HR Director

Build structure. Scale teams. Enable growth.

We work with founders who don’t just launch companies — they scale them. We’re now leading the search for a Human Resources Director on behalf of a high-growth startup in Indonesia, ready to transform its people function into a true growth enabler.

This is a critical role moving HR from admin and operations into a strategic driver of scale. You’ll design the systems, policies, and talent programs that let the business grow fast, sustainably, and with the right people in place.

If you thrive in high-growth environments, know how to balance structure with startup agility, and can turn HR into a competitive advantage, this is your next move.

Requirements

What You’ll Own

People Strategy & Organization

• Define HR strategy aligned with business milestones and growth plans.
• Partner with founders to design organizational structures and workforce planning.
• Build succession and leadership development programs to prepare for scale.

Talent Acquisition & Capability Building

• Lead recruitment to secure high-caliber talent across key functions.
• Build frameworks for performance, progression, and skills development.
• Introduce employer branding initiatives that strengthen talent pipelines.

HR Systems & Operations

• Standardize HR processes: onboarding, payroll, compensation, and compliance.
• Select and implement HR tech tools to drive efficiency and data-driven decisions.
• Ensure HR practices meet local labor law and prepare for regional readiness.

Scaling Infrastructure

• Move HR from reactive to proactive anticipating growth needs before bottlenecks.
• Develop policies and benefits that support retention and performance.
• Build a foundation that scales from 50 to 200+ employees without slowing momentum.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 8–12 years of progressive HR leadership in startups or high-growth businesses, ideally scaling from ~50 to 200+ employees.
• Proven builder of HR functions from hiring playbooks and performance frameworks to comp & benefits and HR tech adoption.
• Talent acquisition expertise: able to design recruitment engines that consistently attract and close top startup talent.
• Organizational design capability: experience mapping roles, career paths, and reporting structures during rapid headcount growth.
• HR operations leadership: hands-on in payroll, compliance, contracts, and employee lifecycle management.
• Change management skillset: comfortable leading transformation from informal processes to structured, scalable systems.
• Data-driven decision maker: able to use HR metrics (attrition, cost per hire, time to fill, engagement) to guide leadership.
• Commercial mindset: understands how people strategy ties into growth, funding milestones, and investor expectations.
• Hands-on operator: just as comfortable running recruitment sprints or solving day-to-day HR issues as influencing founders and the board.

This isn’t a traditional HR role — it’s a mandate to build the people infrastructure that powers startup growth. If you’re ready to design HR that scales with the business, we’d like to hear from you. Apply or connect with the team at Substance.

Benefits

At Substance, we’re all about action, not just talk. If your profile aligns with what we need, you’ll hear from us within 1-2 weeks. If not, no fluff—just know we value your interest and will keep you in mind for future roles where your skills can make an impact. We focus on real connections and meaningful matches, so when the right opportunity comes, we’ll be ready to make it happen.

Getsubstance.co Pte. Ltd. | EA License No: 24C2398