Head Of Human Resources | School Vertical

Head of Human Resources School Vertical

Span of Control: Recruitment and retention of high-quality Principals, Teachers and Administration personnel, Establish robust HR systems and processes, and Foster a culture of performance, accountability and employee engagement across the school campuses.

Qualification: MBA (HR) or a Degree in Psychology / Humanities

Reporting to: Head of School Vertical

Post Qualification Experience: 10+ years of HR experience in a K12 School Chain or a Multi-Campus Educational Institution.

Location: Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune

Designation: Head - HR & Talent Acquisition

ROLE SUMMARY

We are seeking an experienced HR leader to lead the complete Human Resources function for our school vertical, spanning multiple campuses.

The role will be responsible for building a high-quality workforce, strengthening leadership capability, establishing robust HR systems and processes, and fostering a culture of performance, accountability and employee engagement across the schools.

The successful candidate will work closely with senior management, school heads and academic leadership to align people strategy with the organisations growth plans and educational objectives. The role requires a leader who can combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning

• Lead recruitment and workforce planning across campuses, covering principals, teachers, academic leaders and nonacademic staff.
• Build effective talent pipelines and strengthen the organisations ability to attract and select high-quality educators and school leaders.
• Establish structured onboarding and induction processes to ensure effective integration of new employees.

HR Strategy and Organisational Effectiveness

• Develop and implement an HR strategy aligned with the school verticals business plans, educational objectives and expansion priorities.
• Partner with senior management and school leadership on organisation design, workforce productivity, role clarity and succession planning.
• Establish consistent HR policies, processes and standards across campuses while addressing the specific needs of individual schools.

Performance Management and Talent Development

• Design and drive performance management systems that promote accountability, recognise merit and improve individual and organisational effectiveness.
• Identify leadership and capability-development needs, particularly among principals, teachers and emerging leaders.
• Build career development and succession plans for critical roles across the school network.

Employee Engagement, Retention and Culture

• Develop initiatives to improve employee engagement, motivation and retention, particularly among high-performing teachers and school leaders.
• Foster a professional, collaborative and performance-oriented culture across campuses.
• Strengthen employee communication, grievance resolution and employee relations, addressing concerns proactively and fairly.

Compensation, HR Operations and Compliance

• Oversee compensation and benefits, payroll, HR administration, employee records and HR systems.
• Ensure compliance with applicable labour laws, employment regulations and statutory requirements across all campuses.
• Establish appropriate HR metrics and reporting mechanisms to monitor workforce costs, recruitment effectiveness, attrition, vacancies and other key people indicators.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education

• Postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Organisational Psychology, Business, or a related field preferred.

Experience

• Preferably 10-12 years of progressive HR experience, with demonstrated responsibility for leading the full HR function.
• Experience in the education sector is strongly preferred, ideally within a K12 school chain or a multi-campus educational institution.
• Candidates from universities and other higher-education institutions will also be considered.
• Candidates from the not-for-profit sector may be particularly well suited, provided they bring strong HR leadership, sound execution and the ability to operate within defined budgets.
• Proven ability to manage HR across multiple locations, with a strong understanding of the talent requirements of schools and academic institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in talent acquisition, performance management, leadership development, compensation, employee relations and statutory compliance.

COMPETENCIES

• A strategic thinker who is equally comfortable designing HR frameworks and personally driving implementation.
• Strong leadership, communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior management, principals and academic leaders.
• A hands-on, solution-oriented professional with high integrity, sound judgement and the ability to build trust across diverse employee groups.

WHAT SUCCESS IN THE ROLE LOOKS LIKE

• Stronger recruitment and retention of high-quality principals, teachers and other key personnel.
• Consistent, effective HR processes and standards across campuses.
• Improved employee engagement, performance and leadership capability.
• Robust succession pipelines for critical academic and administrative positions.
• Effective workforce planning, cost management and statutory compliance.
• An HR function recognised as a strategic partner to school leadership, rather than solely an administrative support function.