Human Resource Manager-South East Asia

SMITHS DETECTION (ASIA PACIFIC) PTE. LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global company is seeking an HR Manager for South East Asia to deliver strategic people management processes enhancing business performance and employee experience. This role requires extensive HR experience, expertise in regional labor laws, and the ability to manage critical HR operations across various countries. Ideal candidates will possess a strong educational background in HR and proven capabilities in managing cross-cultural HR challenges effectively.

Qualifications

• 10-14 years of progressive HR experience, particularly in SEA/APAC.
• Strong understanding of SEA labor laws and employee lifecycle management.
• Ability to work with payroll vendors and manage compliance.

Responsibilities

• Deliver employee lifecycle processes including onboarding and payroll.
• Support business leaders in SEA on people management topics.
• Ensure compliance with local labor laws and company policies.

Skills

HR experience

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s in Human Resources

Master’s or MBA (HR specialization)

Job description

• Job Purpose: The HR Manager – South East Asia is responsible for delivering people strategies and employee processes that drive business performance and employee experience across the SEA region. This role enables talent development, organisation effectiveness, and a high-performance culture while ensuring compliance with local regulations. It also plays a lead role in executing employee lifecycle processes across the APAC region—including onboarding, payroll inputs, statutory compliance, exit management, and data audits. The role acts as the key HR contact point for South East Asia, ensuring strategic alignment with the Regional HR Head – APAC and broader regional priorities.

Duties:

• Act as the key point of contact for South East Asia HR matters, ensuring alignment with the Regional HR Head – APAC and broader HR strategy.
• Work closely with the Regional HR Head – APAC to implement people strategies that address regional challenges while ensuring consistency across the broader region.
  • Deliver and coordinate employee lifecycle processes for the APAC region, including:
  • - Onboarding and orientation programmes.
  • -Payroll input accuracy and coordination with local vendors.
  • -Documentation and adherence to country-specific compliance and labour regulations.
  • -Exit processes and associated compliance.
  • Periodic HR data audits to ensure process discipline and accuracy.
  • Support APAC internal and external audits as required, ensuring that all aspects of the employee lifecycle are fully compliant with the company’s policies, processes, and regulatory requirements.
  • Support the regular review and evaluation of APAC HR vendors and contracts in a timely manner, ensuring high service quality, cost competitiveness, and compliance with the company’s vendor management and HR processes.
• Support business leaders in SEA on people topics including team structures, performance management, succession development, and organisational changes.
• Facilitate local implementation of company initiatives and policies.
• Liaise with functional leads across Talent Acquisition, Reward, and Learning & Development to support regional delivery of programmes.
• Monitor and respond to employee relations issues in line with local labour laws and internal standards.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, and Compliance functions to ensure integrated governance and risk management.
• Maintain awareness of local labour trends and legislative changes and advise the business on implications.
• Support the SEA business with workforce planning, headcount tracking, and budget inputs in partnership with the regional HR team.

Technical Knowledge and Skills:

· Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field; Master’s or MBA (HR specialisation) preferred.

· 10–14 years of progressive HR experience, with exposure to South East Asia and/or wider APAC markets.

· Demonstrated expertise in employee lifecycle management across multiple geographies.

· Strong working knowledge of SEA labour laws, employment practices, and statutory compliance.

· Comfortable working with payroll vendors and managing payroll governance processes.

· Experience in a matrixed and multi-cultural organisational context.

Sound understanding of HR systems and HR analytics.

Competencies and Abilities:

· Ability to develop strong working relationships across multiple countries and cultures.

· Confident communicator and advisor to business leaders.

· Resilient, adaptable, and proactive in problem-solving.

· Commercially minded with the ability to balance business outcomes and employee experience.

· Organised and able to manage priorities independently with high follow-through.

Maintains discretion, confidentiality, and ethical standards at all times.

Planning and Decision Making:

· Leads the local execution of HR plans while contributing regional insights to shape broader strategy.

· Exercises good judgment in balancing compliance, policy, and people matters across jurisdictions.

· Anticipates and addresses risks in HR operations through proactive planning.

· Aligns day-to-day decisions with long-term regional priorities under the guidance of the Regional HR Head – APAC.

Impact and Scope:

· Directly impacts HR operations and employee experience across SEA and APAC lifecycle processes.

· Decisions affect legal compliance, operational continuity, and workforce engagement across multiple countries.

· Provides foundational input to regional talent strategies and HR governance structures.

Key Internal and External Relationships:

· Internal: Regional HR Head – APAC, Country/Site Leaders in SEA, Talent Acquisition, Reward, Learning & Development leads, People Operations, HR Shared Services (where applicable), Finance, Legal, and Compliance teams.

· External: Government agencies, payroll and compliance vendors, recruitment partners, external consultants.