Senior Manager, People & Culture

Mattelinc; George Town; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Mattel Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is seeking a Senior Manager, People & Culture to lead HR strategy and operations for MMSB and MDT, guiding workforce planning, talent acquisition, foreign workforce management, and payroll governance.

The role collaborates with leaders, government bodies, educational institutions, and external partners to drive workforce effectiveness and organizational capability. The position oversees a team of 5–6 staff and reports directly to the Malaysia leadership team, ensuring

Qualifications

• Strategic and operational HR leadership experience.
• Experience with workforce planning and talent acquisition.
• Experience with foreign workforce management and immigration.
• Knowledge of Malaysian employment law, industrial relations and payroll governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce planning and talent acquisition strategies for MMSB and MDT across manufacturing, technical, and corporate functions.
• Oversee planning, recruitment, administration, and compliance of the foreign workforce including permits and immigration.
• Manage industrial relations, investigations, disciplinary actions, and compliance with employment legislation.
• Oversee compensation, benefits benchmarking, payroll governance, and payroll operations for accuracy and regulatory compliance.
• Provide leadership to the People & Culture team and drive governance and continuous improvement.

Job description

The Opportunity:

The Senior Manager, People & Culture serves as a strategic and operational HR leader for Mattel Malaysia, responsible for workforce planning, talent acquisition, foreign workforce management, industrial relations, compensation & benefits benchmarking, payroll oversight, and early career talent programs.

The role supports a workforce of approximately 3,500 employees at Mattel Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (MMSB) and 200 employees at Mattel Development & Tooling Sdn. Bhd. (MDT).

Leading a team of approximately 5-6 employees through 3 direct reports, this position is responsible for ensuring the organization attracts, develops, and retains the talent required to achieve business objectives while maintaining compliance with employment legislation, immigration requirements, ethical recruitment standards, and company policies.

As a key member of the Malaysia leadership team, this role partners closely with business leaders, government authorities, educational institutions, recruitment partners, and external stakeholders to drive workforce effectiveness, organizational capability, employee engagement, and operational excellence.

What Your Impact Will Be:

1. Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition

   Lead workforce planning and talent acquisition strategies to support manufacturing, technical, and corporate functions across MMSB and MDT.

   Partner with business leaders to forecast workforce requirements and develop short- and long-term hiring plans.

   Lead recruitment for Direct Labour, Indirect Labour, Staff, and critical positions.

   Oversee sourcing, candidate assessment, selection, offer management, onboarding, and workforce integration.

   Build sustainable talent pipelines through employer branding, employee referrals, recruitment campaigns, educational partnerships, and agency relationships.

   Monitor recruitment metrics including time-to-fill, quality-of-hire, hiring costs, and retention.

   Ensure recruitment activities comply with approved budgets, headcount plans, responsible hiring principles, and company standards.

2. Foreign Workforce Management

   Lead the planning, recruitment, administration, and compliance of the foreign workforce to support operational requirements.

   Develop foreign workforce strategies and intake plans aligned with approved manpower requirements.

   Manage quota applications, workforce approvals, permit renewals, and immigration-related activities.

   Oversee recruitment partners and service providers to ensure compliance with ethical recruitment and social compliance standards.

   Monitor workforce utilization, retention, permit status, contract renewals, and associated costs.

   Ensure effective onboarding, accommodation, transportation, welfare, and integration programs for foreign employees.

   Maintain productive relationships with government agencies, embassies, recruitment agencies, and relevant stakeholders.

3. Industrial Relations & Workforce Compliance

   Lead and oversee Industrial Relations matters to maintain a compliant, fair, and productive workplace.

   Advise management on disciplinary matters, misconduct investigations, grievances, workplace disputes, and employment-related risks.

   Lead investigations, Domestic Inquiries, and disciplinary actions in accordance with company policies and legal requirements.

   Ensure compliance with Malaysian employment legislation, Industrial Relations practices, and regulatory requirements.

   Partner with legal counsel, government authorities, labour departments, and employee representatives on workplace matters.

   Represent the company in conciliation meetings, labour disputes, Industrial Court cases, and other official proceedings where required.

   Monitor workforce trends, compliance risks, and employee concerns, implementing corrective and preventive actions.

   Coach leaders and managers on effective people management and industrial relations practices.

4. Compensation, Benefits & Payroll Governance

   Lead compensation and benefits benchmarking exercises to ensure market competitiveness and support talent attraction and retention strategies.

   Partner with regional and global stakeholders on salary structure reviews, pay positioning, incentive programs, and workforce cost analysis.

   Provide recommendations based on market data, internal equity, business objectives, and budget considerations.

   Oversee annual salary review, promotions, and bonus administration processes.

   Ensure payroll operations are executed accurately, timely, and in compliance with statutory, audit, tax, and company requirements.

   Oversee payroll vendors and internal payroll processes to ensure service excellence and regulatory compliance.

   Monitor payroll accuracy, governance controls, and process improvements.

   Provide workforce analytics and reports relating to compensation, benefits, payroll costs, and labour spend.

5. Leadership, Governance & Operational Excellence

   Provide leadership to the People & Culture team and ensure effective governance, compliance, and continuous improvement.

   Lead, coach, and