HR Manager

SmartHire by SEEK; Johor; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SmartHire by SEEK in Malaysia's Johor seeks an experienced HR Manager to lead a broad, strategic HR function, covering talent acquisition, employee relations, policy compliance, and foreign worker management. The role focuses on building a strong workplace culture and people strategies aligned with business goals.

The successful candidate will oversee a team, drive HR excellence, and partner with leadership to deliver impactful HR programs, payroll oversight, and governance across the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or related field required; master's preferred.
• At least 5 years HR experience with 2+ years in a leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and strong organisation.
• Payroll exposure is an added advantage.

Responsibilities

• Drive recruitment, workforce planning, and onboarding including foreign workers.
• Manage employee relations, engagement programs, and culture-building initiatives.
• Develop and maintain HR policies in line with labour laws and risk controls.
• Oversee foreign worker matters, permits, hostel management, and renewals.
• Oversee compensation, benefits, salary benchmarking, and payroll oversight.
• Design and implement training and development programs and performance reviews.
• Ensure compliance and governance, support audits, and maintain HR records.
• Run HR operations including payroll, attendance, leave, and HRIS reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Discretion

Employment law

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / related field

Master's degree (plus)

Tools

Payroll systems

HRIS

Job description

Our client is seeking an HR Manager to join their team!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced HR professional to take on a broad, strategic leadership role, overseeing everything from talent acquisition and employee relations to compliance and foreign worker management. It's an ideal role for someone who thrives on building strong workplace culture, driving HR excellence, and shaping people strategies that align with business goals. Candidates who enjoy variety, ownership, and the chance to lead a team while making a meaningful impact will find this role especially rewarding.

What you'll be doing?

• Driving recruitment and talent acquisition - Lead workforce planning, hiring strategy, and onboarding, including onboarding for foreign workers, to build a strong and capable team.
• Championing employee relations - Manage conflict resolution, engagement programs, and culture-building initiatives to foster a positive and inclusive workplace.
• Developing policy and ensuring compliance - Develop and maintain HR policies while ensuring adherence to labour laws (EA1955 & IRA) and effective risk management practices.
• Managing foreign worker matters - Oversee foreign worker recruitment, permits, hostel management, and renewals, while liaising with government agencies and service providers to ensure regulatory compliance and worker welfare.
• Overseeing compensation and benefits - Conduct salary benchmarking, manage benefits administration, and provide payroll oversight to ensure fair and competitive remuneration practices.
• Leading training and development - Design and implement learning and development programs, performance reviews, and career pathing to support employee growth.
• Upholding compliance and governance - Ensure compliance with Malaysian laws and company policies, support audits (ISO, Halal, Safety, JTKSM), and maintain accurate HR records and reporting.
• Running HR operations - Oversee payroll, attendance, leave administration, and HRIS, prepare monthly HR reports and manpower analytics, and lead and support the HR team.

Who are they looking for?

• Relevant qualification - A bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field is required, with a master's degree considered a plus.
• Proven HR experience - At least 5 years of progressive HR experience is sought, including a minimum of 2 years in a management or leadership capacity.
• Strong knowledge of employment law - A deep understanding of federal and state employment law and HR best practices will support success in this role.
• Leadership and communication skills - Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal abilities are valued to effectively guide teams and engage stakeholders.
• Discretion and organisation - The ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion, along with strong organisational and detail-oriented skills, is important.
• Payroll exposure - Experience in payroll processing would be an added advantage, though not essential.

Everyone is encouraged to apply, and we look forward to hearing from you.

All information received will be kept strictly confidential and will be used only for employment-related purposes.

#SmartHire