HR Manager - Retail & Serviced Apartment

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic HR Manager to lead the full spectrum of Human Resources functions for our retail business and upcoming serviced apartment/hotel operations in Johor Bahru.

This role will play a key part in both operational HR management and the pre-opening setup of the serviced apartment/hotel business, including manpower planning, recruitment, HR systems implementation, culture building, policy development, and operational readiness.

The ideal candidate should be hands-on, business-oriented, and experienced in managing fast-paced multi-site operations within retail and hospitality environments. Pre-opening hotel or serviced apartment experience will be an added advantage.

Key Responsibilities

HR Business Partnering

• Partner with management to support business growth, operational efficiency, and organisational development.
• Monitor HR metrics including turnover, absenteeism, recruitment efficiency, and employee engagement.
• Support new outlet/property openings, restructuring, and change management initiatives. Partner business unit heads across retail outlets and hospitality operations to address workforce planning, organisational effectiveness, and day-to-day people management needs.
• Advise and coach line managers on HR policies, performance management processes, and employee relations matters to build people management capability.
• Implement group HR policies at business unit level, ensuring consistent, compliant, and operationally relevant application across multi-site operations.
• Support change management initiatives including new outlet openings, operational restructuring, and workforce transitions, coordinating with the Head of People on execution.
• Compile and analyse HR metrics — including headcount, turnover, absenteeism, and recruitment efficiency — and provide regular management reports to support business decisions.
  
  

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Manage end-to-end recruitment for retail, serviced apartment/hotel operations, and corporate office roles, from job scoping and sourcing through to offer management and onboarding.
• Partner with department heads on manpower planning and staffing optimisation to ensure operational roles are resourced effectively ahead of business demand.
• Build and maintain candidate pipelines for recurring operational and leadership roles to reduce time-to-fill and dependency on reactive hiring.
• Oversee onboarding programmes and probation review processes, working with line managers to ensure new hires integrate effectively into the business.
  
  

Employee Relations & Industrial Relations

• Manage employee grievances, disciplinary matters, counselling sessions, and workplace investigations in line with the Malaysian Employment Act and company guidelines.
• Advise managers on fair and consistent application of HR policies, ensuring compliance with Malaysian labour law including EPF, SOCSO, EIS, and HRDF obligations.
• Foster a positive workplace culture through structured employee engagement initiatives, recognition programmes, and wellness activities.
• Monitor employee relations trends across sites and escalate systemic issues to the Head of People with recommended interventions.
  
  

Performance & Talent Development

• Facilitate the performance assessment cycle — guiding line managers on goal cascading, mid-year reviews, and year-end evaluations in line with company frameworks.
• Identify learning and development needs across business units through training needs analysis, and coordinate delivery of relevant L&D programmes.
• Support succession planning conversations with BU heads, identifying internal talent for development into key operational and leadership roles.
• Champion service excellence and hospitality-specific training initiatives in partnership with operations leads.
  
  

HR Operations & Compliance

• Oversee HR administrative operations across the business including payroll coordination, leave management, statutory submissions, and employee record maintenance, managed through direct reports.
• Ensure compliance with Malaysian Employment Act, EPF, SOCSO, EIS, and HRDF requirements across all business entities under scope.
• Maintain HR documentation standards, audit readiness, and data confidentiality in accordance with PDPA (Malaysia) requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in HR operational processes, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency through HRIS optimisation and workflow standardisation.
  
  

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and performance-manage a team of HR Executives and/or HR Officers, setting clear objectives and providing regular coaching and feedback.
• Build team capability in HR operations, employee relations, and stakeholder management to ensure effective day-to-day HR delivery across all sites.
• Manage workload allocation and escalation within the HR team, ensuring service levels are maintained across all business units.
  
  

Key Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of progressive HR experience, including 5 yrs or more of business partnering or HR management role covering multi-site or multi-function scope.
• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; postgraduate qualification or MIHRM/CIPD membership is an advantage.
• Proven experience managing a small HR team and developing direct reports.
• Prior experience in retail, hospitality, hotel, or serviced apartment environments is preferred; exposure to pre-opening or new-site setup is an added advantage.
  
  

Knowledge & Technical Skills

• Strong working knowledge of Malaysian Employment Act 1955, EPF, SOCSO, EIS, HRDF, and PDPA requirements.
• Hands-on experience in full-cycle recruitment, payroll coordination, employee relations, and performance management.
• Proficiency in HRIS platforms and Microsoft Office; familiarity with payroll and attendance management systems.
• Sound understanding of HR metrics and ability to translate data into actionable recommendations for business stakeholders.
  
  

Personal Attributes

• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and advise managers at all levels.
• Business-oriented, hands-on, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment.
• High degree of ownership, confidentiality, and professional judgement.
• Fluent in English and Bahasa Malaysia; proficiency in Mandarin is an advantage given the operational context.