Regional People Partner

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We’re also transforming business travel with a new corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business.

As an employee of KAYAK, you will be part of a travel company that operates a portfolio of global metasearch brands including momondo, Cheapflights and HotelsCombined, among others. From start-up to industry leader, innovation is in our DNA and every employee has an opportunity to make their mark. Our focus is on building the best travel search engine to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

As Regional People Partner, you are accountable across a generalist remit for APAC, including talent acquisition and some operational responsibilities. You serve as the local expert, supporting the organization operationally; offering strong partnership and guidance to global HR Business Partners, leadership, and employees.

The role requires a deep understanding of local legislation and employment practices, alongside a clear picture of the global People agenda -  ensuring partnership and alignment with the People Business Partners and the overall company vision. 

This role is required to work from our Sydney office at least 1 day per week and is only open to candidates with full permanent working rights in Australia. 

In this role, you will: 

• Serve as the main point of contact for managers and employees in the APAC region, building trust-based relationships and implementing People & Culture initiatives (~70 employees across 7 countries).
• Utilize expert knowledge of regional legislation to provide advice and support while mitigating legal risks.
• Address complex employee relations and performance issues in collaboration with Legal, focusing on positive outcomes.
• Coach and advise managers on various employee topics including but not limited to: compensation, performance, development, management and leadership style, career growth and compliance. 
• Leads talent acquisition efforts locally, working with the broader KAYAK Talent Acquisition team. and provide expertise in local talent planning.
• Partner with global People Business Partners to identify team needs and implement strategies that align with company goals.
• Collaborate with cross functional P&C teams to meet organizational needs and ensure regional compliance, especially as there are changes to local legislation.
• Support HR operational tasks, including employee inquiries, payroll, benefits, leave management and vendor requests for the region.
• Partner with the wider P&C team to manage cyclical processes such as engagement surveys, performance management, and facilitating training sessions.
• Drive improvements in the P&C function, support change management processes, organizational restructuring, and conduct legal investigations as necessary. Collaborate with globally distributed teams to achieve company objectives.

Please apply if you have: 

• 5+ years of experience working in Human Resources with a generalist remit.
• Expert knowledge of current Australian and broader APAC employment legislation and an ability to apply this knowledge to real life employee issues.
• Experience supporting a global organization across several locations preferred.
• Ability to work independently and be proactive in a high performance environment.
• Possess a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• A team player who acts with a sense of urgency and adapts to a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.
• Has a client service bias, meeting and anticipating client needs. 
• Strong business acumen.
• Ability to use data to tell a story and support P&C initiatives.
• Demonstrate patience in sticky situations and resolving issues with clarity and discretion.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Exceptional communication skills and serve as an ambassador for the P&C Team.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Responsiveness and a focus on quality. 

Nice to have:

• While not required, Korean language skills would be a plus 
• Recruiting/ People operations experience
• Experience working within the technology sector
• Experience with Workday and Google suite
• High degree of adaptability and flexibility to change
• Self-motivated and resourceful
• Experience working for a global company 

Benefits and Perks:

• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
• Focus on mental health and well-being:
  • Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
  • Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace
  •  Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
  • No meeting Fridays
• Paid parental leave
• Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday
• Paid volunteer time
• Focus on your career growth:
  • Development Dollars
  • Leadership development
  • Access to thousand of on-demand e-learnings
• Travel Discounts
• Employee Resource Groups
• Annual health and wellness reimbursement
• Monthly social events
• Free lunch 2 days per week

Diversity, Equity, and inclusion

At KAYAK, we aspire to be a workplace that fosters inclusion and reflects the diverse communities we serve. Hiring people with different backgrounds and perspectives is critical to innovation and to how we deliver great experiences for our users, partners, and teams. We strive to be an open and welcoming environment so that no matter who you are, you can be yourself.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform job responsibilities, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation(s).