Senior Compliance Officer

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

1. Multi-Jurisdictional Tax & Regulatory Compliance

• Own end-to-end tax compliance across all operating jurisdictions including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar
• Monitor and interpret changes in local tax laws, transfer pricing rules, withholding tax obligations, GST/VAT regimes, and employment levies
• Manage relationships with local tax authorities, external tax advisors, and statutory auditors across entities
• Lead preparation and review of corporate income tax returns, VAT/GST submissions, and withholding tax filings for all entities

2. Statutory & Corporate Secretarial Oversight

• Ensure timely filing of all statutory returns including annual reports, beneficial ownership registers, and company secretarial obligations under respective jurisdictions
• Coordinate with corporate secretaries, local agents, and regulatory bodies across all countries of incorporation

3. Audit Liaison & Internal Controls

• Act as the primary interface with external auditors, coordinating annual statutory audits across all group entities
• Design and enforce internal control frameworks, compliance checklists, and audit-readiness protocols
• Support IPO-related regulatory disclosures and due diligence processes, including Bursa Malaysia ACE Market requirements

4. Transfer Pricing & Intercompany Compliance

• Develop and maintain transfer pricing documentation and intercompany agreements in line with OECD guidelines and local regulations
• Monitor intercompany transactions to ensure arm's length pricing and cross-border compliance

5. Employment & HR Compliance

• Oversee employment law compliance across jurisdictions including social security (SSF, EPF, BPJS, etc.), payroll tax, and labor act obligations
• Advise HR and payroll teams on jurisdiction-specific requirements for local and expatriate employees

6. Risk Management & Reporting

• Maintain a live compliance risk register across all entities and escalate material risks to the CFO and Board
• Prepare quarterly compliance dashboards for senior leadership covering key regulatory deadlines, audit status, and open findings
• Lead response strategies for tax authority queries, regulatory notices, and investigation matters

Qualifications & Experience

Academic & Professional Credentials

• Chartered Accountant (CA/ACCA/CPA or equivalent) — mandatory
• Additional credentials in tax (e.g., CTIM, ATT, ADIT) or compliance are a strong advantage
• CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) designation is a plus

Experience

• Minimum 8–12 years of progressive experience in audit, tax, or compliance roles
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with compliance in at least 3 of the Group's operating jurisdictions (MY, SG, ID, NP, PH, TW, BD, MM)
• Prior experience supporting or managing an IPO process is strongly preferred

Technical Competencies

• Deep working knowledge of IFRS, transfer pricing frameworks, and indirect tax regimes
• Familiarity with EOR/staffing industry compliance nuances is highly advantageous
• Proficiency in compliance and accounting software (Zoho Books, Xero, or equivalent)
  

Personal Attributes

• Proactively alert — anticipates regulatory shifts before they become liabilities
• Detail-obsessed — zero tolerance for missed deadlines or filing errors
• Diplomatically assertive — able to push back on business decisions that carry compliance risk
• Cross-cultural agility — comfortable operating across diverse regulatory environments and teams
• Clear communicator — can translate complex tax positions into plain language for non-finance stakeholders
• High ownership — treats compliance as a leadership mandate, not a checklist function