Deputy HR Manager​/HR Operations Manager - Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices

Job description

Role Purpose

The Deputy HR Manager / HR Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the day-to-day delivery of key HR functions across the Group, ensuring consistent standards, timely execution, strong service delivery, and effective coordination between HR teams.

The role acts as the primary operational point of contact for HR functional leads and supports the HR Manager by managing routine HR operations, approvals, follow-up, escalations, and cross-functional HR matters.

The position is expected to significantly reduce operational dependency on the HR Manager by resolving routine matters independently, ensuring accountability across HR functions, and escalating only material, high-risk, sensitive, or strategic issues.

Employee Relations and Payroll will remain under the direct oversight of the HR Manager and will operate as a separate functional stream. The Deputy HR Manager will nevertheless coordinate with the Employee Relations & Payroll Manager where matters require cross-functional collaboration.

HR Operations Leadership

Oversee the day-to-day operations of assigned HR functions and ensure effective, timely, and consistent HR service delivery across all Group companies.

Provide direction, guidance, and operational support to HR functional leads.

Ensure HR teams work collaboratively and avoid operational gaps or duplication between functions.

Monitor outstanding actions, deadlines, approvals, and escalations across HR.

Act as the first escalation point for routine operational HR matters before escalation to the HR Manager.

Ensure HR policies, procedures, and approved practices are applied consistently across the organization.

Functional Oversight

Directly oversee and coordinate the following HR functions:

• Recruitment and Onboarding
• Learning, Training and Development
• Performance Management
• Employee engagement
• Medical Insurance and Employee Benefits
• HR Operations and Administration, where applicable
• Other HR support functions assigned by the HR Manager

Ensure each functional lead has clear objectives, priorities, KPIs, and timelines.

Review functional performance and identify delays, risks, inefficiencies, or service issues.

Drive stronger coordination between recruitment, onboarding, performance, training, benefits, and other HR processes.

Recruitment and Onboarding

Oversee recruitment delivery against approved manpower plans and business requirements.

Monitor vacancies, recruitment timelines, candidate pipelines, offer management, and onboarding progress.

Review and approve routine recruitment matters within delegated authority.

Ensure recruitment processes are efficient, cost-effective, and aligned with approved budgets and manpower plans.

Escalate senior, sensitive, unbudgeted, or exceptional recruitment matters to the HR Manager.

Performance Management

Oversee implementation of the Group performance management cycle.

Ensure objectives, reviews, appraisals, performance improvement processes, and related documentation are completed on time.

Support functional and business leaders with consistent application of performance management standards.

Identify performance trends and provide management reporting and recommendations to the HR Manager.

Learning and Development

Oversee training needs analysis, annual training plans, mandatory training, leadership development, and learning initiatives.

Ensure training investments are aligned with business priorities and measurable outcomes.

Monitor training completion, budgets, utilization, and effectiveness.

Support development and succession initiatives as directed by the HR Manager.

Medical Insurance and Benefits

Oversee administration and service delivery relating to medical insurance and assigned employee benefits.

Ensure timely enrolment, deletion, renewal, claims escalation, and employee support.

Monitor insurer and broker performance and support renewal preparation, cost analysis, and utilization review.

Escalate significant cost, coverage, contractual, or employee-impact issues to the HR Manager.

Approvals and Delegated Authority

Review and approve routine HR matters within the approved delegation of authority.

Challenge incomplete, inconsistent, or unsupported requests before approval.

Ensure approvals comply with Group policy, approved manpower, budgets, salary structures, and established HR practices.

Escalate matters that are outside policy, financially significant, precedent-setting, legally sensitive, or reputationally sensitive.

Maintain clear records of key HR…