Head of People & HR Operations

Location: Alabang, Muntinlupa
Work Setup: Full Onsite, Monday to Friday
Schedule: Compressed work week

Position Summary:

The Head of Human Resources will provide overall leadership for the organization’s human resources function, covering both strategic HR direction and hands-on operational execution across a large, geographically dispersed workforce.

The role will oversee the full spectrum of HR, including workforce planning, employee relations, talent acquisition, performance management, compensation and benefits, learning and development, organizational development, HR policies and compliance, employee engagement, and HR operations.

Given the size and operational nature of the workforce, this position requires a strategic and highly hands-on HR leader who is comfortable going beyond corporate-level management and working directly with employees and HR teams on the ground. The role will require frequent nationwide travel to support multiple operational locations, address workforce concerns, strengthen HR implementation, and ensure consistent application of company policies and practices.

The successful candidate should be able to balance enterprise-level HR strategy with practical, field-based execution , particularly in environments with a significant blue-collar workforce and varying levels of digital adoption.

Key Responsibilities:

1. HR Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute the overall HR strategy aligned with business objectives, operational requirements, and organizational growth.
• Lead the end-to-end HR function and ensure effective delivery of HR services across the organization.
• Translate business requirements into practical and scalable HR programs, policies, and processes.
• Serve as a strategic adviser to senior management on workforce, organizational, employee, and people-related matters.
• Establish HR priorities, metrics, and governance frameworks that support business performance and workforce effectiveness.

2. HR Operations & Workforce Management

• Oversee HR operations across a large workforce consisting of both white-collar and blue-collar employees.
• Develop and implement scalable HR operating models appropriate for a geographically dispersed workforce.
• Review and optimize HR-to-employee ratios, organizational structures, and deployment of HR resources across locations.
• Ensure HR teams are appropriately structured and positioned to provide adequate employee support while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Establish consistent HR processes and service standards across different sites and business units.
• Monitor workforce trends, manpower requirements, turnover, absenteeism, productivity, and other key workforce indicators.

3. Field HR & Employee Engagement

• Maintain a strong field presence and personally engage with employees and HR teams at operational sites.
• Conduct regular site visits to understand workforce concerns, operational challenges, employee relations matters, and HR implementation gaps.
• Ensure HR policies and programs are effectively communicated and understood by employees across different locations and workforce segments.
• Develop practical approaches to employee communication and engagement, particularly for employees with limited familiarity with digital HR platforms and tools.
• Strengthen direct employee engagement channels and ensure concerns are addressed promptly and appropriately.
• Work closely with site leaders and local HR teams to resolve workforce and employee-related issues.

4. Employee & Labor Relations

• Provide leadership on employee relations, labor relations, disciplinary matters, grievances, and workplace concerns.
• Ensure consistent and legally compliant implementation of company policies and employment practices.
• Guide HR teams and business leaders in handling complex employee and labor-related situations.
• Develop proactive approaches to employee relations and workforce engagement to minimize recurring issues and organizational risk.
• Ensure proper documentation, investigation, and resolution of employee concerns.

5. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Oversee manpower planning and recruitment strategies across corporate, operational, and field-based roles.
• Partner with business leaders to anticipate workforce requirements and ensure timely manpower deployment.
• Develop scalable recruitment and onboarding processes suitable for high-volume and geographically distributed hiring.
• Monitor workforce supply, attrition, hiring requirements, and staffing gaps across locations.

6. Performance, Compensation & Talent Management

• Oversee performance management systems and ensure effective implementation across different employee groups.
• Lead compensation and benefits strategies that support competitiveness, internal equity, retention, and business sustainability.
• Develop talent management and succession planning initiatives for critical positions.
• Identify capability gaps and implement appropriate learning and development programs.
• Support the development of future HR and business leaders.

7. HR Technology & Process Improvement

• Assess and improve the effectiveness of HR systems, processes, and tools across the organization.
• Identify practical solutions for delivering HR services to employees with varying levels of digital literacy.
• Drive appropriate use of HR technology while ensuring that processes remain accessible to employees who may require more traditional or on-the-ground HR support.
• Streamline and standardize HR processes to improve efficiency, accessibility, and service delivery across locations.
• Leverage HR data and analytics to support workforce decisions and improve operational effectiveness.

8. HR Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the overall HR organization and its leaders.
• Establish clear accountabilities, performance expectations, and service standards for HR teams.
• Strengthen collaboration among segmented HR teams and promote a consistent organization-wide HR approach.
• Ensure HR leaders and site HR teams are equipped to independently manage day-to-day workforce concerns while escalating critical matters appropriately.
• Build a culture of accountability, responsiveness, and business partnership within the HR function.

9. Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with Philippine labor laws, regulations, company policies, and applicable employment standards.
• Oversee HR governance, policies, documentation, and controls.
• Partner with relevant stakeholders on labor, regulatory, and employment-related risks.
• Ensure consistent implementation of HR policies across all locations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Industrial Relations, or a related field.
• At least 15 years of progressive HR experience , with significant experience leading a broad HR function.
• Proven experience in a senior HR leadership role , preferably within a large-scale, highly operational, logistics, transportation, distribution, manufacturing, retail, or similarly labor-intensive environment.
• Strong experience managing both white-collar and blue-collar workforces .
• Demonstrated experience managing HR operations for a large employee population , preferably 5,000+ employees.
• Strong background across multiple HR disciplines, including HR operations, employee relations, labor relations, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, performance management, learning and development, and workforce planning.
• Experience leading distributed or multi-site HR operations is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to design and manage appropriate HR-to-employee ratios and HR operating structures .
• Strong understanding of Philippine labor laws and employee relations practices.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Highly comfortable working in both strategic and tactical capacities.
• Willingness and ability to conduct frequent nationwide travel and site visits .
• Willingness to work directly with employees and HR teams on the ground, particularly in operational and blue-collar environments.

Key Success Factors:

The ideal candidate is:

• Strategic but highly hands-on — capable of setting the HR direction while personally getting involved in operational and field-level concerns.
• Operations-oriented — understands that HR effectiveness depends on being close to the workforce and the business.
• Strong in employee and labor relations — comfortable handling complex workforce issues and employee concerns.
• Experienced in large-scale workforce management — understands the challenges of supporting thousands of employees across multiple locations.
• Field-oriented and mobile — willing to travel frequently and spend meaningful time at operational sites.
• Process- and systems-minded — capable of creating scalable HR structures, improving HR-to-employee ratios, and standardizing processes.
• Adaptable in communication — able to engage effectively with both corporate professionals and blue-collar employees.
• Decisive and pragmatic — able to make sound HR decisions while balancing employee needs, operational realities, and business requirements.
• A strong people leader — capable of aligning and strengthening a segmented HR organization.