Regional Talent Program Manager

Job Description:

Situated in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District, Rakuten Asia Pte Ltd. is Rakuten's Asia Regional headquarters. Established in August 2012 as part of Rakuten's global expansion strategy, Rakuten Asia comprises various businesses that provide essential value added services to Rakuten's global ecosystem. Through advertisement product development, product strategy, and data management, among others, Rakuten Asia is strengthening Rakuten Group's core competencies to take the lead in an increasingly digitalized world.

Rakuten is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, and businesses. We are committed to innovation and entrepreneurship, offering a diverse ecosystem of services in ecommerce, fintech, digital content and communications to over one billion members worldwide. At Rakuten, we believe in empowering our employees to make a difference and contribute to our mission of creating a better future.

As a Regional Talent Manager for APAC, you will be a key driver in designing, developing, and implementing strategic talent management initiatives across diverse business units in the APAC region, with an emphasis on performance management and employee engagement. You will ensure the seamless deployment of global programs and foster a culture of talent development, growth, and engagement within Rakuten. Being part of the Global Talent Management and Inclusion (GTMI) team, you will work closely with Global, Regional, and Local HR teams, as well as the broader talent management and development community.

Responsibilities:

• Program Deployment: Lead the regional deployment, adoption, and communication of global talent management programs and initiatives, including performance management, individual development planning, onboarding, career planning, and succession planning within Workday.
• Strategic Partnership: Collaborate closely with regional and local HR teams to understand business needs, share best practices, and ensure talent initiatives align with local contexts and global strategies.
• Performance Management Oversight: Drive the end-to-end global performance management cycles within APAC, including process design, communication, training, and compliance monitoring, serving as the central point of contact for APAC HR Business Partners.
• Talent Review & Succession Planning: Support and implement talent review and succession planning efforts across APAC businesses to build a robust leadership pipeline and ensure critical roles are filled.
• Employee Engagement & Feedback: Support projects related to employee engagement, including the Organizational Health Survey and other feedback mechanisms (e.g., Qualtrics), analyzing data to inform improvements.
• Program Optimization & Innovation: Continuously review, analyze, and enhance regional talent management programs (e.g., talent rotation, new starter onboarding) based on feedback, data, and ROI, incorporating innovative best practices.
• Consultancy & Guidance: Provide expert guidance and consultation to APAC Business Unit HR teams on all talent management topics, including performance cycles, engagement surveys, entry/exit surveys, skills assessments, coaching, mentoring, talent review, succession planning and local talent policies.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 5+ years of experience designing, executing, and managing talent management programs within large, diverse, and complex global matrix organizations.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent, post-graduate qualification in HR, OD or a related field would be advantageous
• Proven functional expertise in program design, implementation, benchmarking, and facilitating leadership, learning, career development, or other organizational development processes. Ideally able to showcase innovation approaches.
• Strong experience delivering global projects and effectively collaborating with diverse stakeholders across cultural backgrounds, particularly in being able to manage stakeholders effectively by influencing without authority, to deliver outcomes while adhering to project timelines
• Practical knowledge of leveraging technology-based solutions (e.g., Workday, LMS) for talent management and development.
• Strong verbal, and written communication skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Highly collaborative style with excellent stakeholder engagement, project management, and implementation skills.
• Proven attention to detail and analytical skills, with ability to handle multiple streams of work and competing priorities while ensuring accuracy and adherence to timelines and plans
• High level of integrity and accountability to be able to work independently and effectively in a global matrix structure
• Relevant Tech sector experience and/ or Workday knowledge would be a distinct advantage.

Rakuten is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications regardless of sex, marital status, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious belief, or age.