Senior Manager / Associate Director – Human Resources

Job Description Role Overview The Senior Manager / Associate Director – HR is a senior leadership role for an HR professional who wants to build — not just manage. This role owns the people strategy for a growing social-sector organisation: designing the systems, culture, and talent practices that let our mission thrive. It sits at the intersection of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with real scope to shape how we grow and how our people experience work. Roles & Responsibilities ● Lead the HR strategy end-to-end — from workforce planning and organisational design to succession and long-term capability building — ensuring people practices are tightly aligned with organisational goals and mission priorities. ● Lead talent acquisition, workforce planning, and employer branding to attract, hire, and retain high-quality, diverse talent aligned with organisational values and culture. ● Design and run performance management systems, learning initiatives, and leadership pipeline programmes that grow individual capability and organisational resilience. ● Drive employee engagement — including surveys, pulse checks, and action planning — to foster an inclusive, values-driven, high-performing workplace where people feel heard and connected to the mission. ● Ensure smooth, compliant HR operations — policies, HRMIS, payroll coordination, documentation, and all statutory requirements — keeping systems accurate and audit-ready. ● Lead, mentor, and develop the HR team; use people analytics to sharpen decisions, track organisational health, and bring regular insights to senior leadership for continuous improvement. Key Skills & Competencies ● Strategic thinking and business acumen ● Strong leadership and stakeholder management ● Excellent communication and interpersonal skills ● Problem-solving and conflict resolution ● Data-driven decision-making ● High integrity and confidentiality Qualifications & Experience ● Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (MBA/PGDM preferred) ● 10 to 15 years of progressive HR experience (depending on level) ● Demonstrated experience leading HR teams, driving strategic HR initiatives, and managing organisational change ● Prior experience in NGOs/social sector is a plus, but not required — we value mission-alignment over sector pedigree Other Information ● Designation: Senior Manager to Associate Director (based on candidate’s profile) ● Remuneration: Between ₹11 to 16 LPA ● Scope: Full Time ● Reporting to: Director – Operations and HR ● Expected Joining Date: Immediate ● Location: Chennai (Preferred) ● Commitment: Minimum 3 years to long-term