Area People Business Partner

Lotuss Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; Johor Bahru; On-site; MYR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Lotuss Stores Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. seeks an HR Business Partner to support the Southern Region (Johor).

You will translate business priorities into people strategies, partner with Outlet and Area Managers, and drive workforce planning, talent acquisition, engagement, performance management and HR compliance across outlets. In this strategic role you will visit outlets, provide guidance on people management, analyse workforce data, and ensure consistent, fair HR practices in line with Malaysian

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in HRM, Business Administration, Industrial Relations or related field.
• A relevant professional HR qualification will be an added advantage.
• 6–8 years HR experience, preferably in retail or high-volume environment.
• Experience in HRBP, employee relations, workforce planning and HR operations.
• Experience supporting multiple outlets and geographically dispersed teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide HR business partnering support to multiple outlets within an area.
• Drive workforce planning, manpower budgeting and headcount reporting.
• Lead talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management and employee engagement.
• Manage employee relations, disciplinary matters and workforce policy adherence.
• Coach managers on leadership, communication and performance improvement.
• Ensure HR policy compliance and risk management across stores.

Skills

Business partnering

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical thinking

Confidentiality

Travel ready

Education

Bachelor's in HRM/BA

Professional HR qualification

Job description

1 position responsible for Southern Region (Johor)

JOB PURPOSE

To act as a strategic People & Culture business partner to Outlet Managers, Area Managers and retail operations leadership by translating business priorities into effective people strategies and HR solutions. The role is responsible for driving workforce planning, talent acquisition, employee engagement, performance management, talent development, employee relations and HR compliance across assigned outlets.

The HRBP ensures that outlets are adequately staffed with competent employees, maintains a productive and engaged workforce, supports business growth and operational efficiency, and promotes a consistent, fair and compliant people management culture in line with company policies and applicable Malaysian employment legislation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Strategic HR Business Partnering

Partner with Area Managers and Outlet Managers to understand business priorities, operational challenges and workforce requirements.

Translate retail business objectives into practical HR strategies, people initiatives and action plans for assigned outlets.

Provide professional HR advice and guidance to outlet leadership on people management matters, organizational effectiveness and workforce productivity.

Conduct regular outlet visits and business reviews to assess people-related challenges, identify improvement opportunities and ensure effective implementation of HR initiatives.

Analyze people data and workforce trends to identify risks, recommend solutions and support business decision-making.

Challenge and coach outlet leaders on people management practices to strengthen leadership effectiveness and accountability.

Support the implementation of company-wide P&C strategies, policies, programmes and initiatives across the assigned area.

Build strong working relationships with operational stakeholders and relevant P&C functions to ensure timely resolution of people-related issues.

B. Workforce Planning and Manpower Management

Work closely with Area Managers and Outlet Managers to develop and review manpower plans based on outlet requirements, business volume, opening hours and operational needs.

Monitor approved headcount, active headcount, vacancies, turnover and workforce availability across assigned outlets.

Review manpower deployment and staffing structures to ensure appropriate workforce allocation across departments, including Fresh, Grocery, Non-Food, Front End, Customer Service and Outlet Operations, where applicable.

Monitor vacancy ageing, recruitment progress, staffing gaps and manpower shortages, and recommend corrective actions to minimize operational disruption.

Support workforce optimization initiatives, including manpower redeployment, succession coverage and resource allocation between outlets.

Review overtime, absenteeism, unplanned leave and other workforce indicators to identify productivity concerns and recommend improvements.

Support manpower budgeting and headcount planning in collaboration with Operations and Finance.

Provide workforce insights and regular manpower reports to management to facilitate informed business decisions.

Anticipate workforce requirements arising from new outlet openings, outlet renovations, business expansion, seasonal peaks and major promotional periods.

C. Talent Acquisition and Recruitment

Partner with Talent Acquisition and outlet management teams to ensure timely fulfilment of approved vacancies across assigned outlets.

Review recruitment priorities and establish hiring action plans for critical, ageing and high-volume vacancies.

Monitor recruitment turnaround time, vacancy status, candidate availability and offer acceptance rates.

Support mass recruitment initiatives, open interviews, job fairs, walk-in interviews and other sourcing activities to meet outlet manpower requirements.

Identify recruitment challenges and recommend effective sourcing strategies for operational and frontline positions.

Work with Outlet Managers to improve interview quality, candidate selection, offer management and onboarding readiness.

Monitor new-hire attendance, early turnover and retention trends, and recommend improvements to recruitment and onboarding practices.

Support recruitment planning for new outlet openings, relaunches, peak trading periods and other business-critical activities.

Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to strengthen employer branding, local hiring partnerships and recruitment pipelines for outlet-level positions.

Ensure recruitment activities follow approved headcount, recruitment procedures and relevant employment requirements.

D. Employee Relations and Industrial Relations

Provide guidance to Outlet Managers and line managers on employee relations matters, disciplinary procedures, grievances, misconduct, attendance issues and workplace conflicts.

Manage and investigate employee complaints and workplace issues objectively, fairly and confidentially.

Advise management on appropriate disciplinary action, ensuring consistency with company policies, established procedures and applicable employment laws.

Support the preparation and review of show‑cause letters, domestic inquiry documentation, investigation reports, disciplinary letters and other relevant HR documents.

Coordinate domestic inquiries and disciplinary proceedings where required, ensuring procedural fairness and proper documentation.

Support the resolution of employee grievances and facilitate constructive communication between employees and management.

Identify recurring employee relations issues and recommend preventive measures to reduce workplace disputes and employee dissatisfaction.

Monitor industrial relations risks and escalatorate sensitive or complex cases to the relevant P&C leadership or legal advisers.

Ensure employee relations cases are properly recorded, tracked, resolved and reported within the required timelines.

Promote a respectful, inclusive and professional working environment across all assigned stores.

E. Performance Management and Employee Productivity

Facilitate the implementation of the company's performance management process across assigned outlets.

Coach Outlet Managers and line managers on objective setting, performance reviews, feedback delivery and performance improvement.

Monitor the completion and quality of performance appraisals, ensuring adherence to company timelines and requirements.

Support the identification and management of underperforming employees through performance improvement plans and appropriate follow‑up.

Advise managers on performance‑related concerns, documentation requirements and appropriate management interventions.

Review workforce productivity indicators, including absenteeism, turnover, overtime and staffing effectiveness, to identify areas for improvement.

Work with Operations to develop action plans that improve employee productivity, accountability and overall outlet performance.

Support the implementation of employee recognition initiatives and performance‑related programmes in accordance with company policies.

G. Learning and Development

Identify training needs across assigned outlets through business reviews, performance results, employee feedback and management input.

Partner with Learning & Development to coordinate training programmes for store employees and people managers.

Support the development of leadership, communication, employee relations and performance management capabilities among store management teams.

Monitor training participation, completion rates and the effectiveness of development initiatives.

Ensure employees and managers receive relevant HR policy briefings and mandatory training, as applicable.

Identify capability gaps that may affect service standards, operational performance and employee productivity.

Recommend targeted learning interventions to address recurring people management issues.

Support the onboarding and orientation of new employees and newly appointed managers, ensuring consistent implementation across stores.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Educational Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration, Industrial Relations or a related discipline.

A relevant professional HR qualification will be an added advantage.

Working Experience

Minimum 6-8 years of relevant HR experience, preferably within retail, supermarket, hypermarket, FMCG or another high‑volume, multi‑site operational environment.

Demonstrated experience in HR business partnering, employee relations, workforce planning and HR operations.

Experience supporting multiple outlets, branches, outlets or geographically dispersed operational teams is preferred.

Experience handling disciplinary matters, investigations, performance management and employee engagement initiatives.

Experience working with frontline and high‑volume workforces is highly desirable.

Core Competencies

Strong business partnering and stakeholder management skills.

Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing abilities.

Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving and decision‑making skills.

High integrity and ability to handle confidential employee matters.

Ability to manage multiple priorities and work within a fast‑paced retail environment.

Strong coaching, facilitation and conflict‑resolution skills.

Results‑oriented mindset with the ability to drive accountability and follow through on action plans.

Adaptability and willingness to travel between assigned outlets as required.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Provide HR business partnering support to multiple outlet within an assigned geographical area.

Support outlet leadership in managing the full employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to development, retention and separation.

Ensure consistent application of HR policies and people management practices across assigned outlets.

Drive workforce effectiveness and support the achievement of operational and business objectives through effective people strategies.

Maintain appropriate oversight of HR risks, employee relations matters and compliance requirements within the assigned area.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Perform other HR-related duties and special projects assigned by the reporting manager in line with business requirements.

Maintain professional standards, confidentiality and ethical conduct in all HR activities.

Collaborate with other P&C functions to ensure integrated and consistent HR service delivery.

Continuously enhance HR knowledge, business understanding and professional capabilities to support the evolving needs of the retail business.

Unlock job insights

Your application will include the following questions:

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Malaysia?
• What's your expected monthly basic salary?
• How many years' experience do you have as a People Business Partner?
• Which of the following types of qualifications do you have?
• How many years of Employee Lifecycle Management experience do you have?
• Are you willing to travel for this role when required?
• Do you have specialty retail experience?

Supermarkets, Grocery & Petrol Retailing More than 10,000 employees

Lotuss Stores Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (Registration No. 200001018812 (521419-K)) (formerly known as Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.) is a member of the Charoen Pokphand Group Co., Ltd (C.P. Group) since December 2020.

Having acquired Tesco Malaysia’s business in December 2020, Lotus’s Malaysia has now assumed the operations of all existing Tesco stores, employing over 8,600 employees across one head office, two distribution centres, and 62 stores throughout Peninsular Malaysia. It also has Malaysia’s most extensive online grocery home shopping network with over 100 delivery trucks and operations in Penang, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Ipoh.

Lotuss Stores Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (Registration No. 200001018812 (521419-K)) (formerly known as Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.) is a member of the Charoen Pokphand Group Co., Ltd (C.P. Group) since December 2020.

Having acquired Tesco Malaysia’s business in December 2020, Lotus’s Malaysia has now assumed the operations of all existing Tesco stores, employing over 8,600 employees across one head office, two distribution centres, and 62 stores throughout Peninsular Malaysia. It also has Malaysia’s most extensive online grocery home shopping network with over 100 delivery trucks and operations in Penang, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Ipoh.

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