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.