COUNTRY HR MANAGER - Philippines

FUNCTION - People & Capability / Human Resources

LOCATION - Philippines (Metro Manila)

REPORTING - Dual — Country Manager, CFO

▪THE ORGANISATION

Our client is a fast-growing consumer firm operating in the Philippines . With a footprint spanning design, sourcing, logistics, and omnichannel retail.

This is a startup in character — resource-constrained, fast-moving, and still writing its operating playbook. The People & Capability function sits at the centre of this build. Every hire matters, and the HR infrastructure must stay ahead of the organisation, not catch up to it.

▪THE ROLE

This is a hands-on HR leadership role for a builder — someone equally comfortable designing a performance framework and sitting across the table from a line manager navigating a difficult people situation. The Country HR Manager will be the primary HR partner for the JV, owning the full People & Capability agenda from day one.

This structure reflects both the operational autonomy given to the local business and the expectation of alignment with group-wide people standards.

Core Responsibilities

Build and lead the local HR team — hiring, coaching, and retaining the right people as the organisation scales; this is a growing function, not a steady-state one.
Own end-to-end talent acquisition for the JV, partnering with business leaders to anticipate hiring needs and source effectively in a competitive Philippine market.
Design and embed a performance management framework suited to the JV's growth stage, ensuring line managers have the capability and confidence to deliver meaningful reviews.
Introduce and localise global HR policies within the JV context — finding the right balance between group standards and the operating realities of a Philippine business, including full DOLE compliance.
Champion culture integration: this is a JV with two distinct corporate heritages. The Country HR Manager will play a deliberate role in forging a shared identity that draws on the strengths of both organisations without subordinating either.
Lead employee relations matters — investigations, disciplinary processes, and case management — in line with Philippine labour law.
Partner with the global P&C team to deploy capability programs, succession frameworks, and engagement initiatives across the business.
Drive the adoption of HR systems and people data to inform business decisions and report outcomes to JV leadership.

▪THE CANDIDATE

The right candidate brings genuine HR generalist depth — not a CoE specialist who has only ever owned one function — combined with the personal presence and commercial instincts to earn credibility with senior business leaders in a fast-moving environment. This person does not wait to be asked. They anticipate, structure, and move.

Professional Requirements

8–12 years of progressive HR generalist experience, with a meaningful portion in a country HR or senior HRBP capacity owning the full people agenda for a business unit or entity.
Background in retail, logistics, e-commerce, FMCG, or a similarly fast-paced consumer-facing industry — the pace and operational intensity of this environment must be familiar, not a shock.
Solid command of Philippine labour law, DOLE regulations, and statutory compliance — a non-negotiable foundation for this role.
Demonstrated experience building or significantly scaling an HR function — candidates who have only maintained inherited structures need not apply.
Exposure to a matrixed or JV environment, with experience navigating dual reporting lines (local leadership and regional/global P&C function) strongly preferred.
Track record of introducing and embedding HR policies and frameworks — particularly translating global standards into locally compliant, culturally relevant practice.
SuccessFactors or equivalent HRIS proficiency preferred.
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, or a related discipline.

Leadership Profile

Hands-on.

This is not a people manager who delegates execution — the successful candidate is in the work, not above it.

Commercially oriented.

HR decisions are business decisions; the candidate must connect people strategy to P&L outcomes with confidence.

Culturally fluent.

A JV demands genuine sensitivity to different corporate values, management styles, and expectations — and the ability to build bridges rather than declare winners.

Principled under pressure.

Employee relations matters, restructures, and cultural tensions do not wait for convenient timing. This person stays composed and grounded.

Axentia Global

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Country HR Manager - Philippines