Head, HR

Atome; Kampung Malaysia Tambahan; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Atome in Kuala Lumpur is seeking a Head of HR to lead the people agenda for Malaysia as the business scales for BNPL licence readiness and growth.

You will be the accountable country HR leader, provide strategic HRBP support to regional teams in KL and, when needed, Singapore HQ. This hands-on leadership role requires building robust local HR foundations, data-driven decision making, and partnering across functions to deliver consistent employee experiences.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including 8+ years in HRBP or strategic advisory.
• Deep HRBP expertise plus one HR discipline (Total Rewards, Talent Development, Learning & Development, or Organisation Development).
• Experience leading a country people agenda and advising senior leaders across functions in a fast-changing environment.
• Strong knowledge of Malaysian employment law; Singapore employment practices are an advantage.
• A strong AI-adoption mindset to apply AI responsibly for HR insights and productivity.
• Commercial judgment to challenge constructively and balance pace with people risk.
• Ability to interpret people data and communicate a concise story to leaders.
• Experience in fintech/tech/financial services/digital platforms/AI-native companies preferred.
• Regional/cross-market experience linking KL priorities with Singapore HQ.
• Relevant postgraduate or professional qualification is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Act as the dedicated HR Head for Malaysia translating growth priorities into workforce and governance plans.
• Advise senior leaders on organisation design, workforce planning, role clarity and succession.
• Own Malaysia people agenda including hiring governance, performance, rewards, engagement, retention and exits.
• Lead complex employee-relations matters with sound judgment and proper processes.
• Drive performance reviews, promotions, compensation cycles with internal-equity thinking.
• Use headcount, attrition, engagement and pay data to identify patterns and actions.
• Coach leaders on feedback, difficult conversations and organisational change.
• Partner with TA, Total Rewards, Talent Development, L&D, Organisation Development and HR Ops for consistent experiences.
• Collaborate with Singapore HQ and regional HR leaders on cross-market priorities.
• Represent Malaysia’s market and regulatory needs in regional policy and programme design.
• Build HR readiness for BNPL licence including governance, records and people-risk controls with Legal/Compliance.
• Ensure compliance with Malaysian employment law and company policy.

Skills

HRBP

Workforce planning

Leadership coaching

Data-driven HR

AI in HR

Regulatory knowledge

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Psychology

Job description

Atome is looking for a Head of HR, Malaysia to lead the people agenda for our fast-growing Malaysia business as it prepares for its BNPL licence and next stage of growth.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, you will serve as the accountable country HR leader while providing strategic HRBP support to regional teams in the KL office and, when required, our Singapore headquarters.

This is a hands-on leadership role with clear country accountability and meaningful regional exposure. You will build strong local HR foundations for a growing and increasingly regulated business, challenge constructively, use data and technology effectively, and bring deep HRBP capability together with a second HR specialism such as Total Rewards, Talent Development, Learning & Development, or Organisation Development.

What you will do

• Act as the dedicated HR Head for Malaysia, translating business growth and BNPL licence-readiness priorities into workforce, organisation, talent, governance and capability plans.
• Advise senior leaders on organisation design, workforce planning, role clarity, succession, leadership effectiveness and change.
• Own the Malaysia people agenda and employee lifecycle, including hiring governance, performance, rewards, engagement, retention, development, employee relations and exits.
• Lead complex employee-relations matters with sound judgment, fair processes, clear documentation and appropriate legal or specialist support.
• Drive performance and talent reviews, promotion and compensation cycles, succession planning and high-potential development with disciplined calibration and internal-equity thinking.
• Use people data—including headcount, attrition, engagement, hiring, performance and pay—to identify patterns, challenge assumptions and recommend practical action.
• Coach leaders on feedback, difficult conversations, team dynamics, performance concerns and organisational change.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Talent Development, L&D, Organisation Development and HR Operations to deliver consistent, scalable employee experiences.
• Partner with Singapore HQ and regional HR leaders on cross-market priorities, supporting regional resources based in KL with clear ownership, policy alignment and employee experience.
• Represent Malaysia’s market, regulatory and organisational needs in regional policy and programme design.
• Build HR readiness for Malaysia’s BNPL licence and regulated growth—including organisation structure, critical roles, governance, policies, records and people-risk controls—in partnership with Legal, Compliance and relevant functional owners.
• Ensure compliance with Malaysian employment law and company policy, escalating material risks early.

AI adoption and data-driven HR

• Champion practical and responsible AI adoption across workforce insights, manager enablement, employee listening, knowledge management and workflow improvement.
• Identify high-value use cases, test them against clear success measures and help leaders and HR colleagues adopt new ways of working.
• Apply AI to improve insight and execution—not to automate sensitive people decisions. Human judgment remains accountable, with confidentiality, data privacy, fairness and approval controls protected.
• Learn new digital tools quickly and translate technology into simple, usable HR practices.

What we are looking for

• At least 10 years of progressive HR experience, including a minimum of 8 years in HR business partnering or a comparable strategic HR advisory role.
• Deep HRBP expertise plus at least one additional HR discipline, such as Total Rewards, Talent Development, Learning & Development or Organisation Development.
• Proven experience leading or materially shaping a country people agenda and advising senior leaders across multiple functions in a fast-changing, growth-oriented environment.
• Strong knowledge of Malaysian employment law and employee-relations practices. Familiarity with Singapore employment practices is an advantage.
• A strong AI-adoption mindset: curious, hands-on and able to apply AI responsibly to improve HR insight, productivity and employee or manager experience.
• Commercial judgment and the confidence to challenge constructively, make clear recommendations and balance business pace with people risk.
• Ability to interpret people data and communicate a concise, decision-relevant story to leaders.
• Experience in fintech, technology, financial services, digital platforms or AI-native companies is strongly preferred.
• Regional and cross-market experience, with the ability to connect country priorities, KL-based regional teams and Singapore HQ stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate or professional qualification is an advantage.