Group Leader, Human Resources

ESR is a leading Asia-Pacific real asset owner and manager focused on logistics real estate, data centres, and energy infrastructure that power the digital economy and supply chain for investors, customers, and communities. Through our fully integrated real asset fund management and development platform, we strive to create value and growth opportunities for our global portfolio of investors. We offer our customers modern space solutions to realise their ambitions across Australia and New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Greater China, Southeast Asia, and India, including a presence in Europe.

The Group Leader / HR Business Partner for Korea is accountable for delivering high-quality, end-to-end HR services locally to the Korea business, ensuring strong execution, compliance, and a positive employee experience across multiple legal entities.

In parallel, the role acts as a trusted HR Business Partner to Korea leadership, supporting organisational effectiveness, talent decisions, engagement, and performance.

As a member of the ESR global HR community, the role also contributes to the progressive transformation of ESR’s HR delivery model, by partnering with ESR Global Centres of Expertise (COEs) and Shared Services to improve consistency, scalability, and efficiency—while keeping HR close to the business.

1. Local HR Delivery & Operations

• Deliver comprehensive HR services across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment support, onboarding, payroll, benefits, performance management, employee relations, and exits.
• Ensure full compliance with Korean labor laws and employment regulations, proactively adapting HR practices as laws or business needs evolve.
• Oversee payroll and HR administration across several legal entities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and strong controls.
• Act as the primary point of contact for employees and managers on HR policies, processes, and employment matters.
• Maintain accurate HR data, employee records, and system integrity across HR platforms.

2. HR Business Partnering to Leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to the Korea leadership team on people and organisation matters, grounded in a deep understanding of the local business.
• Support leaders on:
• Workforce planning and organisational design
• Performance management and development
• Employee relations and risk management
• Leadership effectiveness and team dynamics
• Provide pragmatic, solutions-oriented HR advice that balances business priorities, employee experience, and Group governance.

3. Compensation, Performance & Rewards

• Lead the local implementation of ESR’s Group compensation framework, ensuring alignment with Group principles while reflecting Korean market practices and legal requirements.
• Partner with Group HR and Finance on:
• Annual compensation reviews and budgeting
• Salary benchmarking and market analysis
• STI and performance cycles
• Support leaders in applying compensation and performance frameworks consistently and effectively.

4. Talent, Development & Engagement

• Partner with Group Talent Acquisition to deliver hiring aligned to approved workforce plans, providing local market insight and leadership input.
• Support onboarding and integration of new hires to ensure a strong employee experience.
• Identify capability and talent priorities locally and work with Group COEs to deploy appropriate development solutions.
• Drive local employee engagement initiatives, including survey action planning, culture initiatives, and wellbeing activities aligned with ESR values and ESG priorities.

5. Employee Relations & Risk Management

• Manage employee relations matters with professionalism and sound judgment, including grievances, disciplinary processes, and investigations.
• Advise managers on best practices in performance management, conduct, and employee relations.
• Conduct exit interviews, analyse trends, and recommend actions to mitigate retention and engagement risks.

6. Contribution to ESR HR Transformation & Global HR Community

• Act as the local owner and adopter of ESR Group HR policies, frameworks, and tools.
• Partner with ESR Global COEs and Shared Services to:
• Transition appropriate transactional activities
• Improve process consistency and efficiency
• Avoid duplication between local and Group HR activities
• Provide feedback from the Korea business to help shape Group HR solutions and future improvements.
• Actively participate in the ESR global HR community, contributing to shared learning and best practice.

Requirements

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field

• 10-15 years of progressive HR experience, combining hands-on HR delivery and HR BP exposure
• Strong knowledge of Korean labor law and employment practices
• Proficiency in HRIS and other HR tools
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong ability to collaborate with the other departments heads and with the HQ
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and maintain a high level of professionalism
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience supporting leaders in a multi-entity environment
• Ability to manage operational detail while thinking holistically about people and organisation topics
• Fluent in Korean and English (written and spoken)

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience in a regional or international organisation with matrix reporting lines
• Exposure to HR transformation, shared services, or Group HR frameworks