Senior Manager - HR

Position Summary

The Senior Manager – Human Resources leads the day-to-day delivery of HR operations for a workforce of approximately 400 employees, 70–80 consultants, and interns across India. The role serves as the operational engine of the HR function: running the end-to-end employee lifecycle, administering statutory compliance, maintaining HR systems, and fostering employee engagement so that the Director – HR & Administration can focus on the organisation's strategic HR transformation agenda.

Reporting directly to the Director – HR & Administration, the incumbent functions as the operational #2, translating HR strategy into consistent, well-executed practice on the ground. This role demands a hands-on, empathetic, highly structured, and detail-driven HR leader who takes full ownership of operational delivery, leverages workforce analytics to drive continuous improvement, and leads a cohesive team with a collaborative, "take-people-along" leadership style.

• Workplace Model: Full-Time, In-Office (5 Days/Week)
• Reports To: Director – HR & Administration
• Direct Reports: HR Officers / Associates / Assistants (Team of 4); Functional coordination with HR focal points across 8 State Offices

Key Responsibilities

1. HR Operations & Lifecycle Delivery

• Run end-to-end HR operations across the employee lifecycle — recruitment coordination, offer/appointment issuance, onboarding, confirmations, contract renewals, performance appraisals, and separations — ensuring accurate and timely execution.
• Oversee the end-to-end contracting lifecycle, onboarding, and compliance for 70–80 consultants and interns, ensuring alignment with organizational policy and evolving labor regulations.
• Prepare and issue all official employment documentation (offer, appointment, confirmation, revision, and relieving letters) in accordance with organizational policies and templates.
• Maintain and continuously improve standard operating procedures (SOPs) for HR service delivery across the Country Office and State Offices.

2. Statutory Compliance, Policy & Governance

• Administer full compliance with applicable Indian labor laws and statutory obligations (PF, ESI, gratuity, professional tax, POSH, and related filings), keeping statutory registers in audit-ready condition.
• Apply HR policies and donor requirements consistently; proactively monitor changing regulatory frameworks (e.g., OSH registration, new Labor Codes) and advise leadership on required shifts.
• Support internal, statutory, and donor audits by compiling HR documentation, answering queries, and closing action items within agreed timelines.

3. HRIS, Workforce Analytics & MIS

• Maintain the HRIS and personnel records as the single source of truth, safeguarding data integrity and strict confidentiality.
• Produce and analyze periodic HR dashboards and MIS (headcount, voluntary vs. involuntary attrition, offer acceptance rates, exit interview themes) to extract actionable insights and inform leadership decision-making.
• Ensure timely and accurate HR data inputs for organizational, donor, and HQ reporting obligations.

4. Payroll Inputs, Benefits & Attendance Administration

• Administer leave/attendance systems and prepare accurate monthly payroll inputs in close coordination with Finance.
• Administer employee benefits programs (including gratuity from Year 1, medical insurance with IPD/OPD and critical illness, life, and personal accident cover), managing enrollments, renewals, and claims support.

5. Employee Engagement, Culture & Grievances

•  Drive employee engagement and culture-building initiatives; continuously benchmark market practices to refine internal policies, employee manuals, buddy/onboarding programs, and Rewards & Recognition (R&R) frameworks.
• Serve as the approachable, first line of support for staff on HR matters, resolving routine queries promptly while fostering a positive, trust-based workplace experience.
• Handle sensitive employee matters with empathy, objectivity, and strict confidentiality, escalating employee-relations or disciplinary issues to the Director when appropriate.

6. State & Field Office HR Coordination

• Coordinate consistent HR service delivery across 8 state/field offices, supporting local HR focal points to ensure uniform application of policy.
• Build virtual and periodic in-person connections with state office teams to anticipate and resolve location-specific operational challenges.

Key Competencies

Functional & Technical Expertise

• Comprehensive HR Generalist: Strong command across recruitment, payroll inputs, labor compliance, performance management, talent management, and C&B.
• Labor Law & Statutory Mastery: Practical working knowledge of Indian labor laws, statutory compliance administration, and regulatory updates (including consultant/internship guidelines).
• Data Fluency: Comfortable reading, analyzing, and presenting HR metrics to extract meaningful trends and narratives.

Interpersonal Effectiveness & Leadership

• Empathetic & Grounded: High emotional intelligence, grounded personality, and a collaborative mindset that values team cohesion ("part of the team, not above it").
• Influencing & Problem-Solving: Ability to guide direct reports with credibility, handle sensitive employee grievances constructively, and say "no" with diplomacy.
• Proactive & Creative: Curious about changing HR trends, eager to redesign existing processes rather than run strictly in "maintenance mode."

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree or Postgraduate Qualification in Human Resources, Personnel Management, Social Work, or Business Administration (MBA) preferred.
• Experience: 10 to 15 years of progressive HR generalist experience, with demonstrated hands-on ownership of HR operations, compliance, and team leadership.
• Organizational Exposure: Open to corporate, startup, or non-profit/NGO backgrounds. Prior experience in a smaller organization or startup where systems/processes were built from scratch is highly desirable.
• Workplace & Travel: Based in New Delhi (Okhla) for 5-day in-office working; open to occasional travel to state offices as required.