Company: Japanese hospitality company

Position: (Japanese Speaking) Head of Human Resources and Administration

Location: Heathrow

Salary: Depending on experience

Key Responsibilities

HR Leadership & Talent Acquisition

• Develop and execute the workforce plan required for hotel opening and ongoing operations.
• Lead end-to-end recruitment across all departments.
• Manage job advertising, agency relationships, sourcing channels, interviews, and hiring processes.
• Oversee employment contracts, right-to-work verification, background checks, and onboarding activities.

Learning & Development

• Coordinate training initiatives with international headquarters and overseas operations.
• Support the design and implementation of training programs aligned with global service standards.
• Arrange overseas training opportunities, including travel and visa coordination where required.
• Establish long-term employee development and succession planning frameworks.

Governance, Compliance & Employee Relations

• Develop HR policies, employee handbooks, and operational procedures.
• Ensure full compliance with UK employment legislation, GDPR, equality regulations, and related requirements.
• Partner with external legal, payroll, accounting, and HR specialists.
• Manage employee relations matters, grievance procedures, and disciplinary processes.

Performance & Reward

• Design and implement performance management systems.
• Develop grading, compensation, and incentive structures appropriate for the UK market.
• Establish KPI frameworks and performance monitoring processes.
• Introduce recognition and reward programs that support employee engagement.

Administration & Business Support

• Support office establishment and operational readiness activities.
• Lead implementation of HR and payroll systems.
• Coordinate with suppliers and service providers during the pre-opening phase.
• Liaise with government authorities, regulatory bodies, and external stakeholders as required.
• Provide broad administrative and operational support to senior management.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Minimum 7 years of experience in Human Resources and/or Administration, including at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience managing full-cycle recruitment.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and GDPR requirements.
• Experience reviewing and managing employment-related contracts and policies.
• Demonstrated success in creating HR frameworks, policies, and people processes from scratch.
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal.

Preferred

• Experience in a hotel, hospitality, service, or customer-focused industry.
• CIPD Level 5 or Level 7 qualification.
• Experience supporting business start-ups, pre-opening projects, or new market entries.
• Familiarity with HRIS and payroll systems such as Workday or similar platforms.
• Japanese language capability and/or experience working with Japanese organizations would be an advantage.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will be:

• A self-driven leader who can build and implement processes independently.
• Comfortable working across cultures and international teams.
• Strategically minded, with the ability to align HR initiatives with business goals.
• Highly ethical, transparent, and compliance-focused.
• Adaptable and resilient in a dynamic, fast-changing environment.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and project management skills.

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Thank you for your understanding.