Head of Human Resources, Malaysia

Do you want your voice heard and your actions to count?

Discover your opportunity with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world’s leading financial groups. Across the globe, we’re 150,000 colleagues, striving to make a difference for every client, organization, and community we serve. We stand for our values, building long-term relationships, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world.

With a vision to be the world’s most trusted financial group, it’s part of our culture to put people first, listen to new and diverse ideas and collaborate toward greater innovation, speed and agility. This means investing in talent, technologies, and tools that empower you to own your career.

Join MUFG, where being inspired is expected and making a meaningful impact is rewarded.

Role Overview

The Head of HR, Malaysia is the senior HR leader for the country, accountable for shaping and delivering the people agenda in line with business strategy, regulatory expectations, and global HR direction. This role serves as the principal HR partner to the Country Head and executive leadership team, with responsibility spanning governance, employee relations, risk oversight, ESG integration, and the localization of global HR programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership & Business Partnership

• Act as the primary HR liaison to the Country Head (GM), providing trusted advice on people strategy, governance, and complex workforce matters
• Translate local business, labor, and regulatory requirements into actionable inputs for Global Business Group (GBG) people strategies and HR plans
• Partner with regional and global HR teams to embed local insights into talent, engagement, workforce planning, productivity, and change initiatives
• Maintain HR budget ownership for the country, ensuring cost discipline, effective resource planning, and delivery against approved budgets
• Monitor external business, regulatory, and labor market trends to anticipate workforce and organizational implications, providing forward-looking advice to senior leadership
• Coordinate and drive HR-led ESG and sustainability initiatives at country level, embedding sustainability into people practices, culture, learning, and governance reporting

Governance, Risk & Regulatory Oversight

• Represent HR on country-level boards, governance, and management committees, including Board / Management Committees, Occupational Safety & Health (OSH), Operational Risk, and Sustainability committees
• Prepare and present HR-related governance papers, statutory submissions, regulatory attestations, and disclosures (e.g. remuneration disclosure statements)
• Discharge statutory OSH responsibilities, including policy oversight, monitoring workplace safety indicators, and escalation of material risks
• Monitor and report on people-related risk indicators (e.g. mandatory training compliance, fitness and propriety, whistleblowing), ensuring accurate data and clear recommendations
• Manage country risk culture measures and review culture dashboards in alignment with Group risk and conduct standards
• Oversee HR-related audits, regulatory reviews, annual certifications, license renewals, and statutory filings, ensuring timely closure of findings

Employee Relations & Industrial Relations

• Lead and manage complex employee relations matters in collaboration with Regional ER teams, ensuring compliance with local legislation and internal fairness standards
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with trade unions, works councils, and employee representatives, lead consultations and negotiations on restructurings, collective agreements, and policy changes
• Liaise with external legal advisers, labour authorities, and regulators, coordinating documentation, hearings, and evidence, and embedding lessons learned into future controls

Localization of Global HR Processes

• Monitor employment legislation and regulatory developments, assessing impact on global HR processes and controls
• Design, document, and secure approval for locally compliant process variations or workarounds, ensuring audit readiness
• Ensure accurate configuration of local requirements in HR systems and payroll, in collaboration with HR Central Services, Legal, Finance, Compliance, and Risk
• Contribute HR oversight to the Bank’s operational risk management framework, particularly people-, conduct-, and process-related risks

Embedding the Global People Strategy

• Provide high-touch HR support to the country executive committee on sensitive and strategically significant matters (performance management, executive onboarding, contract changes, relocations, exits)
• Act as a first-line triage point within the GHR operating model, directing queries efficiently to HR Central Services, CoEs, or HRBPs
• Assess engagement results and lead targeted country-level interventions to improve employee experience and outcomes
• Anticipate and resolve friction points in senior-level people processes, escalating systemic issues or control gaps to global HR as appropriate

Requirements

• Extensive experience in a senior HR Business Partner or Head of HR role with country or regional accountability
• Proven track record of leading an HR function and delivering people strategies that drive business outcomes
• Strong ability to partner with, influence, coach, and advise senior leaders and executive teams
• Deep expertise in generalist HR, including employee relations, change management, and operating in regulated environments
• Strong knowledge of local employment and labor laws and financial-services regulatory requirements
• Experience working effectively within a global, multicultural organization
• Sound judgment, discretion, and confidence in handling complex and sensitive people matters
• Strong business acumen with the ability to use data and insight to inform HR decisions
• Degree in HR, Business, Law, or related discipline; professional HR qualification preferred

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) is an equal opportunity employer. We view our employees as our key assets as they are fundamental to our long-term growth and success. MUFG is committed to hiring based on merit and organsational fit, regardless of race, religion or gender.