Manager, HR and Talent (APAC EAMA and GBS KL)

Company Profile

Bain & Company is the management consulting firm that the world’s business leaders come to when they want results. Bain advises clients on strategy, operations, information technology, organization, private equity, digital transformation and strategy, and mergers and acquisition, developing practical insights that clients act on and transferring skills that make change stick. The firm aligns its incentives with clients by linking its fees to their results. Bain clients have outperformed the stock market 4 to 1. Founded in 1973, Bain has offices in various countries, and its deep expertise and client roster cross every industry and economic sector.

The firm established several functions in the Indian market early 2000s and its remit across functions has expanded over time. Since 2019, these functions have become part of Global Business Services (GBS). Global Business Services (GBS) is a network of five interconnected business-function hubs across India, Poland, Malaysia, Mexico and Portugal, serving Bain globally to run our business, support other functions, and help drive innovation internally. We are over 1000 business professionals – serving functions in operations, HR, finance, legal, tech, marketing, research, and data analytics – who support our offices globally.  Our mantra of “shared innovation, seamless execution,” underpinned by a passion for results, teamwork, and creativity, helps Bain stay at the top of our game operationally.

Job Summary

We are seeking a strategic and hands-on HR Business Partner to support two critical dimensions of our organization:

• Serving as the HR Business Partner for the Executive Assistant (EA) and Management Assistant (MA) population across Asia Pacific (APAC) (50%), and
• Leading HR for our Global Business Services (GBS) Kuala Lumpur office, (50%). 

This role operates in a highly matrixed, multi-country environment and requires balancing regional strategic priorities with local operational excellence. The individual will act as a trusted advisor to business and program leadership, driving talent strategy, employee experience, and organizational effectiveness, while ensuring strong governance and compliance.

Principal Accountabilities and % of time

1. Regional HR Business Partner – APAC EA/MA Program (~50%)

• Serve as the HR Business Partner for the APAC EA/MA population, partnering closely with the EA/MA Program Team and functional leadership to align people's priorities with program delivery, capability needs, and evolving business requirements. 
• Build strong relationships with the EA/MA Program Team, leadership, and key stakeholders, 
• Partner with the APAC EA/MA Program leads on talent topics, including organizational design, workforce planning, and program effectiveness, ensuring alignment across geographies. Coordinate with local HR teams across APAC to ensure consistent application of people's practices to the EA/MA population while adapting to local market, legal, and regulatory requirements. 
• Leverage data and insights to inform program talent decisions, identify trends and opportunities to improve performance, retention, and overall program effectiveness.

2. GBS HR Lead – GBS Kuala Lumpur (~50%)

Serve as the HR leader for the Kuala Lumpur GBS office, owning and driving the local people agenda in alignment with global HR strategy and business priorities. 

• Act as a trusted advisor to office leadership, shaping talent strategy, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness for the KL office. 
• Lead all local employee relations, compliance, and regulatory matters, ensuring effective risk management and alignment with local labor laws and statutory requirements. 
• Helping to shape a strong office culture and employee experience, including engagement, wellbeing, and inclusion initiatives tailored to the KL environment. 

3. Talent Management, Rewards & Organizational Effectiveness

• Advise leaders on performance management, promotions, and compensation decisions across both scopes. 
• Analyze engagement survey results and partner with the business to drive targeted action plans to improve employee experience and retention. 
• Support organizational design, role clarity, and capability building initiatives. 

4. Employee Relations & Risk Management

• Provide oversight and guidance on employee relations matters across APAC EA/MA and direct ownership for KL-based cases. 
• Ensure alignment between global standards and local legal requirements through close partnership with local HR and Legal teams. 
• Proactively identify and mitigate HR-related risks while balancing business needs and employee experience. 

• Lead investigations and disciplinary processes in the GBS KL office with sensitivity and professionalism, ensuring fairness and compliance.
• Partner with local HR teams across APAC to ensure consistent handling of ER matters while maintaining compliance with local regulations.

5. HR Activities, Projects & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and support the implementation of global HR initiatives, projects, and transformation efforts. 
• Drive process improvements and operational efficiencies across HR service delivery. 
• Leverage data, analytics, and emerging tools to enhance decision-making and HR impact. 

• Champion employee wellbeing, engagement, and workplace safety initiatives for the KL GBS Office, embedding them into day-to-day operations
• Act as key liaison with relevant government agencies where required, including managing in-person engagements, ensuring timely submission and filing of statutory documentation, and staying up to date with evolving local laws and regulatory requirements to maintain full compliance.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality HR support with a strong client-service mindset.
• Manage benefits administration and support implementation of benefits strategies and vendor transitions at the GBS KL office.
•  Advise the business on policy matters, ensuring compliance with internal policies and local labor regulations for the GBS KL population. 

6. Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, coach, and develop direct reports (e.g., HR Specialist), ensuring strong execution of local HR operations and capability building. 

In addition to the responsibilities outlined above, this role may be required to support or lead additional initiatives, projects, or activities aligned with business needs and the evolving HR agenda

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities