Strategic HR Officer - IIM/ISB/FMS/MDI/XLRI

Job Title: Strategic HR Officer to ED & CTO

(Role designed to evolve into Chief People Officer within 24 months)

Location: Panchkula | India

Reports To: Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer

The Opportunity: The ED & CTO's People Architect

This is not a conventional HR leadership role. It is a transformational leadership track designed for a high-potential people strategist to work directly under the mentorship of the ED & CTO, with the mandate to architect the organization's long-term people philosophy, leadership ecosystem, and cultural infrastructure.

You will enter a financially robust, zero-debt, globally operating pharmaceutical organization with revenues of ~ 750 Cr and a workforce of 1500+ professionals across India and international- operations. The company believes that sustainable business growth is impossible without disciplined people systems, ethical leadership, operational accountability, and a deeply aligned organizational culture.

This role is designed for a future-ready HR leader who can integrate Strategy, Culture, Leadership Development, Workforce Planning, Organizational Design, Performance Systems, and Talent Intelligence into one cohesive people architecture.

You will not merely manage HR - you will help design the human engine that powers the company's next decade of growth.

About the Company:

We are a financially strong, mid-sized Indian pharmaceutical company with revenues of approximately 750 crores and a workforce of 1500+ professionals. Our products are marketed in over 90 countries, supported by two European subsidiaries.

The company follows a disciplined and highly value-driven operating philosophy:

- Zero external funding (no debt, equity dilution, or hybrid instruments)

- Growth funded entirely through internal accruals

- Strong emphasis on ethics, stability, accountability, and long-term institution building

- Conservative expansion backed by operational discipline and people-centric leadership

We are currently executing multiple growth and capacity expansion projects while simultaneously strengthening leadership pipelines, organizational capability, and succession readiness across the enterprise.

Role Objective:

This role is architected as an accelerated leadership catalyst intended to shape a future enterprise-level People Leader and strategic advisor to the ED & CTO.

As the Strategic HR Officer to ED & CTO, you will operate as an extension of the ED & CTO's office with unrestricted exposure across:

- Human Capital Strategy

- Leadership Development

- Organizational Design

- Industrial Relations

- Compensation & Rewards

- Talent Acquisition

- Culture & Employer Branding

- HR Governance & Compliance

- Workforce Productivity

- Learning & Capability Building

You will not simply oversee HR functions - you will be trained to understand the deeper relationship between:

- Business growth and workforce capability

- Leadership quality and operational excellence

- Culture and long-term institutional sustainability

- Productivity and people economics

- Governance and organizational trust

The Mission:

To undergo an intensive 24-month leadership immersion that transitions you from a strategic HR professional into the organization's principal custodian of People, Culture, Leadership, and Organizational Effectiveness.

By the end of this journey, you are expected to independently lead enterprise-wide people strategy, build future leadership pipelines, shape culture at scale, and act as a trusted advisor to the ED & CTO on all human capital matters.

Role Structure & Progression

Phase 1: Organizational Immersion & Cultural Understanding (Months 0-6)

The goal: Understand "The People Behind the Business."

Key Exposure Areas:

Rotational Deep Dives across:

- Talent Acquisition

- HR Operations

- Payroll & Compliance

- Learning & Development

- Manufacturing HR

- Employee Relations

- Corporate HR

- Industrial Relations

Leadership Shadowing:

- Shadow the ED & CTO in leadership reviews, strategic meetings, and high-level people discussions

- Attend functional reviews to understand leadership styles and organizational dynamics

Culture Mapping Exercise:

- Conduct structured interactions with employees across plants, HO, sales, and international teams

- Identify cultural strengths, hidden bottlenecks, communication gaps, and leadership dependencies

HR Governance Exposure:

- Participate in policy reviews, disciplinary proceedings, compliance audits, and labor law governance processes

Employer Brand Analysis:

- Evaluate the organization's current employer positioning and benchmark against industry talent standards

Phase 2: Functional Ownership & People Operations Execution (Months 6-12)

The goal: Move from observation to operational ownership.

Key Responsibilities:

- Independently lead one complete hiring vertical or business function

- Drive one enterprise-wide HR improvement initiative

- Manage quarterly manpower planning exercises

- Lead performance management coordination for one business division

- Handle critical employee grievance resolutions under supervision

- Coordinate one annual engagement survey and action planning process

- Begin mentoring junior HR team members and management trainees

Strategic Projects:

- Improve hiring turnaround time

- Reduce attrition in critical functions

- Design competency frameworks for key managerial roles

- Build structured onboarding and probation review systems

Phase 3: Strategic Leadership & Organizational Transformation (Months 12-18)

The goal: Demonstrate leadership maturity and strategic capability.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead a major cross-functional transformation initiative such as:

- Leadership Development Framework

- Succession Planning Architecture

- HRMS/ERP implementation

- Performance-linked incentive redesign

- Organizational restructuring

- Manufacturing productivity-linked workforce optimization

Leadership Advisory:

- Actively support CXOs and business heads in manpower planning and team effectiveness

Workforce Analytics:

Build data-driven dashboards for:

- Attrition

- Productivity

- Hiring efficiency

- Talent pipeline health

- Leadership readiness

- Employee engagement

Policy Architecture:

- Draft or redesign key HR policies aligned with organizational growth and governance needs

Leadership Development:

- Design and facilitate managerial capability-building interventions

Phase 4: Transition to Enterprise Leadership (Months 18-24)

The goal: Operate as the de-facto People Leader before formal designation.

Key Responsibilities:

- Function as Acting Head of HR for day-to-day strategic and operational decisions

- Independently lead annual manpower budgeting and workforce strategy planning

- Present enterprise-level people dashboards to Board/Leadership

- Lead succession planning discussions for critical roles

- Drive culture alignment initiatives across all business units

- Manage senior leadership hiring and executive talent conversations

Demonstrate independent command over:

- HR governance

- Industrial relations

- Workforce planning

- Compensation strategy

- Talent systems

- Organizational culture

Final Evaluation:

A formal leadership assessment at Month 24 evaluating:

- Strategic maturity

- Leadership influence

- Cultural alignment

- Governance capability

- Business understanding

- Organizational impact

Upon successful completion, you will formally assumes the role of Chief People Officer (CPO).

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Workforce & Organizational Planning

- Design workforce strategies aligned with long-term business growth

- Build scalable organizational structures capable of supporting global expansion

- Forecast leadership and capability requirements proactively

- Create succession pipelines for critical business functions

2. Leadership Development & Culture Building

- Build a strong leadership culture rooted in accountability, humility, ownership, and execution excellence

- Design leadership competency frameworks across levels

- Drive coaching, mentoring, and capability-building initiatives

- Strengthen organizational alignment with the company's values and philosophy

3. Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding

- Build world-class talent acquisition systems for leadership and critical roles

- Position the organization as an employer of choice within the pharmaceutical and manufacturing ecosystem

- Develop strategic hiring partnerships with institutes, networks, and industry forums

- Improve candidate experience and employer perception

4. Performance Management & Productivity Enhancement

- Redesign performance systems to drive meritocracy and accountability

- Establish measurable KPIs and productivity frameworks

- Drive a culture of continuous improvement and execution discipline

- Align rewards and recognition systems with business outcomes

5. Employee Relations & Industrial Harmony

- Maintain healthy industrial relations across manufacturing operations

- Build trust-driven employee engagement systems

- Handle sensitive employee relations matters with maturity and fairness

- Ensure organizational discipline without compromising culture and morale

6. HR Governance, Compliance & Ethics

- Ensure full compliance with labor laws, statutory obligations, and HR governance standards

- Build strong policy frameworks and ethical practices

- Strengthen HR audit readiness across functions

- Promote fairness, transparency, and organizational trust

7. HR Technology & Data Intelligence

- Build technology-enabled HR ecosystems using HRMS, analytics, automation, and dashboards

- Leverage people analytics for strategic decision-making

- Use data to identify retention risks, leadership gaps, and productivity bottlenecks

- Drive digital transformation within HR operations

Desired Candidate Profile:

Educational Qualifications:

- MBA/PGDM in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or related specialization from a tier-1 institute

- Additional certifications in Leadership Development, OD, Industrial Relations, Coaching, or Analytics will be an advantage

- 1-5 years of experience

Essential Attributes (The "Venus DNA")

Intellectual Depth

- Ability to understand the complex relationship between business growth, culture, leadership, and people systems.

Leadership Gravitas

- Capability to influence senior stakeholders, challenge respectfully, and drive alignment across functions.

Cultural Intelligence

- Ability to balance empathy with accountability while shaping a high-performance culture.

Ethical Backbone

- Uncompromising integrity, fairness, and confidentiality in all people decisions.

Operational Discipline

- Strong execution orientation with attention to detail and governance.

Business Orientation

- Ability to think beyond HR and understand the operational and financial realities of the organization.

Tech-Native HR Mindset

- Comfortable with HR analytics, dashboards, AI-enabled HR systems, and technology-driven people management.

Why Choose This Path?

Direct Mentorship from the ED & CTO

- You will work directly with the organization's top leadership and gain unrestricted strategic exposure.

Accelerated Leadership Growth

- This role bypasses traditional hierarchical timelines and prepares you for enterprise leadership within 24 months.

Enterprise-Wide Exposure

- You will gain deep exposure across manufacturing, sales, international operations, leadership, governance, and strategy.

Real Organizational Impact

- You will help shape the culture, leadership philosophy, and future workforce architecture of a globally operating organization.

Institution Building

- This is an opportunity to build systems that outlast individuals and contribute to the long-term legacy of the organization.