Deputy General Manager Human Resources

Deputy General Manager Human Resources (Plant & R&D)

Location:

Ahmedabad, Bhat

Reporting to:

General Manager HR (or CHRO)

Position Overview (Role Purpose)

manufacturing plant,

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Plant HR (R&D)

• Provide

  strategic HR business partnership

  to Plant/site leadership on people strategy, manpower planning, attrition, IR, capability building and compliance.
• Lead full

  employee lifecycle

  : staffing, onboarding, career progression, transfers, promotions, exit processesensuring best practices in plant context.
• Drive

  talent acquisition & mobilization

  within defined TAT; monitor staffing needs, optimize headcount budgets, manage contractors and vendors.
• Oversee

  performance management

  , promotion cycles, compensation calibration, succession reviews and development of critical roles.
• Conduct

  statutory compliance & industrial relations

  activities: IR strategy, grievance management, vendor labour compliance, liaison with government authorities (Labour Inspector, ESI, PF), adherence to cGMP SOPs.
• Implement

  employee engagement & wellbeing programmes

  (e.g. wellness festivals, engagement drives, suggestion systems), focus on enhancing productivity and morale.
• Coach and lead the

  plant HR team

  (35 direct reports), build HR capability, conduct internal audits, mentor next-generation HR leads.

R&D HR (Research & Development)

• Act as

  HR Business Partner

  to R&D leadership; support labs in Analytical Dev, Formulations, Bioassay, Pharmacovigilance, NPQC, Technical Operations.
• Define and execute

  strategic workforce planning

  for R&D: span/layer analysis, new role definition, role directories, resourcing plans aligned with project pipelines.
• Lead

  talent acquisition & onboarding

  for R&D: campus recruitment, lateral sourcing, executive hiring, project induction and intern programs.
• Drive

  performance & talent management

  : mid?year/appraisal cycles, reward calibration, talent mapping, succession planning, OHI/OD surveys, structured feedback forums.
• Curate

  learning & development programs

  : TNI?based technical training, knowledge?sharing (PEDAL/Masterclass), leadership workshops, career tracks.
• Promote

  rewards, recognition & culture building

  : Scientist of the Quarter, innovation awards, skip-level townhalls, FGD?driven attrition analyses.

Across Both Pillars

• Manage annual

  HR budgeting

  , headcount forecasting (plant vs. R&D), OPEX controls and budgeting compliance.
• Implement

  shared HR platforms & tools

  : HRIS, analytics dashboards for attrition/performance, e-learning reminders, HR SOPs, change management tools.
• Pilot

  special HR projects

  tied to digitalization (HR automation, AI?based analytics, e?recruiting in R&D/plant), operating models, cGMP?aligned SOP roll out.
• Act as a cross-functional

  HR advisor

  , partnering with compensation, TA, ER, L&D CoEs for policy alignment and global HR roll?outs.

Qualifications, Experience & Competencies

Education

MBA (HR) or Masters in HRM / Organization Development

Experience

15+ years in HR with 8+ years in leadership, ideally in pharmaceutical manufacturing, QC/QA/R&D centre, prior exposure to plant & research labs crucial

Technical Knowledge

cGMP, ICH guidelines for compliance; deep understanding of senior labour laws, IR frameworks, and pharmaceutical R&D processes

Domain Fit

Experience in mid- to large pharma companies preferred; R&D familiarity (discovery-to-commercial translation) is an advantage

HR Expertise

Talent acquisition, IR management, change leadership, performance & PKM systems, learning & competency frameworks

Leadership Skills

Strong stakeholder engagement; cross?culture team leadership; coaching oriented; data?based decision?maker

Soft & Strategic Skills

High business acumen; strong analytics orientation; negotiation, experimentation/best?practice mindset