WFM and TA Head

Job Title: Head of Workforce Management & Talent Acquisition

Location: Pune

Reports To: CDO

Job Summary

The Head of Workforce Management & Talent Acquisition is a strategic leadership role responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing all aspects of the organization's workforce planning, talent acquisition, and employee lifecycle management, specifically within the dynamic IT services landscape. This individual will play a critical role in ensuring the organization has the right technical talent, in the right place, at the right time, to achieve its strategic objectives and deliver cutting-edge IT solutions. They will lead a team of dedicated professionals and collaborate closely with business leaders to forecast technical talent needs, attract top-tier IT professionals, optimize workforce efficiency, and build a scalable and sustainable talent pipeline for our IT service offerings.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Planning:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive workforce strategy aligned with organization's long-term business goals, including forecasting future IT talent needs based on project pipelines, technology trends (e.g., AI, Cloud, Cybersecurity), and market demands for IT services.

• Lead the development and implementation of a robust talent acquisition strategy that attracts, engages, and hires diverse, high-performing IT professionals across all levels of the organization, from entry-level developers to seasoned architects and project managers.

• Partner with senior IT leadership and project delivery teams to understand technical skill requirements and translate them into actionable workforce and talent acquisition plans.

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of workforce management and talent acquisition initiatives, providing regular reports and insights to leadership. • Stay abreast of industry best practices, emerging technologies, and legal compliance in workforce management and talent acquisition, with a keen focus on the IT services sector.

2. Workforce Management:

• Design and implement effective workforce planning processes, including demand forecasting for specific IT skills (e.g., Digital, Java, Python, DevOps) and technical skill gap identification.

• Develop and maintain workforce models and analytical tools to optimize staffing levels, technical skill sets, and organizational design within IT project teams.

• Oversee resource allocation and deployment strategies to ensure optimal utilization of IT human capital across various projects and client engagements.

• Drive initiatives related to internal mobility, redeployment, and succession planning for key technical roles to build a resilient and adaptable IT workforce.

• Implement and manage workforce management systems and tools to enhance efficiency and data accuracy, particularly for tracking IT resource utilization.

3. Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding:

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Talent Acquisition team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on leadership hiring.

• Oversee the entire recruitment lifecycle for IT roles, from requisition to offer, ensuring a seamless and positive candidate experience for technical professionals.

• Develop and implement innovative sourcing strategies to identify and attract passive IT candidates, including leveraging specialized tech platforms, GitHub, LinkedIn Recruiter, and participating in tech conferences.

• Build and enhance organization's employer brand as a premier destination for IT talent through compelling storytelling about our projects, technology stacks, and career growth opportunities.

• Establish strong relationships with technical universities, coding bootcamps, and professional IT organizations to build a diverse talent pipeline.

• Negotiate complex offers and compensation packages for IT roles, ensuring market competitiveness and internal equity.

• Implement and optimize applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other recruitment technologies that support high-volume IT hiring.

4. People Management & Development:

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of workforce management and talent acquisition professionals.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and professional development within the team, especially in understanding evolving IT skill sets and market trends.

• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and identify growth opportunities for team members.

5. Collaboration & Stakeholder Management:

• Build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with HR business partners, IT department heads, CTOs, and Project Managers to understand their technical talent needs and provide strategic solutions.

• Partner with the Compensation & Benefits team to ensure competitive and equitable compensation structures for IT roles.

• Work closely with Learning & Development to identify IT skill gaps and develop targeted training and upskilling programs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources, with at least 5+ years in a senior leadership role overseeing both workforce management and talent acquisition, specifically within the IT services industry or a large technology company.

• Proven track record of developing and executing successful workforce planning and talent acquisition strategies in a fast-paced, complex IT service delivery environment.

• Deep expertise in various recruitment methodologies, sourcing techniques, and employer branding best practices, with a significant focus on attracting and retaining IT talent.

• Strong understanding of HR analytics, metrics, and reporting to drive data-driven decisions, particularly regarding IT workforce metrics.

• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.

• Strong business acumen and the ability to translate IT business needs into HR solutions.

• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).