Senior Plant HRBP

Kellanova; Nilai; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing firm in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, is seeking an experienced HR professional to oversee plant HR functions. This role involves managing workforce planning, talent acquisition, and employee engagement while collaborating with operational leaders. The ideal candidate has 12+ years of HR experience in manufacturing, strong analytical skills, and a hands-on approach in a fast-paced environment. This position requires expertise in union relations and capability-building programs, making it crucial for organizational success.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 12 years of Plant HR experience within manufacturing.
• At least 5 years of experience managing an HR team.
• Strong expertise in manpower planning and talent programs.
• Demonstrated experience with Employee Relations and union interactions.
• Experience in designing capability-building programs with L&D.

Responsibilities

• Build and track the headcount plan for approximately 500 employees.
• Lead end-to-end technician hiring and onboarding.
• Design and lead the annual plant communications plan.
• Work closely with operations to embed HR programs.
• Support business structure design and employee lifecycle management.
• Maintain dashboards on employee metrics and lead reviews.
• Partner with ER/IR for compliance and union relations.

Skills

Workforce planning

Talent acquisition

Employee engagement

Analytical skills

Job description

A Taste of What You’ll Be Doing

• Workforce planning & budgeting – Build and track the headcount plan for ~500 employees, including shift mix, overtime guardrails, and vacancy risks. Own people cost budgeting, forecast vs. actuals, and variance actions
• Talent acquisition & onboarding (technicians) – Lead end-to-end technician hiring: hiring events, assessment days, medical checks, and onboarding. Support central teams with salaried hiring at local level
• Comms & engagement – Design and lead the annual plant comms plan (townhalls, floor walks, recognition). Run pulse surveys, translate results into actions, and track closure to drive engagement. Focus on embedding EDI in frontline technician engagement
• HR partnering (Ops) – Work closely with Operations leader, line managers and frontline leaders to embed HR programs into daily and monthly rhythms. Coach mid-level leaders and ensure people priorities are visible in plant reviews
• Org design & lifecycle – Support the business with structure design based on plant needs, enable feeder moves and cross-rotations, and manage employee lifecycle from hire to exit., including career transitions
• Performance & talent (with L&D/Talent) – Ensure goal-setting hygiene, calibrations, and IDPs are embedded across Ops. Partner with L&D to progress the skill matrix, strengthen frontline leader capability, and build succession for critical roles
• People analytics & reviews – Maintain dashboards on attrition, absenteeism, overtime, time-to-fill, onboarding, and engagement. Lead weekly/monthly reviews, apply root-cause analysis, and track impact of actions
• Collaboration with ER/IR – Partner with ER/IR to ensure discipline, compliance, and smooth union relations, escalating patterns/issues as needed

We’re Looking for Someone With

• A minimum of 12 years of Plant HR experience within manufacturing or large-scale frontline environments, with deep exposure to high-volume workforce operations and plant-based HR delivery
• At least 5 years of experience managing and developing an HR team, demonstrating capability in coaching, performance management, resource planning, and building strong HR operational rhythms
• Strong expertise in manpower planning, technician hiring, onboarding, workforce scheduling, and employee engagement, with a proven track record of executing end-to-end talent and capability programs
• Demonstrated experience working closely with Employee Relations (ER) and Industrial Relations (IR), including handling union interactions, supporting negotiations, managing grievances, and ensuring compliance with plant policies and labor agreements
• Experience partnering with Learning & Development (L&D) to design, implement, and embed capability-building programs, leadership development initiatives, and continuous learning pathways
• A hands‑on, visible HR style with regular shop‑floor presence, and strong comfort working in highly operational, unionized, and fast‑paced environments
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret workforce data, identify trends, and convert insights into practical, measurable HR actions
• High resilience, strong sense of urgency, and the ability to balance strategic HR planning with daily operational demands in a dynamic manufacturing setting

What’s Next

After you apply, your application will be reviewed by a real recruiter, so it may take us a few weeks to get back with you by email or phone. Visit our How We Hire page to get insights into our hiring process and more about what we offer.

About Kellanova AMEA

Kellanova is an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to provide an inclusive work environment, a seat for everyone at the table, and embraces the diverse talent of its people. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information regarding our efforts to advance Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, please visit our website here.