Manager, People - APAC

NP Digital; Kuala Lumpur; Hybrid; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing benefits

Gym membership

Health checks

Hybrid working arrangements

Job summary

NP Digital is seeking an experienced Manager, People - APAC to support employees and business leaders across the region. You will manage day-to-day HR operations, employee relations, performance management, benefits administration, payroll coordination, and policy compliance while aligning with global People programs and local law.

This hands-on role requires collaboration with People leadership, managing multiple priorities, and guiding managers and employees through the full employee lifecycle

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of progressive Human Resources/People experience, across APAC countries.
• 2+ years in HR Manager/HR Business Partner/People Partner or similar role.
• Experience in a digital agency, professional services, technology or fast-paced service environment.
• Practical knowledge of Malaysia employment practices; APAC jurisdictions preferred.
• Experience managing employee-relations and performance-management matters.
• Experience supporting compensation, benefits, payroll, HR operations and lifecycle processes.
• Experience partnering with Talent Acquisition and supporting onboarding processes.
• Comfort with HRIS platforms for data management, reporting, and admin tasks.
• Strong interpersonal, consulting and communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential situations with good judgment.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Willingness to work across cultures and time zones in a global org.
• Adaptable, proactive and ownership-minded with escalation when needed.
• Commitment to an inclusive, high-performing employee experience.

Responsibilities

• Support administration and implementation of People policies across APAC, considering local requirements.
• Provide day-to-day HR guidance on policies, employee relations and performance.
• Partner with managers on performance feedback, improvement plans and documentation.
• Support employee-relations and workplace investigations; escalate complex matters.
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding to ensure a consistent employee experience.
• Assist with benefits, compensation programs and payroll across APAC with stakeholders and providers.
• Coordinate with brokers and vendors on plan reviews and renewals.
• Support Talent Acquisition activities to meet regional hiring needs.
• Help implement employee engagement, recognition, culture and inclusion initiatives.
• Coordinate communication and rollout of handbooks, People programs and policies.
• Support organizational changes and ensure proper People processes are followed.
• Identify Employee-relations trends and elevate concerns to leadership.
• Assist with leadership training and talent development initiatives.
• Conduct exit interviews and share insights with People leadership.
• Maintain accurate employee data in HR systems and support People analytics.
• Collaborate with global People teams to align regional practices with company standards.
• Build strong relationships with APAC employees and leaders as a trusted People partner.
• Support regional People projects as assigned.

Skills

Employee relations

Performance management

HR operations

People partner

Stakeholder management

Communication

Cross-cultural collaboration

Tools

HRIS systems

Payroll software

Benefits administration tools

Job description

ABOUT OUR COMPANY

NP Digital (NPD) is a global award-winning performance marketing agency. AdAge named us Performance Marketing Agency of Year, Campaign Magazine labeled us the Global Agency of the Year in two categories, and The Drum awarded us the Agency Business Award for Global Development. Google recently handed us the Agency Excellence Award for Media Unification and both Inc. and AdAge listed us on their Best Places to Work lists.

NP Digital combines proprietary platforms with best-in-class talent to deliver leading edge experiences centered around: paid and organic search, social, content, retargeting, performance display, feed management and conversion rate optimization.

NP Digital focuses on creating innovative, adaptive, and data-driven digital marketing plans for our clients. Obsessed with helping companies grow and exceed their goals, NP Digital delivers on the mission of continually helping brands connect and engage with their audience.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Manager, People - APAC will play an important role in supporting NP Digital's employees and business leaders across the APAC region.

Working closely with People leadership and local business leaders, this role will be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of People programs and HR operations across the region, including employee relations, performance management, benefits, payroll coordination, employee engagement, policy administration, and compliance.

This is a hands-on role suited to an experienced HR professional who is comfortable managing multiple priorities, advising managers, supporting employees through the full employee lifecycle, and helping ensure global People programs are implemented effectively while taking local employment requirements into account.

ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the administration and implementation of company-wide People policies, procedures, and programs across the APAC region, taking local legal requirements and practices into consideration
• Provide day-to-day HR guidance and support to employees and managers on policies, employee relations, performance management, workplace concerns, and general People matters
• Partner with managers on employee performance matters, including performance feedback, improvement plans, probation reviews, and related documentation
• Support employee-relations matters and workplace investigations, escalating complex or higher-risk matters to People leadership as appropriate
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding activities and help ensure consistent employee experience throughout the employee lifecycle
• Support the administration of employee benefits, compensation programs, and payroll processes across APAC, working with internal stakeholders and external providers as needed
• Coordinate with benefits brokers and vendors, assist with plan reviews and renewals, and help identify competitive and cost-effective benefit offerings
• Support Talent Acquisition activities across APAC and partner with hiring managers and recruiting colleagues to help meet regional hiring needs
• Help implement employee engagement, recognition, culture, and inclusion initiatives across the region
• Coordinate the communication and implementation of employee handbooks, policies, People programs, and related initiatives
• Support managers through organizational and employee changes and help ensure appropriate People processes and documentation are followed
• Identify employee-relations trends and potential People risks and elevate concerns and recommendations to People leadership
• Support leadership and manager training, including coordinating and facilitating People-related training programs
• Assist with talent development, learning and development, succession planning, and other talent-management initiatives
• Conduct exit interviews, identify recurring themes, and share relevant insights with People leadership
• Maintain accurate employee information and documentation within HR systems and support regular People reporting and analytics
• Partner with global People team members to ensure regional practices are aligned with broader company People strategies and standards
• Build strong relationships with employees and leaders across APAC and serve as an accessible and trusted People partner
• Support regional People projects and other responsibilities as assigned

ABOUT YOU

• 5-7+ Years of progressive Human Resources/People experience, ideally with experience supporting employees across multiple APAC countries
• 2+ years of experience operating as an HR Manager, HR Business Partner, People Partner, or similar role preferred
• Experience in a digital agency, professional services, technology, or other fast-paced, service-driven environment strongly preferred
• Practical working knowledge of employment practices and HR requirements within Malaysia, with experience supporting additional APAC jurisdictions preferred
• Experience managing employee-relations and performance-management matters
• Experience supporting compensation, benefits, payroll, HR operations, and employee lifecycle processes
• Experience partnering with Talent Acquisition and supporting managers throughout the hiring and onboarding process
• Comfortable working with HRIS platforms for employee data management, reporting, and day-to-day HR administration
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, communication, and consulting skills
• Strong judgment and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations professionally and tactfully
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Comfortable interpreting policies and providing practical guidance to managers and employees
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to prepare employee documentation, reports, correspondence, and People metrics
• Collaborative and comfortable working across cultures, time zones, and a globally distributed organization
• Adaptable, pragmatic, and comfortable operating in a fast-changing environment
• A proactive approach and willingness to take ownership while knowing when to elevate
• Commitment to creating positive, inclusive, and high-performing employee experience

ABOUT YOUR GROWTH

As an organization we support your growth and development by investing in your learning to advance your career. We believe in empowering you to showcase your knowledge and skills to win together.

ABOUT OUR BENEFITS

We offer a comprehensive and flexible benefits package to all regular, full-time employees. Benefits include but not limited to:

• Competitive remuneration, performance incentives and substantial perks, including wellbeing benefits (gym membership, Spotify subscription, health checks, etc.)
• Comprehensive outpatient & medical benefits on top of great insurance coverage
• Extensive annual leave entitlement (Birthday, marriage, maternity & paternity leave)
• Positive and supportive leadership
• A work culture that drives teamwork and collaboration
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• Unbiased work culture from top to bottom to encourage and push you to #DreamBig

ABOUT OUR CULTURE

We value our best-in-class company culture, which is results-driven, innovative, fast-paced and fun. Our focus is on outcome, not output. We encourage our employees to work with an entrepreneurial spirit while applying a businesslike approach. When you work with great people and leaders that support you, there is no end to what you can accomplish. We celebrate different backgrounds and perspectives from our team members, but one thing we all have in common is a core set of values:

Think Big“Think Big” challenges our teams in all aspects of the business. For our clients, it requires that we expand their vision beyond what’s expected, while pushing us to become a committed partner who provides strategic recommendations and measurable outcomes.

Own It“Own It” plays a key role in encouraging employee autonomy. We believe owning it inspires employees to build skillsets within their roles and beyond to drive their career where you want. “Own It” highlights ability to make the work yours and deliver creative results.

Have Fun“Have Fun” means we enjoy working together and cultivating a great work experience for everyone. Our passion for what we do is visible throughout the organization. Anything we enjoy, we are naturally going to do better, so we make our work something we look forward to, rather than simply something we have to do.

ABOUT OUR PRACTICES

NP Digital takes a human-centric approach to hiring. AI tools may assist with administrative or creative tasks, but all evaluations and decisions are made by our awesome people.

NP Digital is an Equal Opportunity Employer, proud of our diversity and inclusive culture! Our goal is to positively impact change through our actions, and we’re committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.