The HR Director – APAC

Position Overview

The HR Director – APAC (Senior HR Business Partner & Operations) is a senior strategic advisor responsible for aligning people strategy with business performance, organizational effectiveness, and governance standards within a global, listed-company environment.

Reporting to the CFO of Global Supply Chain and AMS, the role ensures strong linkage between workforce strategy, performance, and organizational outcomes across APAC.

This role serves as the primary regional counterpart to US and Europe HR leadership, representing APAC priorities while ensuring global consistency.

This is a high-impact contributor role requiring strong influence, structured thinking, and executive communication.

Role Mandate (Priorities) 

1. Workforce Strategy & Organizational Effectiveness 
Design scalable organizational structures aligned with growth, cost discipline, and performance 

2. Leadership Capability & Talent Pipeline 
Build strong leadership bench strength, succession depth, and a high-performance culture 

3. Regional Representation & Integration 
Represent APAC in global HR forums and translate global frameworks into effective regional execution 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Strategic Business & Leadership Advisory 

• Partner with leadership team on organization design, workforce strategy, and capability planning 
• Provide clear, data-driven recommendations on complex people decisions 
• Translate business needs into structured, decision-ready workforce strategies 

2. Workforce Planning & Financial Alignment 

• Own headcount planning aligned to financial targets and operating plans 
• Drive productivity, cost discipline, and workforce efficiency 
• Present trade-offs and scenarios in clear executive formats 

3. Organizational Design & Capability Building 

• Design and implement scalable, efficient organizational structures 
• Identify capability gaps and define hiring priorities 
• Translate org design into clear frameworks and implementation plans 

4. Talent Management, Leadership Development & Training 

• Lead performance management, talent reviews, and succession planning 
• Coach leaders on capability, performance, and organizational effectiveness 
• Design and drive leadership development programs aligned with global standards 

5. Culture, Engagement & Regional Leadership 

• Lead employee engagement strategy and action planning 
• Ensure alignment of regional initiatives with global cultural principles 
• Represent APAC priorities in global discussions with clarity and impact 

6. Executive Communication & Decision Support (Critical Capability) 

• Develop and deliver high-quality executive presentations for leadership and global stakeholders 
• Translate HR data into clear insights, business implications, and actionable recommendations 
• Drive alignment and decision-making through structured storytelling and influence 

7. Employee Relations & Risk Management 

• Lead complex and high-risk employee relations matters 
• Provide clear, defensible recommendations balancing business needs and legal risk 
• Partner with legal counsel where appropriate 

8. Governance, Controls & Compliance 

• Ensure people decisions align with internal control frameworks in a listed-company environment 
• Maintain strong discipline in documentation, approvals, and audit readiness 

9. Rewards & Hiring Advisory 

• Advise on compensation positioning and calibration decisions 
• Define hiring priorities and role design 
• Guide senior hiring decisions in partnership with HR Operations 

10. Data, Insights & Reporting 

• Translate HR data into clear, structured, and actionable insights 
• Identify trends across attrition, engagement, and performance 
• Deliver executive-ready reporting to support decision-making 

11. HR Operations Oversight & Scalability 

• Define and oversee the HR Operations & Governance operating model, ensuring clear roles, controls, and execution standards 
• Maintain accountability for how HR operations function end-to-end, ensuring scalability and efficiency 
• Provide oversight and guidance to HR Operations where required, with readiness to assume leadership of the function as the organization evolves 

Qualifications & Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field 
• Minimum 3-5 years as a proven HR Director role in a global, listed, or highly regulated environment 
• Proven experience operating in a global, matrixed organization with cross-regional stakeholder management 
• Strong exposure to global HR frameworks, systems implementations, and governance models 
• Proven experience supporting senior leadership (executive level) 

Critical Success Profile 

• Executive-level presentation and storytelling capability (non-negotiable) 
• Strong influence in a global, matrix environment without direct authority 
• High judgment in complex and sensitive decisions 
• Ability to simplify complexity into structured, decision-ready insights 
• Strong alignment to financial discipline and governance standards 
• High ownership in a lean operating model 
• Strong presence and credibility in global, cross-cultural environments 

Success Indicators 

• Workforce strategy clearly linked to financial and business outcomes 
• Scalable organization supporting growth 
• Strong leadership pipeline and succession readiness 
• Effective leadership development and training programs 
• High engagement and retention 
• Clear representation of APAC in global leadership forums 
• High-quality executive materials enabling fast, confident decision-making