Associate Director – HR

Department: HR

Work Location: Chennai/Sricity

Experience: 15+ years of relevant HR experience, with a strong mix of strategic and operational exposure

Educational Qualification:  Experience in higher education or similar knowledge-driven environments.

Position: Full-time

Salary: As per the Institution standard

About the role

The Associate Director – HR will play a strategic and operational leadership role in shaping and overseeing the human resource strategy, policies, and operations across academic and administrative units. The role involves driving HR strategy, strengthening organizational culture, ensuring compliance, and delivering excellence across the employee lifecycle, aligned with the University’s mission and growth objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Provides strategic leadership to the HR department, aligning human resource initiatives with the university’s mission and goals
• Strategic Recruitment & Talent Acquisition: Lead end-to-end hiring for academic and non-academic roles by partnering with Deans and functional heads, ensuring timely closures while enhancing employer branding and candidate experience. Develop succession planning and leadership pipelines. Support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
• Payroll Management & Compensation Administration: Oversee complete payroll processing, including statutory compliance, audits, full & final settlements, and ensure accuracy, confidentiality, and timely disbursement.
• Learning, Training & Development: Design and implement learning strategies, leadership development programs, and capability-building initiatives aligned with organizational goals.
• Workforce Planning: Drive strategic workforce planning aligned with academic cycles and growth plans, ensuring optimal utilization and succession readiness.
• Budget Planning & Cost Management: Develop and manage HR budgets covering manpower, recruitment, and L&D, ensuring cost optimization and financial alignment.
• Performance Management & Appraisal Systems: Lead performance frameworks and annual appraisal cycles, promoting a high-performance culture through continuous feedback and development planning.
• Employee Engagement & Culture Building: Drive engagement initiatives and foster an inclusive, values-driven culture to enhance employee satisfaction and retention. Ensure fair and consistent HR practices across departments
• Change Management & Organizational Development: Lead organisational development and change initiatives and support organizational transformation aligned with institutional strategy and growth.
• Policy Development & Benchmarking: Develop and continuously improve HR policies and compensation frameworks in line with industry best practices. Ensure competitive and equitable compensation practices.
• Governance, Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure adherence to labour laws and internal policies while managing audits, risk mitigation, and employee relations matters.
• HR Analytics & Digital Transformation: Drive HR analytics, MIS reporting, and lead HRMS/payroll automation initiatives to enhance efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

• End-to-End HR Operations: Oversee the complete employee lifecycle, including onboarding, engagement, performance management, career progression, and exit processes.

The roles and responsibilities outlined above are not intended to be an exhaustive list of tasks. Flexibility is required, and the job holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that fall within the employee’s skills and abilities whenever reasonably instructed.

Application Process

• Interested candidates should submit their resume, a cover letter detailing their relevant experience, and contact information to [email protected]with the subject line Application for Associate Director – HR..
• Please fill the application form (mandatory).
• Click the Full Job details.

Krea University is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Remuneration will be competitive with Indian non-profit pay scales and will depend upon the candidate’s experience levels and the overall organisation’s salary structure.

Contact

For further information, please write to [email protected]

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Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.