Senior HR Specialist_Penang

Key Responsibilities:

Onboarding and Offboarding Management

• Own and execute onboarding and offboarding transactions across supported APAC countries, ensuring timely and accurate completion throughout the employee lifecycle.

• Validate employee data, supporting documents, approvals, effective dates, and other prerequisites before processing onboarding or offboarding actions.

• Process and validate onboarding records in Oracle HCM and relevant downstream systems, coordinating with Talent Acquisition, HRBPs, Payroll, IT, Security, and relevant teams to enable a smooth employee start.

• Monitor onboarding completion, including required employee and manager actions, system access, time-management setup, badging, payroll readiness, and resolution of outstanding exceptions.

• Review offboarding requests and confirm the termination type, last working day, effective date, reason, notice information, approvals, and supporting documentation before completing the transaction.

• Process voluntary and involuntary separations and coordinate related updates to Oracle HCM, TMS, Payroll, and other downstream processes, including final-pay and leave-balance considerations.

• Prioritize payroll-impacting, urgent, sensitive, and backdated cases; escalate discrepancies or legal, employee-relations, and compliance risks promptly with complete facts and recommended actions.

• Maintain complete case records, checklists, audit trails, and status tracking for onboarding and offboarding activities, and identify recurring issues for process improvement and knowledge-base updates.

• Develop and maintain onboarding and offboarding process documentation, work instructions, and knowledge articles

Time Management System (TMS)

• Support time, attendance, leave, and scheduling processes across multiple countries

• Execute TMS-related transactions, including time corrections, leave adjustments, schedule updates, and pay-impacting changes

• Ensure First Time Right processing for all TMS transactions, minimizing payroll errors and employee pay issues

• Ensure timely processing of time data to support payroll cut-offs, statutory compliance, and internal controls

• Partner closely with Payroll, HRIS, and vendors to resolve TMS issues, conduct root-cause analysis, and prevent recurrence

• Ensure TMS processes align with local working time, overtime, rest day, and statutory leave regulations

• Develop and maintain TMS process documentation, work instructions, and knowledge articles

Service delivery & customer excellence

• Handle HR cases from routine inquiries to complex cases requiring specialized knowledge of employment law, policies, and cross-border regulations

• Handle escalated cases and VIP requests requiring heightened attention, discretion, and rapid resolution while maintaining exceptional service standard

• Apply expert judgment to all case types, ensuring efficient resolution of simple queries while providing sophisticated analysis for complex matters

• Deliver exceptional customer service leveraging extensive experience to provide comprehensive, accurate responses across all interaction types

• Share expertise and knowledge with team members through informal guidance while maintaining focus on individual case delivery

Transaction management & data integrity

• Execute full range of HR transactions from routine updates to more complex cases including reorganizations, international transfers, and sensitive separations

• Apply advanced validation techniques to all transaction types, leveraging experience to identify potential issues and ensure accuracy across simple and complex scenarios

• Manage sophisticated system processes utilizing expert knowledge to navigate complex configurations while efficiently handling routine transactions

• Maintain First Time Right excellence across all transaction complexities, using expertise to prevent errors and streamline processing

Process excellence & continuous improvement

• Champion process excellence by applying extensive knowledge to identify improvement opportunities across all process types

• Leverage experience to streamline both routine and complex processes, sharing insights that benefit overall team effectiveness

• Support process enhancements by providing expert input on procedure updates and system improvements based on comprehensive case experience

• Drive knowledge sharing through expert handling of diverse case types and informal mentoring of colleagues

Compliance & risk management

• Ensure full compliance with data privacy regulations (local privacy laws) and employment legislation across supported regions

• Maintain audit-ready documentation and support compliance reviews with accurate, complete records

• Protect sensitive employee data through adherence to security protocols and confidentiality requirements

• Identify and mitigate risks related to data handling, process compliance, and regulatory requirements

Stakeholder collaboration

• Build trusted relationships across all stakeholder levels, applying experience to navigate both simple and complex stakeholder needs effectively

• Collaborate effectively with Payroll, Benefits, and specialist HR teams to ensure seamless end-to-end service delivery

• Support cross-functional initiatives that enhance employee experience and operational efficiency

• Represent the HRSS brand positively in all interactions, demonstrating expert-level service regardless of case complexity

• Participate in data cleansing activities to ensure all employee records meet global and local compliance requirements prior to and after migration

Education & Experience

Job requirements:

Essential experience:

• 5-6+ years in HR TMS operations, shared services, or related fields with demonstrated progression in case complexity

• Strong understanding of time and attendance processes, including shift work, overtime, leave management, and payroll integration

• Hands-on experience administering or supporting TMS in a regional or global environment

• Experience managing end-to-end HR onboarding and offboarding transactions, including data validation, effective-date control, payroll coordination, and resolution of exceptions.

• Expertise in HR case management, from routine queries to complex employee relations across Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, India and Thailand

• Advanced HRIS experience with expert-level system navigation, transaction processing, and troubleshooting capabilities

• Proven track record of efficiently handling high-volume caseloads while maintaining quality across all complexity levels

• Labour law and regulatory framework knowledge across multiple jurisdictions with practical application across diverse case types

• Experience managing escalated cases and VIP stakeholder requests with demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and deliver exceptional service under pressure

Core Competencies:

• Expert efficiency: Ability to quickly assess and appropriately handle cases across all complexity levels using extensive experience

• Advanced judgment: Sound decision-making across routine and complex matters requiring discretion, business acumen, and regulatory knowledge

• Comprehensive expertise: Deep knowledge of HR operations enabling efficient resolution of any case type encountered

• Sophisticated problem-solving: Ability to apply experience and knowledge to resolve challenges quickly and effectively regardless of complexity

• Adaptability & expertise: Seamlessly transitions between routine and complex cases, applying appropriate level of analysis and attention

• Cultural intelligence: Deep understanding of cross-cultural dynamics enabling effective case resolution across diverse APAC markets

Skills

Communication & language:

• Fluent English (essential for documentation and stakeholder communication)

• Additional languages strongly preferred for enhanced regional support (Vietnamese / Japanese / Korean / Filipino / Hindi / Thai / Mandarin)

Technical proficiency:

• Advanced HRIS knowledge with ability to navigate complex system configurations

• Case management expertise using enterprise ticketing and workflow systems

• Data analysis capabilities for trend identification and process improvement insights

Working Conditions

• This role is hybrid

Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!

Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.