Regional Employee Relations Lead - APAC

BSI; Singapore; Hybrid; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

BSI is recruiting a Regional Employee Relations Lead – APAC to steer ER across China, India, Japan, Malaysia, and beyond. You will oversee in-country ER Specialists, partner with HR Generalists, and advise senior stakeholders on complex employment matters.

This role blends strategic policy work with hands-on case management, focusing on governance, data analytics, and continuous improvement of ER processes to support an agile regional workforce.

Qualifications

• Significant experience as an Employee Relations specialist or leader in a complex international organisation.
• Deep knowledge of APAC employment law and ER practices.
• Experience handling high-risk ER matters across multiple jurisdictions (e.g., Japan, Korea).

Responsibilities

• Lead ER activity across APAC, ensuring high-risk cases are managed effectively and consistently.
• Advise on investigations, performance, conduct, grievances, dismissals, and sensitive issues.
• Guide organisation design, restructures, mergers, acquisitions and divestments.
• Develop regional ER processes, governance, policies, and case-management standards.
• Provide regional guidance to in-country ER Specialists and wider People teams.
• Translate employment law developments into practical guidance for leaders.

Skills

ER leadership

Employment law APAC

Stakeholder management

Investigation management

Change management

Job description

We exist to create positive change for people and the planet. Join us and make a difference too!

Role:

Regional Employee Relations Lead – APAC

Location:

Either - Greater China (Shanghai / Beijing / Guangzhou / Shenzhen), India (New Delhi / Mumbai), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), or Singapore

Type:

Hybrid, permanent, full-time

Reports to:

Global Head of Employee Relations

About The Role

We are looking for a Regional Employee Relations Lead – Asia Pacific to lead BSI’s Employee Relations activity across a diverse and complex regional portfolio. Supporting BSI businesses across markets including China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea and Australia, you will provide regional leadership on complex employee relations matters while helping embed a consistent, high-quality approach to case management, governance and employee experience. This is both a strategic and operational leadership role. You will oversee complex and high-risk ER activity, advise on organisational change and restructuring, strengthen regional capability and ensure evolving employment legislation is translated into practical guidance for leaders and People teams. You will also lead in-country ER Specialists across China, India and Japan, while working closely with HR Generalists and Regional HR Managers across the wider APAC region.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee employee relations activity across the Asia Pacific region, ensuring complex and high-risk cases are managed effectively and consistently.
• Provide specialist advice on complex ER matters, including investigations, performance, conduct, grievances, dismissals and other sensitive employee issues.
• Advise senior stakeholders on organisation design and business change, including restructures, mergers, acquisitions and divestments.
• Balance commercial requirements with employment law, regulatory obligations and BSI’s responsibilities towards its employees.
• Lead and develop in-country ER Specialists across China, India and Japan and provide regional guidance to wider People teams.
• Ensure employment law developments and external insights are translated into practical guidance and communicated effectively across the region.
• Develop and embed consistent regional ER processes, governance, policies, documentation and case management standards.
• Lead the implementation of BSI’s Early Resolution Framework and other initiatives designed to reduce formal ER cases.
• Support employee relations activity involving Works Councils, labour unions, Collective Bargaining Agreements and employee forums where applicable.
• Analyse regional case data to identify trends, root causes and opportunities for sustainable improvement.
• Maintain regional ER dashboards and provide clear insight into case volumes, risks, themes and outcomes.
• Develop and deliver ER education and capability-building programmes for managers, People teams and investigation managers.
• Partner with Centres of Excellence and the wider Employee Relations team to ensure global People initiatives are effectively implemented across APAC.
• Identify opportunities to improve ER processes through digitalisation, data and effective use of AI.
• Provide clear assessment of legal, employee and commercial risk and recommend pragmatic solutions to senior stakeholders.

Essential

What we’re looking for...

• Significant experience operating as an Employee Relations specialist or leader within a complex international organisation.
• Deep understanding of employment law and employee relations practices across Asia Pacific.
• Demonstrable experience managing complex and high-risk employee relations matters, including within jurisdictions such as Japan and Korea.
• Experience advising on organisational change, restructuring and other complex workforce matters.
• Strong understanding of employee representation models across APAC, including unions, employee forums and collective arrangements.
• Experience creating or strengthening ER policies, frameworks, processes and ways of working.
• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to balance legal risk, employee experience and business requirements.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and provide clear, authoritative advice on complex matters.
• Experience leading and developing employees or specialist teams across multiple locations.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to identify trends, root causes and sustainable solutions from ER data.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to navigate different cultures, stakeholder groups and working environments.
• Resilient and comfortable operating in ambiguity and within a constantly evolving employment landscape.
• Business-level written and spoken English.

Highly Desirable

• Experience working within a complex, global matrix organisation.
• Broader HR Operations or People function experience within an international business.
• Professional HR qualification or relevant degree.
• Conversational or professional capability in another language used within the APAC region.
• Experience designing and implementing ER frameworks or operating models across multiple jurisdictions.

Do you believe the world deserves excellence?

We are proud to be the business improvement company for other organisations to become more sustainable and resilient and finally to inspire trust in their products, systems, services, and the world we live in. Headquartered in London, BSI is the world's first national standards organization with more than 100 years of experience. We are a global partner for 86,000 companies and organizations in over 193 countries, offering development, auditing, certification, and training services, including innovative software solutions and cyber security expertise for all industries: from aerospace and automotive to food, construction, energy, healthcare, IT and trade sectors. Incorporated by Royal Charter, we’re truly impartial, and home to the ultimate mark of trust, the Kitemark. Through our unique combination of consulting, training, assurance and regulatory services we bring solid and broad knowledge to every company. If you want to contribute to this inspiring challenge, bring your open and enthusiastic mindset to our dynamic team, and become part of the BSI family!

D&I Policy

BSI is committed to ensuring the diversity of our workforce reflects that of our clients and the communities in which we operate. Our goal is to create a sense of belonging for all employees by providing opportunities to develop, grow, and engage with our global organization all while having fun doing great work. BSI is a community where everyone can thrive.

If you require any reasonable accommodations to be made on account of a disability orimpairment throughout our recruiting process, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner.

About Us

BSI is a business improvement and standards company and for over a century BSI has been recognized for having a positive impact on organizations and society, building trust and enhancing lives.

Today BSI partners with more than 77,500 clients in 195 countries and engages with a 15,000 strong global community of experts, industry and consumer groups, organizations and governments.

Utilizing its extensive expertise in key industry sectors - including automotive, aerospace, built environment, food and retail, and healthcare - BSI delivers on its purpose by helping its clients fulfil theirs.

Living by our core values of Client-Centricity, Agility, and Collaboration, BSI provides organizations with the confidence to grow by partnering with them to tackle society’s critical issues – from climate change to building trust in digital transformation and everything in between – to accelerate progress towards a better society and a sustainable world.

BSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.