The Head of HR Japan & Korea will lead an integrated people agenda for two complex markets while respecting their distinct business, cultural and regulatory contexts. The successful candidate will be expected to move confidently between strategic counsel and decisive execution, strengthen local leadership and talent pipelines, and ensure that regional and global HR priorities create visible business impact locally. This is an opportunity to lead the people agenda across two strategically important Asian markets, shape organization and leadership outcomes at country level, and influence the broader APAC HR strategy as a member of the regional leadership team.
What you´ll do
Shape the Business and Organization Agenda
Act as a trusted adviser to country presidents, business and functional leaders on organization, workforce, leadership, and people priorities.
Bring data, external perspective and sound judgment into senior leadership decisions, linking the people agenda directly to growth, productivity and organizational health.
Translate global and APAC priorities into practical country strategies, balancing common standards with local relevance.
Build Leadership, Talent and Culture
Lead succession, talent reviews, leadership development and critical-capability planning across Japan and Korea.
Strengthen internal mobility and development, ensuring high-potential and business-critical talent can see credible career opportunities within Henkel.
Champion an inclusive, high-performance culture where leaders create clarity, accountability, engagement and a safe environment for constructive challenge.
Lead Organization Change and Transformation
Advise and lead the people dimension of organization design, restructuring, M&A integration, productivity and business-transformation initiatives.
Help leaders anticipate employee, capability and cultural implications, and build adoption through clear decisions, communication and accountability.
Drive organization effectiveness across country, business and functional interfaces.
Oversee Workforce, Employee Relations and Governance
Provide senior oversight of manufacturing workforce strategy, labor and employee relations, and significant workforce changes.
Ensure sound HR governance, compliance and risk management across both markets, with effective local execution by HR teams.
Partner closely with Regional Centers of Excellence, HR Operations/GBS+, Legal and Compliance to deliver integrated, efficient and employee-focused solutions.
Lead and Evolve the HR Function
Lead, coach and develop the Japan and Korea HR teams, building strong local ownership and strategic HR capability.
Clarify roles across HR Business Partners, Centers of Excellence and HR Operations, reducing low-value transactional work and increasing strategic contribution.
Represent Japan and Korea in the APAC HR Leadership Team, contributing local insight while helping shape regional priorities and solutions.
Job details are sourced from the employer's original posting.
