HR Advisor, Japan

Who we are:

Where performance meets sustainability, Digital Edge is a leading data center platform in Asia Pacific, delivering sustainable, next-generation, AI-ready digital infrastructure at scale. Headquartered in Singapore and backed by Stonepeak, we operate a rapidly expanding platform with over 30 data centers and 1.8GW of secured IT power across key markets.

 Our mission is to build the foundation for the world’s digital future, helping organizations to grow sustainably and empowering the populations they serve. We differentiate through execution – delivering at speed and at scale while combining global standards with deep local expertise. This enables us to provide consistent, sustainable and high-performance infrastructure for hyperscalers and enterprises across the region.

As Asia Pacific’s digital transformation accelerates, Digital Edge is building the infrastructure that powers the next wave of AI and cloud growth. Joining Digital Edge means being part of a high-growth platform at the forefront of AI and cloud infrastructure, where you can make a tangible impact on Asia-Pacific’s digital future.

Our values:

• Respect: We embrace diversity and collaboration.
• Innovation: We share ideas and solve problems.  
• Strive: We are driven and determined.
• Excellence: We seek to deliver the best.   
• Responsibility: We do what’s right for our people and the planet.

What we need:

The HR Advisor will provide day-to-day HR advisory support to employees and managers across the Japan organization and act as the first line of HR support for people-related matters.

Reporting to the Japan HR Head, the role will support employee relations, performance management, manager guidance, talent processes, organizational initiatives, and the delivery of global and local HR programs.

The HR Advisor will work independently on routine and moderately complex matters, escalating high risk, sensitive, or strategic issues to the Japan HR Head.

The position is expected to progressively take ownership of assigned business functions and develop toward a broader HR Business Partner role within approximately one year.

HR Operations activities are primarily owned by the HR Operations Associate. The HR Advisor may provide backup or escalation support when required but will not be the primary owner of routine transactional administration.

Key responsibilities:

• Employee and Manager Advisory

• Act as the first point of contact for employees and managers on HR policies, procedures, performance, attendance, leave, conduct, workplace matters, and employee lifecycle topics.
• Provide practical and timely guidance to managers on routine and moderately complex employee matters.
• Assess employee relations matters, identify potential risks, and escalate high-risk or sensitive cases to the Japan HR Head.
• Support performance improvement processes, probation reviews, grievances, investigations, disciplinary matters, and employee exits.
• Prepare appropriate case documentation and maintain confidentiality.
• Ensure HR guidance is consistent, fair, and aligned with company policies and Japanese

employment requirements

• Validate payroll inputs and support payroll reconciliations.
• Assist employees with payroll-related enquiries and ensure timely resolution.
• Support payroll audits and maintain payroll records. 
• Support payroll process improvements and identify opportunities to enhance accuracy and efficiency.

• HR Business Partner Support

• Support the Japan HR Head in delivering people priorities aligned with business needs.
• Build relationships with managers and employees across assigned departments.
• Participate in workforce planning, organizational reviews, talent discussions, employee engagement, succession planning, and retention initiatives.
• Support organizational changes and implementation of agreed people actions.
• Provide HR data, analysis, presentations, and recommendations to support business decision making.
• Identify emerging employee, organizational, and management issues and proactively raise them with the Japan HR Head.
• Gradually assume independent HR responsibility for selected business functions as the first point of contact for employees and managers on HR policies, procedures, performance, attendance, leave, conduct, workplace matters, and employee lifecycle topics.
• Provide practical and timely guidance to managers on routine and moderately complex employee matters.

• Performance and Talent Management

• Support annual and ongoing performance management processes.
• Advise managers on goal setting, feedback, performance documentation, and development planning.
• Support talent reviews, succession planning, employee development, and retention activities.
• Coordinate and support manager capability-building and employee engagement initiatives.
• Follow up on identified talent and retention risks. 

• Recruitment and Onboarding Partnership

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers on recruitment-related activities where HR input is required.
• Support candidate assessment, compensation discussions, internal approvals, and offer related decision-making.
• Support onboarding quality, probation management, and early employee integration.
• Work with the HR Operations Associate to ensure administrative onboarding and offboarding processes are completed accurately support annual and ongoing performance management processes.
• Advise managers on goal setting, feedback, performance documentation, and development planning.

• Policies, Compliance and Risk

• Support consistent implementation of local policies, global HR processes, and Japanese employment requirements.
• Assist with policy reviews, employee communications, manager guidance, and localization activities.
• Monitor employee relations, workplace, compliance, and reputational risks.
• Support occupational health, return-to-work, leave, accommodation, and workplace health and safety matters in coordination with the Japan HR Head and relevant specialists.
• Maintain awareness of changes in Japanese employment practices and regulatory requirements.

• HR Projects and Continuous Improvement

• Support local and regional HR projects, including employee engagement, organizational development, systems implementation, process improvement, and change initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve employee and manager experience.
• Support the development of HR tools, templates, processes, and manager guidance materials.
• Collaborate with regional HR teams and other Centers of Excellence. 

• HR Operations Backup Support

• Work closely with the HR Operations Associate to ensure smooth HR service delivery.
• Provide backup support during absence, peak workload, urgent cases, or business continuity situations.
• Assist with payroll inputs, employee documentation, HRIS records, benefits, onboarding, offboarding, and statutory processes only when required.
• Review or validate operational outputs where HR judgment or escalation is needed.
• Routine ownership of payroll administration, data maintenance, employee files, benefits administration, and statutory submissions remains with the HR Operations Associate. 

Actively champion and implement the organization’s policies on health & safety, environment, energy, quality, information security, and business continuity, ensuring adherence to incident reporting, legal, and regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
• Approximately 6–10 years of progressive HR experience.
• Broad HR generalist, HR advisory, or HR Business Partner experience.
• Demonstrated experience advising managers and employees on employee relations, performance management, and HR policies.
• Good knowledge of Japanese employment practices and labor-related requirements.
• Ability to manage routine and moderately complex HR matters independently.
• Experience working in a multinational, matrix, or fast-growing organization.
• Strong stakeholder-management and communication skills.
• High level of discretion and ability to handle confidential matters.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Business-level or native Japanese and business-level English.

Preferred

• Experience supporting organizational change, talent management, workforce planning, or employee engagement.
• Experience working with HRIS platforms such as SuccessFactors, Workday, or similar systems.
• Experience supporting multiple departments or business functions.
• Exposure to regional or global HR projects.
• Experience acting as a Junior HRBP, Associate HRBP, or senior HR Generalist.
• Experience in a multinational or regional HR environment.

Join us to shape the future of Digital Infrastructure in Asia. Apply now for a confidential career discussion.