ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, HR

Duties & Responsibilities

1) Strategic HR Leadership

• Support the Director, HR in formulating and implementing the Group's human capital strategy in alignment with business objectives.
• Partner with business leaders to understand workforce requirements and develop HR solutions that support growth, productivity and organisational effectiveness.
• Lead strategic HR projects and change management initiatives arising from business transformation, acquisitions, restructuring and organisational development.
• Drive continuous improvement of HR policies, procedures, systems and governance frameworks.
• Monitor HR trends and industry best practices and recommend enhancements to strengthen the Group's people capabilities.

2) Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition

• Develop and implement workforce planning strategies to ensure the availability of skilled and competent manpower to support current and future business requirements.
• Collaborate with business units on manpower forecasting, succession planning and talent pipeline development.
• Oversee recruitment activities for key management and critical positions.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with recruitment agencies, educational institutions and government agencies.
• Support overseas recruitment activities where required.

3) Talent Management & Succession Planning

• Lead the Group's performance management, succession planning and talent review processes.
• Identify and develop high-potential employees and future leaders.
• Design and implement leadership development and career progression frameworks.
• Monitor talent retention risks and recommend interventions to strengthen employee engagement and retention.
• Support the development of competency frameworks and career pathways across the organisation.

4) Organisational Development & Change Management

• Drive organisational effectiveness initiatives, including organisation design, role clarity and capability development.
• Support business leaders in managing organisational change and workforce transitions.
• Facilitate employee engagement programmes and culture-building initiatives aligned with company values.
• Implement employee communication strategies to enhance workforce engagement and alignment.

5) Employee Relations & Industrial Relations

• Provide guidance and support to management on employee relations matters, disciplinary issues, grievance handling, investigations and workplace conflict resolution.
• Manage complex employee relations issues while ensuring compliance with employment legislation and company policies.
• Support interactions with government agencies, unions and statutory authorities where applicable.
• Foster positive employee-management relationships through proactive engagement and communication.

6) Compensation, Benefits & HR Governance

• Support the development and review of compensation, benefits and reward strategies.
• Participate in salary benchmarking and market competitiveness reviews.
• Ensure compliance with employment regulations and internal governance standards across all locations.
• Oversee policy reviews and ensure HR practices remain current and compliant.
• Monitor HR risks and implement appropriate controls and mitigation measures.

7) HR Operations & Systems

• Oversee the efficient delivery of HR operational services across the employee lifecycle.
• Drive improvements in HR technology, automation and digitalisation initiatives.
• Ensure integrity, accuracy and confidentiality of employee data.
• Establish and monitor HR metrics, workforce analytics and people dashboards to provide management with insights that support workforce planning, talent decisions and organisational effectiveness.

8) Leadership & Team Management

• Provide leadership, coaching and guidance to HR Managers and HR teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and service excellence.
• Develop team capabilities and succession plans within the HR function.
• Promote collaboration across HR and business units to enhance service delivery.

9) Budget & Resource Management

• Manage HR budgets and monitor expenditure to ensure effective utilisation of resources.
• Evaluate HR programmes and investments to ensure value creation and return on investment.
• Support resource planning and deployment across HR functions.

10) Regional and Corporate Support

• Support and coordinate HR activities across regional operations where applicable.
• Ensure consistency of HR standards, policies and practices across business units and geographies.
• Participate in regional HR projects and strategic initiatives.
• Represent HR in management committees, working groups and cross-functional initiatives as assigned.

11) General

• Carry out any other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Director, HR or Group CEO.

Requirements

• Degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration, Organisational Development or related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field would be advantageous.
• At least 12 to 15 years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in HR leadership roles.
• Strong exposure to talent management, organisational development, workforce planning and employee relations.
• Experience supporting regional and multi-country HR operations particularly in Singapore, China, Malaysia, Middle East, Myanmar, India, Vietnam and Thailand will be advantageous.
• Proven experience leading organisational change and transformation initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws and HR regulatory requirements.
• Experience working with senior leadership teams and managing strategic HR initiatives.

Skills Requirements

• Strong business acumen with the ability to align human capital strategies to business outcomes.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capabilities.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective negotiation, coaching and facilitation skills.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality and professionalism.
• Strong project management and change management capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively across cultures and diverse geographies.

Personal Characteristics

• Strategic and forward-thinking mindset.
• Results-oriented and commercially focused.
• Strong sense of accountability and ownership.
• Resilient and adaptable in a dynamic business environment.
• Collaborative and people-centric leadership style.
• Passionate about developing people and building organisational capability.