Senior Human Resources Manager

A leading global organisation in Penang is seeking a Senior Human Resources Manager to join their People & Culture team, supporting over 3,700 employees across two major sites.

This pivotal role offers you the opportunity to shape workforce strategy, drive talent acquisition, and lead foreign workforce management while ensuring compliance with employment legislation and ethical recruitment standards. As a key member of the leadership team, you will partner closely with business leaders, government authorities, educational institutions, and external stakeholders to foster organisational capability and operational excellence. The company values flexibility, inclusivity, and professional growth, providing a supportive environment where your expertise in HR can make a meaningful impact on both people and business outcomes.

• Play a central role in workforce planning and talent acquisition for manufacturing, technical, and corporate functions, collaborating with leaders to forecast requirements and develop hiring strategies that support business objectives.
• Lead foreign workforce management by developing intake plans, overseeing permit renewals, and ensuring compliance with ethical recruitment standards while maintaining productive relationships with government agencies and recruitment partners.
• Drive industrial relations and compliance by advising management on disciplinary matters, conducting investigations, representing the organisation in official proceedings, and coaching leaders on effective people management practices.

What you'll do:

As Senior Human Resources Manager you will be entrusted with driving strategic HR initiatives that underpin the success of a large-scale operation. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve collaborating closely with business leaders to anticipate workforce needs across manufacturing and corporate functions. You will take ownership of end-to-end talent acquisition processes—ensuring seamless sourcing through onboarding—and build lasting talent pipelines via innovative employer branding efforts. Foreign workforce management will be a significant focus: you’ll coordinate permit renewals and welfare programmes while maintaining strong ties with government agencies. Industrial relations will require your guidance on disciplinary matters as well as representation in official proceedings. Compensation benchmarking ensures competitive rewards for employees while your oversight of payroll guarantees accuracy and compliance. By nurturing your HR team through supportive leadership you’ll drive employee engagement initiatives that contribute to a positive workplace culture. Your ability to deliver accurate reporting insights will help inform continuous improvement efforts across all HR operations.

• Lead comprehensive workforce planning and talent acquisition strategies to support diverse functions across multiple sites, partnering with business leaders to forecast requirements and develop robust hiring plans.
• Oversee recruitment processes for direct labour, indirect labour, staff positions, and critical roles including sourcing, candidate assessment, selection, offer management, onboarding, and integration.
• Build sustainable talent pipelines through employer branding initiatives, employee referral programmes, recruitment campaigns, educational partnerships, and agency collaborations.
• Monitor recruitment metrics such as time-to-fill, quality-of-hire, hiring costs, retention rates while ensuring activities comply with approved budgets and responsible hiring principles.
• Develop and manage foreign workforce strategies aligned with operational needs including quota applications, permit renewals, immigration-related activities, onboarding programmes, accommodation arrangements, transportation logistics, welfare initiatives, and integration efforts.
• Maintain strong relationships with government agencies, embassies, recruitment agencies and other relevant stakeholders to ensure compliance with ethical recruitment standards.
• Lead industrial relations matters by advising management on disciplinary issues, misconduct investigations, grievances and workplace disputes; conduct Domestic Inquiries and disciplinary actions in accordance with legal requirements.
• Ensure compliance with Malaysian employment legislation and regulatory requirements by partnering with legal counsel and government authorities; represent the organisation in conciliation meetings and Industrial Court cases as needed.
• Conduct compensation and benefits benchmarking exercises to ensure market competitiveness; partner with regional stakeholders on salary structure reviews; oversee annual salary review processes including promotions and bonus administration.
• Manage payroll operations accurately and timely by overseeing vendors and internal processes; monitor payroll accuracy governance controls; provide analytics reports relating to compensation benefits payroll costs labour spend.

What you bring:

The ideal Senior Human Resources Manager brings extensive experience from manufacturing or high-volume operational settings where collaboration is essential for success. Your proven ability to manage large teams demonstrates your commitment to nurturing professional growth through supportive leadership. You have worked closely with government authorities navigating complex immigration processes employment legislation labour relations regulatory compliance—always prioritising inter-personal connections. Your expertise spans all facets of HR from talent acquisition to compensation benchmarking enabling you to build sustainable pipelines that attract retain top talent. You understand the importance of monitoring recruitment metrics ensuring responsible hiring principles guide every decision. Foreign workforce management is second nature: you design intake plans oversee welfare initiatives maintain productive relationships with external partners—all while championing ethical standards. Your deep knowledge of industrial relations allows you to advise coach represent the organisation effectively during disputes or official proceedings. Advanced analytical skills enable you to deliver insightful reports that drive continuous improvement across HR operations.

• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in Human Resources within manufacturing or high-volume operational environments demonstrating commitment to collaborative practices.
• Strong expertise in Talent Acquisition Workforce Planning Foreign Workforce Management Industrial Relations Compensation & Benefits Payroll Governance reflecting dependable knowledge across all HR disciplines.
• At least 8 years of leadership experience managing managers multi-disciplinary teams fostering inclusive supportive environments for professional development.
• Proven track record supporting large employee populations preferably exceeding 2 000 employees showing sensitivity towards diverse workforce needs.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with government authorities immigration processes employment legislation labour relations regulatory compliance highlighting inter-personal skills.
• Ability to build sustainable talent pipelines through employer branding employee referrals educational partnerships agency relationships promoting communal growth opportunities.
• Experience monitoring recruitment metrics such as time-to-fill quality-of-hire hiring costs retention rates ensuring responsible hiring principles are upheld.
• Expertise in developing foreign workforce strategies managing quota applications permit renewals onboarding accommodation transportation welfare integration programmes showing empathy for employee wellbeing.
• Comprehensive understanding of industrial relations practices including advising management conducting investigations representing organisation in official proceedings coaching leaders on people management practices.
• Advanced skills in compensation benefits benchmarking salary structure reviews pay positioning incentive programmes payroll operations analytics reporting process improvements.

What sets this company apart:

This manufacturing and production organisation stands out for its unwavering commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where every employee feels valued supported respected. With a substantial presence in Penang it offers unique opportunities for professional development within a collaborative environment that encourages sharing ideas learning from peers growing together as a team. Employees benefit from flexible working arrangements generous training opportunities access to knowledgeable mentors who foster communal growth leadership. The company’s dedication to ethical recruitment social responsibility is reflected in its strong relationships with government agencies educational institutions external partners—ensuring fair treatment for all members of its diverse workforce. By prioritising employee engagement wellness continuous improvement this organisation provides a platform where your contributions can truly make a difference both locally globally.

What's next:

If you are ready to make a meaningful impact on people culture within a thriving global organisation apply now!

Apply today or email me at jack.moh@robertwalters.com.my to discuss this exciting opportunity further.

Do note that we will only be in touch if your application is shortlisted.

Agensi Pekerjaan Robert Walters Sdn Bhd
Business Registration Number : 729828-T
Licence Number : JTKSM 423C