HR Director

About the Position WatchGuard is seeking a hands-on regional HR leader to lead the Human Resources function across APAC. Reporting to the VP of HR, the Director of Human Resources – APAC will set and execute the regional people strategy across Southeast Asia, India, China, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand, spanning talent, compensation, employee relations, compliance, and organizational effectiveness. This is a fast-paced, high-visibility role leading a geographically dispersed HR team and partnering closely with regional business leaders and global HR counterparts. You will drive people strategy and operational excellence across APAC, ensuring HR practices are locally compliant, culturally relevant, and aligned with WatchGuard's global objectives. Key Responsibilities Strategic HR Leadership & Business Partnership • Serve as a strategic advisor to regional VPs, Directors, and country managers, providing counsel on workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, and complex people matters. • Partner with global HR leadership to adapt and roll out worldwide HR strategies across APAC, ensuring they are locally contextualized and effectively implemented. • Translate regional employee and business insights into actionable guidance for senior leadership, ensuring global decisions account for APAC cultural, legal, and operational realities. Talent Acquisition & Performance Management • Lead APAC talent acquisition strategy and execution, partnering with business leaders and recruiting resources to attract, assess, and close high-caliber talent across the region. • Lead scalable, effective onboarding and early employee integration programs that align with WatchGuard’s global standards and regional business needs. • Partner with leaders to define critical talent needs, uphold a high hiring bar, and ensure a strong candidate experience across APAC. • Lead APAC performance and talent processes, including goal setting, performance reviews, development planning, manager coaching, and succession planning for key talent. Employee Relations & Compliance • Serve as the primary escalation point for complex employee relations issues, providing sound, legally-informed guidance to managers and senior leaders. • Interpret and apply local labor laws across APAC markets (China, India, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and others), ensuring compliance and minimizing legal exposure. • Partner with external employment counsel in each jurisdiction to manage risk, conduct investigations, and resolve disputes. • Ensure regional HR policies, employment documentation, and local practices remain compliant, current, and aligned with global standards. Compensation, Benefits & HR Operations • Partner with global compensation and business leadership to deliver competitive, equitable, and market-relevant rewards programs across APAC. • Lead APAC compensation review processes and market benchmarking, ensuring pay decisions are data-driven, equitable, and aligned with talent attraction and retention priorities. • Oversee benefits administration and payroll coordination, balancing strong employee service with cost efficiency. • Oversee regional HR operations, systems, compliance reporting, and HR workstreams for regional M&A activity, ensuring effective execution, risk management, and employee communication. Team Leadership & Continuous Improvement • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of HR professionals across multiple APAC countries, ensuring consistent, high-quality HR service delivery. • Use people analytics to identify trends, improve regional HR processes, and provide actionable insights that inform business and workforce decisions. • Drive regional HR projects such as system implementations, policy harmonization, and cross-country process standardization, plus special projects as assigned by global HR leadership. Skills and Qualifications • 10+ years of progressively responsible HR experience, including at least 5 years in a senior HR leade…