Asia People and Culture Leader

VirtusaPolaris - Virtusa Corporation; Singapore; On-site; SGD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global technology firm is seeking a People & Organization Leader for the Asia region. This role combines strategic influence and hands-on execution to drive organizational transformation and high-performance culture. Candidates should have over 15 years of HR leadership experience, strong capabilities in M&A integration, and a solid understanding of organizational design. Proficiency in English is essential, with additional Asian language skills as a plus. The role requires deep involvement in cultural integration and stakeholder management across diverse markets.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Expertise in M&A due diligence and workforce integration.
• Fluency in English; proficiency in Mandarin or other languages is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the people agenda for Asia as a business operator.
• Provide recommendations on organizational structure and workforce strategy.
• Drive enterprise-level change initiatives and ensure compliance.

Skills

HR leadership

M&A integration

Organizational design

Performance management

Analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree or MBA

Job description

This role leads the people agenda for Asia as a true business operator—shaping organizational capability, governance, and leadership effectiveness across diverse markets at different stages of maturity.

The Asia People & Organization Leader partners directly with the executive team to scale the organization, manage complexity, and build a high-performance culture through disciplined execution, strong compliance, and data‑driven people strategy.

This is not a purely functional or advisory role. It is a regional transformation leadership position that combines strategic influence with direct, hands‑on ownership of execution, particularly across growth, restructuring, and M&A integration.

Key Accountabilities

• Executive Business Partnership & Regional Leadership
  • Act as the principal people advisor to Asia and global leadership, providing pragmatic recommendations on organizational structure, leadership effectiveness, and workforce strategy.
  • Translate business growth, restructuring, and acquisition priorities into integrated people plans across Asia.
  • Operate as a core member of the leadership team with direct influence on operating models, productivity, and long‑term scalability.
• Organizational Architecture & Workforce Transformation
  • Design and personally lead regional organization models that support expansion, integration, and operational efficiency across multiple countries.
  • Drive enterprise‑level change initiatives—including restructurings, workforce re‑balancing, leadership localization, and market build‑outs—with direct ownership of execution.
  • Ensure the right leadership pipeline, succession coverage, and talent architecture for critical roles across the region.
• M&A, Integration & Reorganization
  • Lead the people agenda for mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and business integration across Asia.
  • Partner with business, legal, and finance teams on HR due diligence, workforce risk assessment, organizational design, and cost modeling.
  • Own post‑merger integration of employees, including rebadging, harmonization of policies, compensation structures, performance frameworks, and leadership alignment.
  • Drive cultural integration, retention of key talent, and operational stabilization following transactions.
  • Provide hands‑on leadership during high‑impact transitions, ensuring business continuity, compliance, and employee engagement.
• Governance, Compliance & Risk Leadership
  • Own HR governance for Asia, ensuring rigorous compliance with employment regulations, data privacy, and employee relations frameworks across jurisdictions.
  • Personally lead or oversee complex employee matters, investigations, and sensitive cases, particularly in high‑growth, integration, or restructuring environments.
  • Establish scalable HR policies and controls that protect the organization while enabling speed and flexibility.
  • Build and directly govern performance management, reward, and grading frameworks aligned with business outcomes, cost discipline, and retention of critical talent.
  • Lead annual compensation cycles, benchmarking, and incentive design with a strong commercial and analytic lens.
  • Drive workforce planning based on productivity metrics, revenue per headcount, and long‑term capability requirements.
  • Architect and actively manage the regional HR operating model, including shared services, centers of excellence, and local market delivery.
  • Leverage HR technology and analytics to provide real‑time insight into hiring effectiveness, leadership depth, engagement, and retention—and personally intervene where execution gaps exist.
  • Continuously optimize HR processes to improve speed, governance, scalability, and employee experience.
• Culture, Engagement & Leadership Effectiveness
  • Shape a culture that balances high performance, accountability, and inclusion across diverse geographies.
  • Lead leadership capability frameworks, talent reviews, and engagement strategies with hands‑on involvement in design, roll‑out, and adoption.
  • Serve as a visible role model for disciplined execution, ethical leadership, and cross‑cultural effectiveness.

What Makes This Role Distinct

• Built and scaled HR organizations across multiple Asian markets simultaneously
• Led people strategy during business transformation, restructuring, and acquisitions
• Operated at executive and board‑facing levels while remaining deeply involved in operational delivery
• Owned end‑to‑end M&A people integration, from diligence through post‑close stabilization
• Combined governance and compliance rigor with commercial and executional agility
• Designed and personally driven HR systems, operating models, and process improvements in both high‑growth and complex regulatory environments

Experience & Profile

• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership, with substantial experience in senior regional or enterprise roles across both large multinational corporations and fast‑growing, entrepreneurial environments
• Proven track record in M&A due diligence, workforce integration, and organizational restructuring, with hands‑on experience leading cross‑border M&A/integration projects in Asia
• Deep expertise in organizational design, workforce transformation, governance, and employee relations
• Strong capability in compensation frameworks, performance systems, and workforce analytics
• Proven ability to operate effectively in lean setups, building and scaling the people functions resourcefully to support new market expansion and high‑growth phases.
• Fluency in English is essential. Proficiency in Mandarin or other Asian languages is a strong plus for stakeholder management across key markets.
• Flexibility to adapt work hours as needed to effectively collaborate with stakeholders across the Asian regions and globally.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or MBA strongly preferred
• Global HR certifications are advantageous

Leadership Capabilities

• Enterprise & Systems Thinking
• Executive Influence & Commercial Acumen
• Change, Integration & Transformation Leadership
• Cross‑Cultural Leadership
• Operational Ownership & Execution Discipline