Senior Manager, Policy & Planning, Office of Human Resources

Singapore Management University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in Singapore is seeking an experienced HR professional to lead policy development, strategic workforce planning, and stakeholder engagement. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of relevant HR experience, strong analytical skills, and proficiency with HR analytics tools. This role requires excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage diverse stakeholders and implement effective HR strategies. Join a dynamic team and contribute to shaping HR practices across the organization.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant HR experience, preferably with strategic workforce planning.
• Familiarity with HR policies in higher education and public sectors.
• Good quantitative skills with an understanding of analytics.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and review HR policies and strategies.
• Conduct workforce analytics to identify manpower trends.
• Engage stakeholders for policy feedback and buy-in.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Verbal communication

Written communication

Data visualization

Education

Relevant experience in HR

Tools

HR analytics tools

HR information systems

Job description

• Policy Development & Governance

  • Formulate and review HR policies and strategies to ensure relevance and alignment with organizational priorities.

  • Establish governance frameworks and harmonize HR guidelines and practices across schools and departments where applicable.

• Strategic Workforce Planning

  • Conduct workforce analytics to identify gaps, highlight key manpower trends, and propose strategies to address them.

  • Partner business units to understand business needs and workforce requirements to support their manpower planning needs.

• Research, Benchmarking & Analysis

  • Conduct research on HR trends, market practices and regulatory changes to guide policy recommendations.

  • Perform benchmarking with higher education institutions and relevant sectors to ensure competitiveness and relevance of HR frameworks.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Consultation

  • Engage key stakeholders (e.g Deans, Department Heads, the Union, HR colleagues, employees etc.), to gather feedback and ensure buy-in for policy changes.

  • Provide clear guidance on policy interpretation and support implementation of policies across the organisation.

• Project & Change Management

  • Manage HR policy-related projects, including policy rollouts, system/process redesign etc.

  • Support change management efforts through communication plans, training, and stakeholder alignment.

• Compliance & Risk Management

  • Monitor compliance with statutory requirements and organisational governance policies.

  • Identify HR-related risks and develop mitigating actions, particularly in areas of manpower planning, contractual terms, and employment practices.

• Reporting & Management Information

  • Prepare reports and proposals on key manpower trends and analysis for senior management, boards and committees.

  • Work closely with HR heads to develop and consolidate HR’s workplan.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualification

• At least 8 years of relevant experience in HR, preferably with strategic workforce planning and policy experience.

• Familiarity with higher education and public sector HR policies and practices.

• Strong strategic and analytical thinking skills, good quantitative skills with fundamental understanding of analytics.

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills to engage spectrum of stakeholders, and ability to navigate diverse viewpoints and build consensus.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with ability to translate concept into concrete implementation plans, and communicate changes effectively to stakeholders.

• Proficiency with HR analytics tools, HR information systems, ability to use data visualization tools to generate insights for reporting.

Other Information

Candidates who do not possess the stipulated qualifications but have relevant work experience may still apply. Remuneration and appointment terms shall commensurate with qualifications and experience. SMU reserves the right to modify the appointment terms where necessary.