We are seeking a knowledgeable and detail-oriented Payroll SME – Japan to join our team. This role is responsible for managing end-to-end payroll processing for employees based in Japan, ensuring full compliance with local regulations and best practices. The successful candidate will act as the subject matter expert (SME) in Japanese payroll, supporting client implementations, improving processes, and serving as a key liaison between internal teams, clients, and external payroll partners.
Roles & Responsibilities:
- Execute timely and accurate end-to-end payroll processing for employees in Japan.
- Ensure compliance with all Japanese labor laws, tax regulations, social insurance, and statutory reporting requirements.
- Handle proper calculations of statutory deductions, employee benefits, and government remittances.
- Conduct regular payroll reconciliations, internal audits, and compliance reviews.
- Keep up-to-date with changes in Japanese payroll legislation and update processes accordingly.
- Support onboarding and payroll implementation for new Japanese clients.
- Provide expert advice to clients on Japanese payroll best practices, configuration, and compliance.
- Troubleshoot and resolve payroll discrepancies or errors in a timely manner.
- Collaborate with internal teams such as HR, Finance, and Implementation to ensure payroll processes are aligned with business needs.
- Identify opportunities for payroll process improvements and contribute to automation initiatives.
- Develop and maintain payroll documentation, SOPs, and training materials specific to Japan.
- Act as a trusted point of contact for payroll-related inquiries from internal stakeholders and clients.
- Liaise with external vendors, payroll providers, and relevant government agencies in Japan.
Requirements
- Minimum of 3-5 years of hands-on experience in Japanese payroll, including in-house processing and compliance.
- In-depth knowledge of Japanese payroll legislation, income tax, social insurance, and labor laws.
- Experience with payroll implementation, optimization, and system integration is an advantage.
- Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail in resolving complex payroll matters.
- Ability to communicate payroll concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Proficiency in Japanese payroll software and Microsoft Excel.
- Payroll certification is preferred.
- Fluency in Japanese and English, both written and spoken.
This role combines hands-on payroll processing with strategic SME responsibilities, ensuring both compliance and efficiency in payroll operations.
ABOUT US
GoGlobal is the leading professional services company to guide, establish and manage global operations with compliance and confidence. We bring the human touch to entering new markets and consolidating vendors through a single point of management. With a presence in over 140 countries on six continents and growing, we make running a global business easy.
Business & Corporate Services provided:
- Entity Solutions: Entity establishment, Corporate secretarial & directorship services, Domicile services, Dormancy/Liquidation
- HR Solutions: Global recruitment, Employer of Record (EOR), Agent of Record (AOR), Global benefits, Global payroll, International HR Consulting
- Finance Solutions: Accounting & Tax
For more information, please visit GoGlobal.com
OVERVIEW
We Measure Success by Results, Not Hours Worked
No timesheets.
At GoGlobal, we give you the autonomy to make decisions that create real impact. We prioritize results over hours worked, focusing on quality of outcomes rather than tracking time.
As a privately owned company, we are free from the pressures of venture capital or private equity investors demanding exponential growth in unreasonable time frames.
Sometimes, things just take time to do well. In our business, delivering great results is a process - and we're committed to doing it right.
We are not for sale. We believe that financial success is a natural outcome of our work, not the primary goal. Unlike many investors who view money as a goal, our focus is on long-term growth and sustainable success.
We are a global team, built for those who want to go further. Here's what your career at GoGlobal looks like:
- A company small enough for your voice to be heard meaningfully, yet large enough to make a global impact
- Collaborating with a diverse, global and supportive team
- Built for the long-haul - no VC or PE pressure, just a focus on sustainable growth
WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT
We Make Growing Your Career Possible
- We operate with the benefits of a partnership without the complexities of a partnership. Our hybrid partnership-corporate model offers all employees the opportunity to become a partner, while maintaining a streamlined corporate structure so that decisions are made quickly
- We do not offer equity plans. As we are not for sale and are not chasing an exit, "stock options" hold little value in our business model. Instead, we provide opportunities for outstanding employees to make partner and share in the profits. We believe it's better to build lasting value than to chase a one-time payout
- We prioritize organic and sustainable growth. Expanding operations quickly by way of mergers and acquisitions might seem appealing, but the reality is integrating diverse cultures can be challenging. We're proud of our own culture and prefer to grow it our way
- We're global. We offer career opportunities across the world-whether it's new job roles or international locations
- English is our official language, but for many, it's our second language. We embrace this and find it rewarding communicating with colleagues from all over the world
- We are not a family. We operate more like a high-performing sports team where each individual's contribution is crucial to our collective success
- We keep things simple and collaborative. Our structure makes it easy for teams to work together across borders so we can serve our clients with global needs more effectively. Unlike big, siloed companies, we work seamlessly to handle international deals without the headaches of territorial ownership
- We believe in transparency and trust. Every month, we share our financials with the team so everyone knows where we stand and what's coming next. It's all about open communication, building trust and empowering every individual to be part of our journey. We don't tell you what to think - we provide the information you need to make your own informed decisions
- We believe flexibility drives success. Our company is built on trust, and that's why we embrace fully remote work, and hybrid options in some countries. Forget rigid office routines - it's old school! This flexibility fuels productivity, strengthens our workforce, and ensures we remain agile in a fast-changing world.
Ready to take the next step in your career with us? Apply now!
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