Manager, People Partner

Being the People Department of South China Morning Post, our People Partners (PP), Compensation & Benefits (C&B), Operations, and Talent Development & Engagement (TD&E) teams develop and drive people strategies to acquire, develop and retain employees. We motivate our employees to live our values in a dynamic and diverse workplace, develop our talents for our leadership pipeline, with the objective of continually making SCMP a Great Place To Work. Purpose of the Position This role is designed for a proactive and independent People Partner who will act as a key strategic consultant to their designated stakeholder group. The core purpose of the role is to: Serve as the primary HR ‘go-to’ person and advisor for Department Heads on all people-related matters. Drive business success by developing and executing HR initiatives that attract, develop, and retain high-performing talent. Oversee the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, talent management, engagement, workforce planning, and employee relations, ensuring full alignment with strategic objectives. In this role, you will Act as a Strategic Partner Build deep, trusted relationships with department heads and managers to understand their business objectives and people challenges. Translate business strategy into a people strategy, driving initiatives around organizational design, manpower planning, and budgeting in partnership with the Finance team. Provide expert coaching and counsel to leaders on all people-related matters, including complex employee relations issues. Partner with the wider People Team to tackle complex employee relations cases and cross-functional projects, ensuring a consistent and equitable approach across the organization. Champion the Full Talent Lifecycle Own the end-to-end talent acquisition strategy for your groups, ensuring we attract and hire top-notch talent while providing an exceptional candidate experience. Lead our core talent and performance cycles, including goal setting, performance reviews, and talent calibration, ensuring fairness and a focus on continuous growth. Facilitate talent reviews and succession planning discussions, partnering with leaders to build robust talent pipelines and development plans for key individuals. Drive HR Excellence & Improvement Take initiative to identify and lead process improvements across our People programs. Collaborate with the broader People Team on cross-functional projects, from performance management enhancements to new engagement programs. Keep a pulse on market intelligence and best practices to ensure our HR strategies remain competitive and effective. Cultivate Culture & Engagement Work with managers and employees to improve work relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and retention. Analyze engagement feedback and people-data to identify trends and co-create solutions that enhance the employee experience. Serve as a culture champion, embedding our values and ensuring HR policies are understood and applied consistently. Skills and Experience that will lead to success Experience: 5-8 years of progressive HR experience, ideally as a People Business Partner supporting technology, product, or other fast-paced commercial teams. Mindset: A true problem‑solver. You are proactive, think on your feet, and are driven to find solutions and make improvements. You operate with a high degree of autonomy and a strong sense of ownership, backed by the professional judgment to know when to leverage the team's collective expertise. Expertise: Deep knowledge across the HR spectrum, with particular strengths in talent acquisition (especially tech recruitment), performance management, and employee relations. A solid understanding of Hong Kong employment law is essential. Business Acumen: You are commercially minded and curious. You enjoy using data to derive insights, tell a story, and help leaders make informed decisions. Communication Skills: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. You build credibility with ease, present your ideas with confidence, and can influence stakeholders at all levels. Fluency in English is a must; Chinese is a plus. Project Management: You are organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously without compromising quality. Work location will be at Causeway Bay office. #J-18808-Ljbffr