Director of People & Culture

IHG Hotels & Resorts; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 365,000 - 528,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global hotel chain is seeking a Director of Human Resources for Regent Kuala Lumpur, set to open in 2027. In this top HR role, you will lead talent acquisition, employee relations, and learning initiatives, ensuring a high-performing culture reflecting the brand’s values. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, extensive senior-level experience in luxury hospitality, and the ability to influence senior leaders. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a luxury brand's legacy.

Qualifications

• Extensive senior-level HR experience within luxury hospitality is preferred.
• Professional human resources accreditation is a plus.
• Strong organisational development knowledge in a complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead people strategy for Regent Kuala Lumpur.
• Oversee all HR functions including talent acquisition and employee relations.
• Create programs for a positive work environment and conduct satisfaction surveys.

Skills

Fluency in English

Strong expertise in employment legislation

Proven executive presence

Ability to advise and influence senior leaders

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field

Job description

IHG Hotels & Resorts is one of the largest hotel companies in the world with a family of 20 brands. We are one of the world's leading hotel and resort companies. Our purpose – True Hospitality for Good – comes to life in every one of our collections. With luxury and lifestyle, we are taking it to new heights.

Five visionary brands make up our luxury collection. These are Intercontinental, Regent Hotels, Six Senses, Vignette Collection and Kimpton Hotels. Individually, they are icons. Together, they bring unforgettable and unparalleled experiences to travelers in over 430 hotels and resorts in 100 countries around the world.

Having recently added a host of incredible properties to our portfolio, we now stand as one of the world's leading luxury operators. Our growth and ambitions have given us an incredible opportunity. We are ready to redefine what luxury means, not just for our guests for but for our entire industry too.

About Regent Kuala Lumpur

Regent Hotels and Resorts is the epitome of modern upper luxury. We set out to reimagine hospitality experiences through innovation and design thanks to a deep understanding of today's most refined travellers.

Commanding a prominent junction in the city, Regent Kuala Lumpur emerges as a sanctuary of calm sophistication above the urban rhythm. Part of the Multibay Development, the hotel rises as a 36-storey tower alongside premium residences and offices. Opening in 2027, it is set to be the luxury address in Malaysia’s capital.

Rooted in Regent’s design philosophy of Discreet Maximalism, the hotel expresses elegance, restraint, and exceptional detail at every turn.

Define a new era

This isn’t just another role — it’s a chance to help launch one of Kuala Lumpur’s most exciting luxury brand and make your contribution to the legacy we create.

What is the job?

As Director of Human Resources, you will shape and lead the people strategy for Regent Kuala Lumpur, ensuring an engaged, high performing culture that reflects the sophistication and warmth of the Regent brand. You will oversee all human resources functions including talent acquisition, rewards, employee relations, learning and development, and compliance. As a trusted advisor, you will work alongside the General Manager and Executive Committee on all people related matters while bringing the brand’s service philosophy to life through our colleagues.

Your Day to Day

People

• Create programmes to foster a positive work environment for all employees. Support and administer an annual team member satisfaction survey
• Educate and train managers on HR disciplines to foster productivity and enhance performance
• Welcome and conduct new team member orientation
• Oversee maintenance of accurate and up-to-date personnel files and records for all employees
• Ensure hiring standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed
• Build great relations with outside contacts

Financial

• Help create and work within the HR budget.
• Monitor staffing and labour standards to manage costs
• Mitigate financial risks associated with employee relations issues
• Identify and analyse local compensation and benefits practices to ensure financial competitiveness

Guest Experience

• Develop creative ways to inspire and motivate team members to provide guests with a unique experience
• Make time to interact with guests to hear feedback and build relationships to understand how team members can increase guest satisfaction
• Work with department managers to develop initiatives to reach service standards and drive continuous improvement in the guest experience.

Responsible Business

• Develop awareness and reputation of the hotel and the brand in the local community and promote team member involvement in local community
• Ensure compliance with relevant employment laws and hotel or company policies and procedures
• Research and investigate all workplace issues to discover facts, identify potential risks to the hotel or company, and facilitate resolution through your employee relations programmes
• Collect and maintain data from exit interviews, turnover statistics, absenteeism reports to identify trends, training needs, and supervisory issues
• In a union environment, may manage labour relations and represent the hotel in grievances, mediations, arbitrations and contract negotiation
• Other ad-hoc duties – unexpected moments when we have to pull together to get a task done.

Accountabilities

• This is the top HR role in a large, luxury, resort, or major flagship hotel with extensive facilities and services, a number of major outlets, and catering and convention facilities. Typically manages HR colleagues and admin team

What we need from you

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or a related field
• Extensive senior-level human resources experience, ideally gained within luxury hospitality or a highly service-driven environment
• Proven executive presence with the ability to advise, influence, and partner effectively with senior leaders and owners
• Strong expertise in employment legislation, employee relations, and organisational development within a complex operating environment
• Professional human resources accreditation is preferred
• Fluency in English and the local language is essential; additional languages are a distinct advantage

How do I deliver this?

We genuinely care about people and we show this through living out our promise of True Hospitality each and every day. It’s what connects every colleague in all IHG® hotels.

Each IHG® hotel brand delivers True Hospitality in their own way, and at the heart of it all are specific, core service skills.

• True Attitude: being caring, wanting to make a positive difference, and building genuine connections with guests
• True Confidence: having the knowledge and skills to perform your role, and giving guests the confidence that they can trust you, to help and support them during their stay
• True Listening: focusing on what your guest is saying, picking up on body language that is often overlooked, and understanding what the guest wants and needs
• True Responsiveness: is about providing guests with what they need, and doing so in a timely and caring manner

There’s so much more to the job than we can capture here. It’s simply about creating great experiences, doing the right thing and understanding people.