People & Culture Director

About Us Love, Bonito is a digital‑first company on a mission to empower the everyday Asian woman and inspire self‑confidence. We are Southeast Asia's leading womenswear brand, headquartered in Singapore, with an omnichannel presence across Hong Kong SAR China, Indonesia, Malaysia and a retail franchise in Cambodia. Founded in 2010, we are proudly female‑founded with more than 65% female representation in leadership roles (#girlpower). We raised a US$50M Series C round in 2021 and know that we're on the cusp of something great, where we are working towards becoming the most thoughtful brand globally for the Asian female consumer, especially when it comes to our products, community and experiences. Why Join Us At Love, Bonito, you'll do more than just a job — you'll help build a movement. We're creating an organization that is lean, bold, and full of heart — where every person has the space to make an impact. Here's what you can expect: Purpose with performance: We hold ourselves to high standards and operate with purpose, integrity, grit and excellence. Growth that's real: We are known to be incredibly dynamic and fast‑paced. You'll be expected to learn fast, stretch beyond your comfort zone, and work alongside people who challenge and support you in equal measure. Culture at our core: If you're looking for a no‑corporate‑BS environment, we are the perfect fit for you. We operate with empathy, celebrate individuality, encourage effective collaboration, and believe great work comes from trust, not titles. The Role As we enter the next phase of growth and profitability, we are looking for a Director of People & Culture to shape our workforce, culture and future. We are a very people‑centric organization and this isn't a traditional HR role — it's about designing a lean, high‑performing, and deeply purpose‑driven and engaged organization where great people thrive, grow, and do their life's best work. Main Responsibilities Strategic Workforce Design & Productivity Partner with leadership to shape an efficient organizational structure aligned to profitability and growth. Drive workforce productivity through automation, digital tools, and lean team design. Establish clear metrics for payroll efficiency and people ROI year‑on‑year. Talent, Retention & Succession Build succession plans for critical roles and high‑potential talent. Develop career frameworks and internal mobility programs that both retain talent and future‑proof leadership pipelines. Lead talent acquisition and employer branding to attract top consumer and retail talent in the region. Compensation, Incentives & Benefits Design incentive KPI programs that directly drive business performance and culture. Develop a holistic rewards framework: compensation benchmarking, benefits, ESOS schemes to retain great talent and incentivize the right behaviour. Regularly benchmark pay across SEA markets, ensuring competitiveness and efficiency. Learning & Development Build impactful L&D programs particularly in product knowledge, data and AI skills, effective communication and leadership. Introduce scalable, self‑driven learning models to upskill both retail and corporate teams. Cultivate leadership capabilities to prepare the next generation of leaders. Culture & Engagement Champion our culture as a lever of productivity and retention. Design intentional engagement initiatives across countries (onsite + virtual) that build connection, collaboration, and fun. Act as a storyteller and culture amplifier — ensuring our values are lived, not just written. Change Management & Integration Build employee trust and clarity through transparent communication and employee‑centric operations; partner with leadership for quarterly townhalls. Lead any change management initiatives. Prepare the organization for IPO/trade sale readiness through people and culture practices. Global Office Management Oversee office operations and facilities. Oversee country HRs to ensure compliance with workplace safety and health standards. Manage landlord contracts and office procurement. Requirements Qualifications & Experience 10‑15 years' experience in HR/People leadership roles, with multi‑market Asia exposure. Proven ability to balance strategy and execution in a lean, fast‑paced company with both corporate and retail/service workforce. Track record of building high‑performing teams while managing payroll efficiently. Strong expertise in compensation, rewards, and incentive design. Experienced in culture‑building, engagement, and employer branding. Skilled in change management (automation, restructuring, integration of new businesses). Data‑driven, comfortable with HR analytics and productivity metrics. Executive presence – able to represent People strategy at board level. Bonus: prior exposure to group/house‑of‑brands environments and M&A. Bonus: prior exposure to creating ESOS frameworks. You should have / be Strategic Partner: Aligns people strategy with business priorities, positioning HR as a growth enabler. Systems Thinker: Designs, scales, and continuously improves HR processes (e.g. onboarding, performance, compensation cycles) with clarity, structure, and efficiency. Operational Excellence: Ensures compliance, consistency, and reliability across all people operations—payroll, benefits, policies, HR systems, and strategic oversight of office facilities, workplace safety, and budgets. Influential Communicator: Earns trust and credibility with the C‑suite, managers, and employees. Data‑Informed: Uses people metrics and workforce analytics to drive decisions on retention, engagement, workforce planning, and compensation equity. Builder with Growth Mindset: Thrives in ambiguity. Proactively creates structure, playbooks, and scalable tools in a fast‑changing environment. Strong Judgment & Integrity: Navigates sensitive employee situations and conflict with empathy, fairness, and emotional intelligence. Regional & Cultural Fluency: Understands labor laws, norms, and cultural differences across SEA and adapts policies and programs accordingly, ensuring global HR alignment with country HR teams. People Developer: Coaches leaders to lead better and builds a strong, capable HR team with clear career paths and development opportunities. Culture Champion: Brings company values to life through rituals, leadership behaviours, and people programs; safeguards and evolves culture as the business grows. Success in this Role Looks Like Year‑on‑year improvement in payroll productivity and profitability. Retention of top talent and stronger bench strength across functions. Employees feel rewarded, engaged, and connected across borders. Workforce equipped with future‑ready skills in digital and AI. Strong culture that drives performance, belonging, and pride. Organization IPO/trade sale ready from a People & Culture standpoint. #J-18808-Ljbffr