Sr. Manager -HR Operations

The core objective is to ensure a best-in-class, seamless employee experience while achieving operational excellence, risk mitigation, and complete statutory compliance across all HR activities. The candidate is expected to be a hands-on leader and a strategic partner in scaling the organization's operational capability.

Role & responsibilities

Key responsibilities

1. HR Operations & Employee Lifecycle Management

• Oversee and lead the HR Operations team, managing all transactional activities from onboarding (including background verification and documentation) through to employee exit and full and final settlements.
• Establish, monitor, and enforce strict SLAs and TATs for all HR processes, ensuring consistency and quality across all work sites.
• Ensure timely and accurate updating of all employee records, actions, and transactions in the HRIS, maintaining data integrity as the highest priority.

2. HR Technology & Data Governance

• Serve as the primary custodian and super user of the HRIS (Darwinbox), ensuring the system configuration supports operational processes, compliance needs, and data accuracy.
• Oversee all system maintenance, minor enhancements, and configuration changes required for stable, efficient operations.
• Own all standard operational reporting and metrics from the HRIS, focusing on headcount reconciliation, data quality reports, attendance/leave compliance, and key process SLAs.
• Ensure robust data governance policies are adhered to for the integrity and security of employee information.

3. Payroll & Benefits Administration

• Own the end-to-end process of timely and accurate monthly payroll processing for all employees, ensuring seamless data flow between the HRIS (Darwinbox) and the external payroll vendor.
• Manage the operational execution of annual compensation activities, including the accurate processing of merit increases, promotions, and variable pay calculations and payouts.
• Ensure timely disbursement of statutory payments and maintenance of related records.

4. Statutory Compliance & Risk Management

• Serve as the subject matter expert and functional owner for all Indian labor law and statutory requirements.
• Ensure all necessary information is calculated and shared periodically for statutory dues and filings, guaranteeing 100% audit-ready compliance at all times.
• Implement strong internal controls and introduce continuous process improvements.

5. People Management & Vendor Relationships

• Lead, mentor, and develop the HR Operations team; set clear performance expectations, drive a culture of process discipline, and focus on exceptional internal customer service.
• Manage key operational vendors for benefits administration, and compliance services.

Preferred candidate profile

• Minimum of 10 15 years of focused, progressive experience in HR Operations, HRIS, Payroll and Compliance
• Proven track record of successfully managing and executing HR Operations for an employee base of at least 2,000 – 3,000 employees across multiple sites/states.
• Deep and current subject matter expertise in Indian labor law and statutory compliances related to payroll, benefits, and multi-site operations
• Strong functional expertise in managing and optimizing HRIS systems (hands-on experience with Darwinbox or similar systems is highly preferred).
• Demonstrated experience in managing a team of specialists and leading operational projects.