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Senior Manager / Associate Director – Human Resources

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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



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