Human Resource Business Partner

Human Resource Business Partner

Role Summary

1. Strategic HR & Business Alignment

• Act as the HR lead for the India entity and partner directly with India leadership and UAE HQ.
• Report functionally to the HR Manager in UAE while leading the HR function for India.
• Translate business goals (IP operations, trademark/paralegal teams, docketing, tech development, operations) into actionable HR plans.
• Support India expansion roadmap: workforce planning, org structure design, legal/IP team scaling.
• Establish HR governance aligned with Indian labour laws, Shops & Establishment Act, PF/ESI, Gratuity, POSH Act, and MCA compliance.
• Ensure HR processes align with the unique operational structure of a legal/IP services environment.

2. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Lead hiring for all functions including:
• Legal/IP specialists (trademark executives, paralegals, docketing, renewals, enforcement support)
• Legal-tech/IT roles (developers, QA, ERP support)
• Operations & support teams
• Build talent pipelines from legal communities, IP firms, law colleges, Naukri, LinkedIn, and industry networks.
• Develop JD frameworks customised to legal/IP workflows.
• Manage end-to-end recruitment and onboarding for legal/IP departments.

3. HR Operations & Employee Lifecycle

• Create HR processes tailored for a legal/IP firm's workflow and confidentiality standards.
• Manage onboarding documentation including legal NDAs, confidentiality clauses, and client-data protocols.
• Implement attendance, leave, and productivity systems relevant to billable/non-billable legal work.
• Lead and manage the India-based HR operations team, ensuring smooth execution of daily HR tasks.

4. Compensation, Payroll & Compliance

• Structure salaries based on Indian standards with benchmarking for legal services and IP roles.
• Ensure compliance with statutory laws (PF, ESI, PT, Gratuity, Maternity Act, etc.).
• Prepare payroll inputs and coordinate with CA/payroll vendor.

5. Performance Management

• Design KPI-based performance systems aligned with:
• Case timelines
• SLA-driven IP tasks
• Legal drafting quality
• Filing accuracy
• Client service standards
• Train managers across legal and IP departments on evaluations and review cycles.

6. Employee Relations & Workplace Culture

• Build a compliant and high-integrity work culture appropriate for a legal/IP environment.
• Handle employee relations, grievances, and conduct investigations in line with professional ethics standards.
• Set up the POSH Internal Committee and ensure mandatory annual training.

7. HR Policy Development

• Draft HR policies tailored for legal/IP teams such as:
• Confidentiality & data protection (aligned with DPDP Act 2023 + client confidentiality standards)
• Ethics & compliance
• Document-handling protocols
• Attendance policy suitable for case-driven schedules

8. HR Analytics & Reporting

• Maintain dashboards for hiring, attrition, legal/IP team performance, and resource utilisation.
• Provide monthly HR/operations reports to management.

Required Skills & Experience

Education

• MBA/PGDM in HR or related field.

Experience

• 5 - 8 years of HR experience, including:
• Mandatory: At least 1 - 2 years in a legal firm or Intellectual Property (IP) services firm
  (e.g., trademark filing firms, law firms, legal outsourcing companies, IP management services).
• Experience setting up HR operations for a new office/startup is an advantage.
• Strong understanding of HR practices in professional services (legal/IP preferred).
• Experience managing an HR team as this role will lead the India HR team.

Technical Knowledge

• Indian HR compliance
• HRMS systems
• Compensation benchmarking for legal/IP roles (preferred)

Soft Skills

• Strong communication, professionalism, and confidentiality awareness
• Ability to independently set up HR structures from scratch
• High attention to detail due to the sensitive nature of legal/IP work
• Strong team leadership and cross-border reporting capabilities