HR Director, Asia Pacific

International Justice Mission · Manila

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Who We Are 

International Justice Mission (IJM) is the global leader in protecting vulnerable people from violence around the world. Our team of over 1,200 professionals are at work worldwide in over 30 offices. Together we are on a mission to rescue millions, protect half a billion, and make justice unstoppable. 

We are a global community that cares for one another. We believe that the way we work is as important as the results we achieve. We provide professional excellence with joy and celebration to all those we serve.   

The Need 

For over 25 years, IJM has pioneered the work to protect vulnerable people from violence. 9 out of 9 times in the last decade, IJM’s Justice System Strengthening Projects have reduced slavery and violence between 50 and 85% for very large populations of people in poverty. As we grow to expand our impact to protect 500 million people from violence, we are seeking an HR Director, Asia Pacific to enhance organizational effectiveness by partnering closely with regional and global leaders to align HR strategies with IJM's mission and priorities. 

The HR Director plays a strategic and innovative role supporting business growth, talent acquisition and development in complex, matrixed environments, while embedding a culture of agility, data-driven decision-making, and strategic partnership. The position collaborates closely with regional leadership, including the Regional President, Regional Vice Presidents, Regional General Counsel, Country Directors, management teams, and Global People Support (GPS) to ensure adherence to global standards while appropriately adapting to local labor laws, cultural contexts, and emerging business needs. 

The Asia Pacific Region includes Program Offices and Advancement Offices across ten countries with approximately 265 staff members. This role sits within the Regional Operations and Integration team and partners with colleagues supporting program, operations, and resourcing objectives throughout the region. 

This hybrid position may be based in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, or Thailand; reports to the Vice President, Operations & Integration, Asia Pacific; and is only available to candidates with current work authorization in the country in which they will be employed.

Responsibilities: 

Strategy & Knowledge Development & Implementation 

• Actively participate in regional leadership team strategic planning, contributing HR insights that drive organizational objectives; 

• Develop and monitor regional HR policies, ensuring compliance with enterprise standards and labor laws through regular auditing and timely corrective actions; 

• Lead regional implementation of global HR systems, tools and processes (salary annual reviews, annual performance reviews, employee engagement, etc.) in support of APAC leadership; 

• Develop and maintain partnerships with external HR vendors and service providers to support regional HR operations; and 

• Mentor and coach regional and country HR leaders and teams to enhance HR capacity and effectiveness. 

Policies and Procedures 

• Proactively review and recommend improvements to HR policies, procedures, compensation, benefits, and practices to enhance compliance, contextualization; socialization and awareness, engagement, and alignment with global standards. 

• Collaborate with GPS to align regional HR best practices within the global framework; and  

• Apply deep knowledge of regional employment law and risk management. 

Communication and Employee Relations 

• Provide expert guidance on complex regional employee relations issues, equipping managers to navigate sensitive matters successfully; 

• Ensure that communications and change management initiatives maintain a people-centric focus, effectively supporting the needs of leadership and teams; 

• Lead compliant employee relations practices through transparent and fair policies, processes and procedures that mitigate risk and enhance employee experience and trust; and  

• Have a deep understanding of disciplinary, capability, misconduct, investigation policies, procedures and lead teams in fair and effective delivery. 

Recruitment and Rewards 

• Lead the HR team to deliver the talent pipeline in collaboration with country leaders and aligned to the regional budget, recruitment and equal opportunity policies and engagement with technical platform solutions e.g. Workday recruitment module ATS; 

• Champion safe recruitment practices that mitigate risk to the organization and its stakeholders and ensure background checks are legal and complete; 

• Understand deeply and lead on the hiring and contracting models relevant to the region including local and expatriate employment, employers of record, procurement of consultants and partner with legal to ensure compliance with legal; 

• Ensure the program countries in region align to the global pay and global mobility policies, job evaluation frameworks and job titling conventions to ensure internal standardization and pay equity; 

• Act as HR partner to global functions hiring in region to ensure hosted employment in region is understood by all stakeholders and managed well for the best employee experience; 

• Lead the annual pay review process ensuring that the country leaders and HR receive the training and support they need; and 

• Lead and deliver the recruitment, contracting, payroll and rewards for the regional support team. 

Training and Development 

• Lead the regional performance management process, ensuring timely communication and training for managers and staff; 

• Lead regional employee engagement aligned with the global process and hold ownership and accountability for monitoring regional action plans;  

• Identify and recommend relevant training and development opportunities supporting employee growth and organizational needs; 

• Monitor, assess, and report on workforce retention, promotion, and succession planning efforts in partnership with GPS; 

• Plan resource needs and assist in developing recruitment and onboarding programs aligned with IJM values and global strategies; identify and address retention risks; and 

• Lead the region to comply with technical platform solutions e.g. LMS 

Documentation, Reporting & Data Management 

• Develop and present regional People KPIs to leadership, leveraging data analytics to drive informed HR and business decisions; 

• Analyze workforce metrics to support talent strategy design and communicate findings effectively to key stakeholders; and 

• Collaborate with finance and legal teams to develop and monitor HR budgets and compliance adherence. 

Compliance 

• Ensure employment statutory compliance in each country in their Region; 

• Collaborate with budget managers on HR-related budget planning and expense monitoring; 

• Collaborate closely with GPS to maintain excellence in HR service delivery; and 

• Manage employee separation processes including exit packages, interviews and asset recovery. 

Networking & Partnership 

• Build and sustain strategic HR partnerships with regional leadership, line managers, and cross-functional teams; 

• Champion spiritual formation initiatives and nurture an inclusive and motivating work environment aligned with IJM’s values; and 

• Regularly engage with employees, country leadership, interns, and fellows to encourage their development, well-being, and engagement. 

General Tasks 

• Engage fully in IJM’s community of spiritual formation, upholding organizational values in all professional activities and behaviors. 

Qualifications:  

• Master's qualification in a relevant field, SHRM-SCP, GPHR, or equivalent HR certification recognized across Asia Pacific; 

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience, ideally within complex, matrixed, and global organizations; 

• Experience within INGOs preferred but not required; 

• Demonstrated experience with HR systems such as Workday; 

• Experience in business operations, financial literacy, budgeting, and data-driven HR management; 

• Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from strategy through execution; 

• Experience training and developing managers in performance management, employee relations, and employee engagement practices; 

• Experience leading talent acquisition, compensation, and rewards programs aligned with organizational strategy; 

• Proven success partnering with senior leaders and executives; 

• Experience working across culturally diverse and geographically dispersed teams; 

• Experience in line management and people leadership; 

• Strong knowledge of employment law and labor practices across multiple Asia Pacific jurisdictions; 

• Experience with expatriate and local employment models, including visa and work permit considerations; 

• Proficiency in English required, with additional regional language skills considered an advantage; and 

• Existing authorization to work in one of the identified hiring locations without sponsorship. 

Critical Qualities: 

• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and operational execution capabilities; 

• Excellent interpersonal, training, coaching, and stakeholder engagement skills; 

• Highly collaborative approach and solution-oriented mindset; 

• Proficiency in HR analytics and evidence-based decision-making; 

• Strong policy development, implementation, compliance, and risk management capabilities; 

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and lead organizational change with resilience and creativity; 

• Strong business acumen and understanding of organizational financials; 

• Self-awareness, curiosity, agility, empathy, and commitment to continuous growth; 

• Ability to build credibility and trust across diverse stakeholder groups; and 

• Willingness and ability to travel within the region and internationally as needed. 

Application Process:  

Upload Resume & Cover Letter in one PDF document. 

IJM holds strict safeguarding principles and a zero tolerance to violations of the Safeguarding Policy, Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy, and Code of Ethics. Candidate selection is based on technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring criteria subject to assessing the candidate’s value congruence and thorough background, police clearance, and reference check processes. 

IJM requires a background check, police clearance and thorough review of references with an employment offer and/or employment contract.

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