DFI Retail Group Hiring! Full Time People Services, Assistant Manager - Continuous Improvement - Experience in East Region (Singapore) - Ricebowl

Role Purpose

The People Services Assistant Manager, Continuous Improvement & Experience is a senior individual contributor responsible for shaping and delivering holistic, fit‑for‑purpose improvements to how People & Culture (P&C) services are experienced by team members (i.e. employees) across Asia. This role works hands‑on across process re‑engineering, HR technology enablement, and ways of working to help People Services deliver effortless, customer‑focused outcomes, while remaining compliant, scalable, and operationally practical. The role succeeds through strong influence, partnership, and problem‑solving, rather than formal authority or people management.

Key Responsibilities

1. Service Experience Diagnosis & Design (Hands‑on)

• Map end‑to‑end team member journeys across People Services (e.g. hire‑to‑pay, lifecycle changes, time & attendance, payroll‑related interactions).
• Identify pain points, inefficiencies, rework, and experience gaps from a customer and operational lens.
• Co‑design simpler, clearer, more intuitive service experiences, balancing employee expectations with People Services capacity and constraints.

2. Continuous Improvement & Process Re‑engineering

• Personally lead and execute process improvement initiatives – from problem definition through solution design and implementation support.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques (e.g. Lean thinking, service design, root‑cause analysis) in a pragmatic, non‑theoretical way.
• Drive simplification and standardization where it adds value, while recognizing local market and regulatory realities.

3. HR Technology Enablement (Solution‑Focused)

• Act as a solution translator between People Services, HR-Technology teams, and vendors.
• Shape fit‑for‑purpose use of HR technology, including self‑service, case management, automation, and knowledge enablement.
• Ensure solutions are usable, adoptable, and operationally realistic, rather than technically elegant but impractical.

(This role does not own system administration or product management but strongly shapes design decisions.)

4. Stakeholder Partnership & Influence

• Work closely with People Services leaders, market P&C teams, COEs, and Group P&C colleagues to understand needs and align on solutions.
• Influence outcomes through clear problem framing, structured thinking, and credibility, rather than hierarchy.
• Facilitate discussions, workshops, and working sessions to build shared understanding and commitment.

5. Ways of Working & Adoption

• Help define clear ways of working, hand‑offs, and responsibilities across People Services delivery teams.
• Focus on adoption and behavior change, supporting teams to work differently rather than just documenting new processes.
• Provide practical guidance, tools, and playbooks to help teams embed improvements sustainably.

To be explicit, this role has/is

• No people management responsibility
• Not an HR Tech product owner
• Not a PMO or governance role
• A hands‑on architect of better team member experiences

Capabilities & Experience

Essential

• Strong understanding of HR Operations / People Services, including payroll and employee lifecycle processes.
• Proven track record as a senior IC delivering cross‑functional improvement or transformation initiatives.
• Comfortable working at the intersection of process, people experience, and technology.
• Strong influencing skills and credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Customer‑focused mindset with the ability to balance experience, compliance, and efficiency.

Nice to Have

• Experience in regional / multi‑market HR environments.
• Exposure to shared services or HR service delivery models.
• Familiarity with HR systems, self‑service, case management, or automation solutions.

How Success Is Measured

• Reduced friction and effort for team members interacting with People Services
• Clearer, simpler, more consistent service experiences
• Practical improvements adopted by delivery teams (not shelfware)
• Strong stakeholder confidence in People Services’ evolution