About the Client
Our client is a premier, high-growth Retail F&B group with an established brand presence across Asia and an aggressive regional expansion agenda. Backed by strong commercial performance and a loyal consumer base, they are scaling rapidly across Southeast Asia while deepening operational sophistication. Known for product excellence and a strong employer brand, they are now seeking a senior HR leader to partner with regional C-suite executives in building the people infrastructure required to sustain and accelerate growth.
About the Role
This is a senior strategic leadership role for an experienced HRBP who operates at the intersection of business strategy and talent transformation. You will serve as a trusted advisor to the Regional Leadership Team, driving workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, and cultural evolution across multiple Southeast Asian markets. This is not a traditional HR operations role—you will shape business decisions, lead enterprise-wide change management, and architect the talent frameworks required to support hyper-growth in a competitive Retail F&B landscape. The role reports directly to senior leadership and carries significant influence over regional business outcomes.
Job Responsibilities
- Strategic HR Leadership: Partner with Regional Managing Directors and functional heads to co-create and execute people strategies that directly enable business objectives, including market expansion, store network growth, operational efficiency, and brand differentiation.
- Organizational Design & Development: Lead organizational structuring and capability-building initiatives to support scalable store operations. Advise on team architecture, role evolution, and succession planning for senior leadership positions across the region.
- Talent Strategy & Executive Coaching: Oversee end-to-end talent management with a focus on leadership pipelines. Provide executive coaching to business leaders to enhance leadership effectiveness, decision-making, and people management capabilities.
- Change Management & Transformation: Drive large-scale change initiatives, including cultural transformation, operational process improvements, and integration of new people systems across the region.
- Employee Relations & Governance: Serve as the highest-level escalation point for complex employee relations matters, ensuring legal compliance, risk mitigation, and alignment with corporate values across diverse jurisdictions.
- Workforce Analytics & Business Intelligence: Leverage advanced HR data and predictive analytics to inform strategic workforce planning, turnover reduction (particularly for frontline retail staff), and ROI measurement of HR investments. Present data-backed recommendations to the board and senior management.
- Policy Strategy & Localization: Architect and implement regional HR policies that balance global standards with local regulatory and cultural nuances, ensuring consistency without compromising agility.
- Cross-Functional Integration: Collaborate with Centers of Excellence (Compensation & Benefits, Talent Development, HR Operations) to design and deliver integrated, high-impact HR solutions that drive business performance.
Job Requirements
- Experience:10–15 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 8 years in an HRBP capacity at a senior/lead level supporting regional or multi-country operations.
- Industry Mandate (Non-Negotiable):Candidates MUST come from the Retail F&B sector (e.g., QSR, café chains, or retail bakery/confectionery brands) with direct experience supporting high-volume frontline store operations.
- Regional Expertise: Deep, hands-on experience across Southeast Asia (minimum 3–4 countries), with strong command of local labor laws, employment practices, and cultural dynamics in markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
- Strategic Mindset: Proven ability to operate at a strategic level while maintaining credibility to dive into operational details when required. Demonstrated success in influencing senior stakeholders and driving business outcomes through people initiatives.
- Leadership Presence: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills. Comfortable presenting to executive committees and board-level audiences.
- Change Agility: Track record of leading organizational change, transformation projects, or M&A integration in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
- Technical Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in HRIS platforms, workforce analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau), and data-driven decision-making.
- Personal Attributes: Highly resilient, culturally intelligent, and commercially savvy. Able to thrive in ambiguity and manage competing priorities with poise.
Please be informed that only shortlisted candidate will be notified.
For more information, you may reach out to Jamie at her email at [Confidential Information] or WhatsApp her at +6012 238 9953
PeopleLAKE is a full-service HR solution company providing Recruitment, HR Outsourcing, and Corporate Training. eLawyer Recruitment is part of PeopleLAKE Group.
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