Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic HR Manager to lead the full spectrum of Human Resources functions for our retail business and upcoming serviced apartment/hotel operations in Johor Bahru.
This role will play a key part in both operational HR management and the pre-opening setup of the serviced apartment/hotel business, including manpower planning, recruitment, HR systems implementation, culture building, policy development, and operational readiness.
The ideal candidate should be hands-on, business-oriented, and experienced in managing fast-paced multi-site operations within retail and hospitality environments. Pre-opening hotel or serviced apartment experience will be an added advantage. 

Key Responsibilities

HR Business Partnering
•    Partner with management to support business growth, operational efficiency, and organisational development. 
•    Monitor HR metrics including turnover, absenteeism, recruitment efficiency, and employee engagement. 
•    Support new outlet/property openings, restructuring, and change management initiatives. Partner business unit heads across retail outlets and hospitality operations to address workforce planning, organisational effectiveness, and day-to-day people management needs.
•    Advise and coach line managers on HR policies, performance management processes, and employee relations matters to build people management capability.
•    Implement group HR policies at business unit level, ensuring consistent, compliant, and operationally relevant application across multi-site operations.
•    Support change management initiatives including new outlet openings, operational restructuring, and workforce transitions, coordinating with the Head of People on execution.
•    Compile and analyse HR metrics — including headcount, turnover, absenteeism, and recruitment efficiency — and provide regular management reports to support business decisions.

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
•    Manage end-to-end recruitment for retail, serviced apartment/hotel operations, and corporate office roles, from job scoping and sourcing through to offer management and onboarding.
•    Partner with department heads on manpower planning and staffing optimisation to ensure operational roles are resourced effectively ahead of business demand.
•    Build and maintain candidate pipelines for recurring operational and leadership roles to reduce time-to-fill and dependency on reactive hiring.
•    Oversee onboarding programmes and probation review processes, working with line managers to ensure new hires integrate effectively into the business.

Employee Relations & Industrial Relations
•    Manage employee grievances, disciplinary matters, counselling sessions, and workplace investigations in line with the Malaysian Employment Act and company guidelines.
•    Advise managers on fair and consistent application of HR policies, ensuring compliance with Malaysian labour law including EPF, SOCSO, EIS, and HRDF obligations.
•    Foster a positive workplace culture through structured employee engagement initiatives, recognition programmes, and wellness activities.
•    Monitor employee relations trends across sites and escalate systemic issues to the Head of People with recommended interventions.

Performance & Talent Development
•    Facilitate the performance assessment cycle — guiding line managers on goal cascading, mid-year reviews, and year-end evaluations in line with company frameworks.
•    Identify learning and development needs across business units through training needs analysis, and coordinate delivery of relevant L&D programmes.
•    Support succession planning conversations with BU heads, identifying internal talent for development into key operational and leadership roles.
•    Champion service excellence and hospitality-specific training initiatives in partnership with operations leads.

HR Operations & Compliance
•    Oversee HR administrative operations across the business including payroll coordination, leave management, statutory submissions, and employee record maintenance, managed through direct reports.
•    Ensure compliance with Malaysian Employment Act, EPF, SOCSO, EIS, and HRDF requirements across all business entities under scope.
•    Maintain HR documentation standards, audit readiness, and data confidentiality in accordance with PDPA (Malaysia) requirements.
•    Drive continuous improvement in HR operational processes, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency through HRIS optimisation and workflow standardisation.

Team Leadership
•    Lead, develop, and performance-manage a team of HR Executives and/or HR Officers, setting clear objectives and providing regular coaching and feedback.
•    Build team capability in HR operations, employee relations, and stakeholder management to ensure effective day-to-day HR delivery across all sites.
•    Manage workload allocation and escalation within the HR team, ensuring service levels are maintained across all business units.

Key Requirements

•    Minimum 10 years of progressive HR experience, including 5 yrs or more of business partnering or HR management role covering multi-site or multi-function scope.
•    Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; postgraduate qualification or MIHRM/CIPD membership is an advantage.
•    Proven experience managing a small HR team and developing direct reports.
•    Prior experience in retail, hospitality, hotel, or serviced apartment environments is preferred; exposure to pre-opening or new-site setup is an added advantage.

Knowledge & Technical Skills
•    Strong working knowledge of Malaysian Employment Act 1955, EPF, SOCSO, EIS, HRDF, and PDPA requirements.
•    Hands-on experience in full-cycle recruitment, payroll coordination, employee relations, and performance management.
•    Proficiency in HRIS platforms and Microsoft Office; familiarity with payroll and attendance management systems.
•    Sound understanding of HR metrics and ability to translate data into actionable recommendations for business stakeholders.

Personal Attributes

•    Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and advise managers at all levels.
•    Business-oriented, hands-on, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment.
•    High degree of ownership, confidentiality, and professional judgement.
•    Fluent in English and Bahasa Malaysia; proficiency in Mandarin is an advantage given the operational context.