Talent Management - People Strategy and Transformation Lead

Purpose of Job:
To lead the Group Talent Management function by translating business direction into people strategy, workforce priorities and effective governance, while guiding the team, advising Management and ensuring sustainable organizational capability across the Group.

Responsibilities:
People Strategy and Workforce Planning

• Develop the Group people and talent strategy in alignment with business direction.
  
• Lead workforce planning, organization capability reviews and critical-role identification.
  
• Recommend appropriate workforce, structure and talent interventions based on business needs and people data.
  
• Establish annual TM priorities, resources, outcomes and governance requirements.
  

Functional Leadership and Governance

• Lead the overall performance and effectiveness of the Group TM function.
  
• Set clear decision rights, service standards, priorities and accountability across the team.
  
• Guide the Assistant Manager in translating approved strategies into operational plans and deliverables.
  
• Review functional performance, operational risks and resource capacity, and intervene where improvement is required.
  

Performance Talent and Rewards

• Provide governance for performance framework, goal alignment, performance calibration and reward decisions.
  
• Lead succession planning, talent reviews, career-development frameworks and leadership-pipeline development.
  
• Provide strategic oversight of compensation, benefits and workforce-cost matters in collaboration with relevant process owners and Finance.
  
• Advise Management on critical talent, retention, performance and internal-equity matters.
  

Employee Relations Policy and Risk

• Provide direction on complex employee-relations, disciplinary, performance and organizational-change matters.
  
• Ensure employment policies and TM practices remain legally compliant, practical and aligned across the Group where appropriate.
  
• Work with appointed advisers on sensitive cases, investigations and significant employment risks.
  
• Escalate material legal, financial, employee-relations or reputational risks to the Group Director or Management.
  

Management Reporting and People Analytics

• Establish the Group people-reporting framework and ensure Management receives timely and meaningful workforce insights.
  
• Interpret trends relating to headcount, turnover, recruitment, performance, benefits, employee relations and workforce cost.
  
• Translate people data into risks, priorities and recommendations for Management decision-making.
  
• Ensure data quality, reporting accountability and consistent definitions across countries and processes.
  
  

Transformation and Organizational Improvement

• Set priorities and provide sponsorship for approved initiatives such as Staff Hub, Performance 360, ATS, EPP, LMS and employee self-service.
  
• Evaluate proposed automation, AI-assisted workflows and process improvements based on business value, risk and available resources.
  
• Ensure transformation initiatives have clear ownership, controls, milestones and measurable outcomes.
  
• Review progress and resolve cross-functional barriers affecting approved initiatives.
  

Senior Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the principal TM adviser to the Group Director, Management and HODs.
  
• Influence and hold stakeholders accountable for recruitment, performance, talent development and employee-management responsibilities.
  
• Facilitate timely decisions on workforce priorities, critical vacancies and people-related risks.
  
• Represent the TM function in relevant Management and cross-functional discussions.
  

Team Development and Continuity

• Coach and develop the Assistant Manager and TM process owners, strengthening functional capability, career progression and succession readiness.
  
• Establish competent primary and backup ownership for critical processes to ensure continuity and reduce dependency on individual employees.
  
• Promote the responsible adoption of AI and automation across Talent Management, with appropriate controls, data protection and human oversight.
  
• Undertake other relevant duties, projects or responsibilities assigned by the TM Lead or Management according to business needs.
  

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology or a related discipline.
  
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in Human Resources or Talent Management, including at least 5 years in a managerial or functional-leadership capacity.
  
• Demonstrated experience in workforce planning, performance management, succession, employee relations and people analytics.
  
• Strong knowledge of Malaysian employment practices and HR governance.
  
• Experience supporting regional, multi-country or shared-services operations is preferred.
  
• Practical exposure to AI-enabled tools, automation or digital transformation would be an advantage.
  
• Strategic and commercial thinking, with strong workforce-planning and organizational-development capability.
  
• Strong learning agility and curiosity, with the ability to acquire new knowledge and translate emerging practices and feedback into practical improvements.
  
• Ability to learn and apply AI-enabled tools to improve analysis, decision support, productivity and employee experience, while exercising appropriate judgement and confidentiality.
  
• Resilience and perseverance in driving long-term initiatives through ambiguity, resistance, setbacks and changing business priorities.
  
• Functional leadership, coaching and succession development.
  
• Senior stakeholder management, influence and communication.
  
• Performance, talent and rewards governance.
  
• Sound employee-relations judgement and employment-risk management.
  
• People analytics and executive management reporting.
  
• Policy development and multi-country governance.
  
• Transformation, change management and project prioritisation.
  
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills, with a high level of integrity and professional judgement.