Head of People (Global) at Bjak in China

ABOUT BJAK We build superior application platforms globally with the mission of creating successful businesses while contributing positively to society by making it more efficient. We developed the first and leading insurance platform in Southeast Asia to digitize the insurance industry. The platform currently serves over 8 million users across the region. We are continuing our mission by building new, superior applications in emerging use cases as applications become increasingly integrated with AI. Our team is densely talented, highly motivated, and focused on engineering and product excellence within a very flat organization. All members are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. ABOUT THE ROLE We are looking for a hands-on Head of People to own and operate the full spectrum of human resources across BJAK’s global organization. This role covers employees across Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, the UK, and the US, spanning both on-site and remote teams. You will be responsible for building, running, and scaling the HR function in a fast-moving, high-growth environment. This is not a purely managerial, strategic or policy-driven role. You are expected to build & drive execution, particularly in hiring, performance management, leadership support, and complex people matters, while progressively building systems and a small, high-quality HR team around you. You will work closely with founders and senior leaders, acting as both a trusted leader and a practical problem-solver. WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING - Own the end-to-end HR function globally, including Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partnering, Employee Engagement, Learning & Development, Payroll, Compensation & Benefits, and HR Operations. - Personally lead and support critical hiring across technical, commercial, and corporate roles, ensuring hiring quality, speed, and consistency across regions. - Partner closely with founders and senior leaders on organisation design, workforce planning, performance management, succession planning, and leadership development. - Build and operate performance management, feedback, and development frameworks that are simple, practical, and actively used by managers. - Drive employee engagement initiatives that strengthen alignment, retention, and execution, while avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy. - Act as a hands-on HRBP for senior leaders and managers, supporting day-to-day people decisions, performance issues, and organizational changes. - Own global payroll, compensation, benefits, and employment structures, ensuring accuracy, fairness, and compliance across all countries. - Manage HR compliance, employment contracts, policies, and statutory requirements across multiple jurisdictions, working with external advisors or EORs where needed. - Design and continuously improve HR processes and systems that scale with the business without slowing it down. - Build, mentor, and lead the HR team over time, with a strong bias toward high ownership and execution. WHAT YOU WILL NEED - Proven experience leading end-to-end HR in a fast-growing, international organization. - Strong hands-on background with the ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels. - Experience managing HR across multiple countries, including a mix of local entities, remote employees, and third-party employment structures. - Solid expertise across talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, compensation & benefits, payroll, and HR operations. - Strong judgment and business acumen, with the ability to make pragmatic decisions in ambiguous situations. - High ownership mindset - comfortable rolling up sleeves and solving problems directly. - Ability to work closely with founders and senior leaders in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.