Job Description:

Job Overview:

This role plays a critical role in ensuring that HR operations are executed with accuracy, consistency, and compliance across AP markets.

As an HR Operations Specialist, this role will not only deliver Tier 2 HR operational services, but also act as a key connector between employees, HR partners, and global/regional teams. This role directly impacts employee experience, compliance, and the credibility of HR operations in a fast-growing, multicultural environment.

This is a role for someone who finds purpose in making complex HR processes work smoothly at scale and enjoys collaborating across countries, time zones, and cultures.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Employee Lifecycle Service Delivery (Approx. 80%):

• Deliver end-to-end HR operational services across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, probation management, labor contract administration, employee letters, retirement, and Global Mobility support, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and a positive employee experience.

• Own and manage high-volume, deadline-driven HR transactions, while maintaining strong attention to detail and compliance standards.

• Ensure all HR operations, documentation, and processes strictly comply with local labor regulations and internal policies across assigned APJC geographies.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records and personnel files, safeguarding data integrity and confidentiality.

• Partner closely with HRBPs, Payroll & Benefits, and regional HR Operations teams to ensure effective “last-mile” service delivery and resolution of complex or escalated cases.

• Develop, review, and continuously improve HR operational SOPs to ensure clarity, standardization, and alignment across regions.

2. Projects & Process Improvement (Approx. 20%):

• Actively support and participate in global, regional, and local HR projects related to employee lifecycle operations, system changes, or policy rollouts.

• Identify operational risks, inefficiencies, and pain points in existing HR processes, and propose practical, scalable improvements.

• Work with cross-functional and cross-border stakeholders to align on solutions, manage dependencies, and implement agreed changes in a structured manner.

• Balance day-to-day operational delivery with project work, demonstrating the ability to switch priorities quickly when business needs shift.

Qualifications:

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

• Minimum 5+ years of experience in HR operations, HR shared services, or multinational organizations, preferably covering multiple Asian markets.

• Solid understanding of HR operational best practices and local labor laws in Asia.

Language & System Skills

• Proficient in English for daily work; additional Asian language capabilities (e.g. Chinese, Thai, Malay, Bahasa, Vietnamese, Korean) are required.

• Comfortable working with HRIS (e.g. Workday) and Microsoft tools (Excel, PowerPoint), with strong data accuracy awareness.

Core Capabilities & Mindset

• Strong ability to work under pressure: Able to handle high transaction volumes, urgent employee issues, and strict deadlines without compromising quality or compliance.

• Cross-cultural collaboration skills: Comfortable working with stakeholders across countries, time zones, and cultural contexts; able to communicate clearly and professionally in a regional environment.

• Resilience and accountability: Remains calm, structured, and solution-oriented when facing ambiguity, frequent changes, or conflicting priorities.

• Detail-oriented with a big-picture mindset: Pays attention to execution details while understanding how operational work connects to broader HR and business outcomes.

• Ownership mindset: Takes responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks, and proactively follows through on issues until resolution.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Business Administration, Cross-Cultural Collaboration, Data Analysis, Detail-Oriented, Employee Development, Employee Lifecycle, HR Analytics, HR Shared Services, HR Systems Implementation, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Human Resource Management, Human Resource Tools, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Operational HR, Payroll Tax Compliance, Pressure Management, Process Improvements, Project Management, Service Improvement, Vendor Management, Wage Garnishments, Workforce Planning, Works Under Pressure

Preferred Skills:

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation: VISA Sponsorship:Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift: Valid Driving License:Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

05/23/2026

**A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.