Head - HR Business Partner - BFSI

JOB DESCRIPTION:

HRBP Head-Only Female

HR BUSINESS PARTNER HEAD - INDIA:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu (NO RELOCATION)
Individual Contributor (IC) - HR Leadership Role:
Stage 1: Virtual Interview
Stage 2: Face-to-Face Interview - 6 & 7 October
India business operations are being established and scaled as part of the company's India setup. Finance-related industry preferred; candidates from other industries may also be considered.
About the Opportunity:
This is a senior, hands-on HR leadership opportunity to take ownership of the India HR function as the company establishes and builds its business operations in India. The successful candidate will act as the HR Business Partner Head for India, partnering directly with business leadership and independently driving the people agenda from the ground up. This is an Individual Contributor role. The expectation is not to manage a large HR team, but to personally own and execute the HR agenda, build the required people processes, establish governance and act as the primary HR partner for the India business.
Role Overview:
We are looking for a strategic, commercially aware and people-centric HR leader who can operate independently in a business-building environment. The role will translate business priorities into people strategies, establish scalable HR practices, support leadership decision-making and create a strong employee experience while ensuring compliance with Indian requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own the HR agenda for the India business and act as the primary HR Business Partner for India.
- Partner directly with senior business leaders on workforce strategy, organisation design, people priorities and business growth plans.
- Support the establishment and scaling of the India HR function, including policies, processes, governance and employee lifecycle practices.
- Build practical HR frameworks and processes suited to a growing India operation, ensuring they are scalable as the business expands.
- Provide end-to-end HR advisory support across talent management, performance, engagement, development, retention and employee relations.
- Drive performance management, talent reviews, succession planning and employee development initiatives.
- Advise managers and employees on workplace matters, grievances, disciplinary situations and other employee relations issues.
- Ensure adherence to Indian labour laws, statutory HR requirements, internal policies and governance standards.
- Maintain HR compliance, documentation and audit readiness in coordination with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
- Partner with leadership on workforce planning, organisational effectiveness, compensation-related people matters and change initiatives.
- Build and strengthen employee engagement, culture and retention practices as the India organisation develops.
- Use HR data and people insights to support leadership decision-making and identify organisational priorities.
- Identify opportunities to improve employee experience, HR processes and operating effectiveness.
- Manage external HR vendors, advisors and service providers where required.
- Independently drive HR initiatives from concept through execution, acting as a hands-on owner rather than relying on a large HR support team.
Key Requirements:
- Strong HR Business Partnering capability with experience working directly with employees, managers and senior business leaders.
- Demonstrated ability to independently own HR in a business or organisational setup.
- Strong understanding of the complete employee lifecycle and practical HR operations.
- Hands-on experience in talent management, performance management, employee engagement, development and retention.
- Strong working knowledge of Indian labour laws and statutory HR compliance.
- Strong employee relations and HR governance capability.
- Strategic mindset with the ability to translate business priorities into people strategies and actionable HR plans.
- Strong stakeholder management, communication, influencing and business partnering skills.
- Comfortable operating as a senior Individual Contributor with high ownership and limited dependency on a large HR team.
- Ability to build processes and structures from the ground up in a growing business environment.
- Leadership experience in an organisation based out of Chennai.
- Finance-related industry experience is preferred; candidates from other industries may also be considered.
What Success in This Role Looks Like:
- A well-structured and compliant HR foundation for the India business.
- HR policies, processes and governance that can scale with business growth.
- Strong partnership with business leadership on people and organisational priorities.
- A positive employee experience and effective employee engagement practices.
- Timely and disciplined handling of employee relations and statutory requirements.
- HR processes that support business growth while maintaining appropriate governance and compliance.
Ideal Candidate Profile:
The ideal candidate is a mature HR Business Partner who is comfortable being the single-point HR owner for an India business. They should combine strategic thinking with strong hands-on execution, demonstrate sound judgement in employee and business matters, and be comfortable building HR practices in a company that is establishing and scaling its India operations.
Interview Process:
1. Stage 1:
- Virtual Interview
2. Stage 2:
- Face-to-Face Interview - 6 & 7 October
Candidate Preparation:
Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific examples of HR business partnering, India HR setup/build-out, employee relations, statutory compliance, performance management, engagement, talent management, stakeholder management and independently driving HR initiatives.