and customer success, and continuous, iterative innovation. We are the preferred choice of 1000+ global enterprises to manage their 4 million+ employees across 130+ countries.

Darwinbox's new-age HCM suite competes with local as well as global players in the enterprise technology space (such as SAP, Oracle, and Workday). The firm has acquired notable customers ranging from large conglomerates to unicorn start-ups: Nivea, Starbucks, DLF, JSW, Adani Group, Crisil, CRED, Vedanta, Mahindra, Glenmark, Gokongwei Group, Mitra Adiperkasa, EFS Facilities Management, VNG Corporation, and many more.

Our vision of building a world-class product company from Asia is backed by marquee global investors like Microsoft, Salesforce, Sequoia Capital, TCV, KKR, and Partners Group.

About The Role :

The Payroll specialist will be responsible for managing end-to-end payroll operations with a strong focus on India payroll, statutory compliance, audits, and vendor coordination. The role will also involve exposure to global payroll processes and handling employee payroll-related queries efficiently while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely closures.

Whats Expected of You:

1. End-to-End Payroll Processing (India)

• Manage complete India payroll lifecycle including payroll inputs, validations, calculations, and disbursements.
• Strong understanding of compensation structures, allowances, deductions, reimbursements, and payroll components.
• Handle Full & Final (F&F) settlements including gratuity, leave encashment, recoveries, and statutory payouts.

Ensure payroll closure as per defined timelines with high accuracy.

2. Statutory Compliance & Payroll Audits

• Ensure compliance with Indian payroll statutory requirements including:
• Income Tax (TDS) & Form16
• Provident Fund (PF) & Employee State Insurance (ESI)
• Professional Tax (PT), etc
• Coordinate and support internal and external payroll audits.
• Ensure timely filing of returns, challans, and statutory reports.

Stay updated with changes in payroll laws and statutory regulations.

3. Global Payroll Exposure

• Support or coordinate global payroll processes and understand payroll timelines.
• Exposure to payroll for Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and US will be an advantage.
• Liaise with global payroll vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure timely payroll execution.

4. Payroll Vendor Management

• Coordinate with payroll vendors for data sharing, validations, and issue resolution.
• Monitor service levels and ensure vendor adherence to agreed timelines and quality standards

5. Employee Query Management

• Handle employee payroll-related queries related to salary, payslips, tax, deductions, F&F, and statutory matters.
• Provide timely and accurate resolutions while maintaining a high standard of employee experience.

Who Should Apply?

• Bachelors degree / masters in human resources.
• 45 years of hands-on experience in payroll processing, primarily India payroll.
• Strong knowledge of Indian payroll compliance, taxation, and statutory frameworks.
• Experience in payroll audits and vendor coordination.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Exposure to global payroll is preferred.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to work with numbers.
• Strong understanding of Indian labor laws and ability to apply them in a multi-city workforce context.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment. Excellent time management skills to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Proficiency in payroll systems and MS Excel.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working in a multi-country or fast-growing organization.
• Hands-on experience with HRMS / payroll tools.
• Ability to manage multiple payroll cycles and tight deadlines.

Highlights of the Role

• Hands-on ownership of end-to-end India payroll with strong exposure to statutory compliance and audits
• Opportunity to work closely with cross-functional teams including HR, Finance, and external payroll vendors
• Exposure to global payroll operations and international payroll timelines
• High-visibility role with direct impact on employee experience and payroll accuracy
• Opportunity to work in a fast-paced, growing organization with evolving payroll complexity

Career Growth & Future Opportunities

• Global Payroll Exposure: Opportunity to deepen knowledge across multiple geographies and grow into a regional or global payroll role
• Specialization Path: Build expertise in payroll compliance, taxation, audits, and vendor management
• Cross-Functional Growth: Work closely with HR Operations, Compensation & Benefits, Finance, and HR Technology teams
• Process Improvement & Automation: Opportunity to contribute to payroll process enhancements, system improvements, and automation initiatives
• Leadership Path: Potential to grow into senior payroll, payroll lead, or payroll manager roles as the organization scales