Regional Head- HR and Admin

UNIQUE ROLE REQUIREMENTS :

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of statutory and labour legislation relevant to India and ensure full compliance across the Capability Hub.

• Responsible for overseeing all HR operations within region in alignment with global frameworks and relevant functional leaders.

• Set and uphold governance and process standards for the HR function, aligned with global frameworks.

• Lead initiatives to automate and digitise HR processes to improve productivity, transparency, and employee experience.

• Champion the effective use of enterprise HR systems (e.g., Oracle HCM), driving system adoption, data quality, and integration across HR activities.

• Support the uplift of HR capability within the India Capability Hub by embedding structured development, knowledge transfer, and cross-regional alignment.

• Collaborate with business leaders to implement attraction and retention strategies that align with Thiess’ Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and workforce needs.

• Ensure a scalable, compliant, and customer-focused HR service model that supports the growth and maturity of the Capability Hub.

KEY RESULT AREAS :

Generalist HR

• Provide high-quality, timely, and compliant HR advice and support across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, performance management, employee relations, and exit processes.

• Ensure all HR operations comply with applicable legislation, company policies, and ethical standards.

• Collaborate with business leaders to implement workforce strategies that support team performance, employee engagement, and organisational goals.

• Embed consistent HR processes and frameworks across the Capability Hub to reduce variability and improve service quality.

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline and standardise HR practices.

• Leverage HR technology and data analytics (e.g., dashboards, case tracking, automation tools) to improve decision-making, reporting, and user experience.

• Build strong cross-functional relationships with ICH service teams to ensure integrated service delivery.

• Act as a trusted advisor to people leaders, supporting the uplift of HR maturity and capability across the hub.

• Provide guidance, interpretation and review/development for HR policies and procedures.

• Update Group company-aligned employment contract templates when changes are required.

• Engage with the Global Remuneration & Benefits team for salary and benchmarking data and ensure that Rem is aligned with the market.

• Provide market anecdote to the global rem team to ensure Hub rem is aligned with the market.

• Manage annual performance talent management and succession planning programs for India Capability Hub, as well as subsequent identification of learning and development needs and opportunities.

• Compile People data for the Global HR Report cycle

• Prepare and implement the ICH HR Business Plan and ensure alignment with the Global business plan.

• Support various HR initiatives and contribute to the development and delivery of HR related projects.

• Support the Global LMS team through a resource based at India Hub.

• Maintain the Employee Database in an interface with HRM System. manage the monthly payroll, calculation of salaries, processing of monthly payroll and handling all payroll queries.

• Prepare and manage the Human Resources and Admin budget for India.

Employee Relations :

• Provide expert guidance on employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant handling of grievances, performance issues, disciplinary actions, and conflict resolution.

• Support people leaders in applying policies and procedures confidently and consistently, while promoting a positive and respectful workplace culture.

• Act as a key escalation point for complex or sensitive employee matters, engaging legal and compliance functions as needed.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of local labour laws and proactively manage risk to ensure organisational compliance.

• Analyse trends in employee relations cases to identify root causes and recommend preventative actions, training, or process improvements.

• Standardise ER case management processes and documentation, leveraging system tools (e.g., Oracle case tracking) to ensure transparency, consistency, and data integrity.

• Partner with internal stakeholders to continuously improve ER governance frameworks and build leader capability in handling people matters effectively.

Administration and Procurement :

• Oversee all HR administrative activities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with global and regional standards.

• Manage vendor relationships for HR-related services (e.g., medical providers, background checks, training vendors), ensuring value for money, compliance, and service quality.

• Lead local procurement activities for HR and office-related needs, ensuring alignment with company policies, approval workflows, and budgetary controls.

• Implement standardised administrative processes to support scalability, efficiency, and compliance across the Capability Hub.

• Leverage systems and tools (e.g., HRIS, workflow platforms, procurement software) to streamline administrative and procurement processes.
• Maintain accurate and auditable records for contracts, personnel files, compliance documentation, and service agreements.

• Collaborate with ICH service teams to ensure operational support processes run smoothly and enable productive service delivery.

• Continuously review and improve administrative procedures, focusing on simplification, automation, and user experience.\

Service Delivery, Team Leadership and Performance :

• Provide effective day-to-day leadership of the HR team, fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and accountable culture.

• Ensure individual and team goals are aligned with business priorities, and that performance and development plans are documented, tracked, and regularly reviewed.

• Support the professional growth of team members through coaching, feedback, mentoring, and access to relevant learning and development opportunities.

• Promote cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing to break down silos and uplift capability within the Capability Hub.

• Set clear expectations, monitor workload balance, and ensure activities are scoped and delivered to agreed timelines and quality standards.

• Model inclusive leadership and actively support diversity, equity, and inclusion across the team.

• Regularly review team engagement and implement targeted actions to enhance motivation, retention, and wellbeing.

• Lead HR-related shared service functions within the Capability Hub, including payroll, onboarding coordination, employee data management, and HR reporting, ensuring efficient and consistent service delivery.

• Ensure HR shared services are delivered in line with agreed Working Level Agreements (WLAs), with clear service scope, performance expectations, and accountability mechanisms in place.

• Monitor the effectiveness of HR shared services using relevant KPIs, dashboards, and feedback mechanisms, and drive continuous improvement in service quality and responsiveness.

• Work closely with functional stakeholders to align HR service delivery with business needs, resolve escalations, and adjust services in response to changing requirements.

• Foster a culture of operational excellence within HR shared services, promoting standardisation, documentation, and process improvement.

• Ensure systems and tools (e.g. Oracle HCM) are effectively utilised to support service delivery, data accuracy, and reporting integrity.

Safety, Health and Environment :

• Adhere to safety procedures and demonstrate responsible safety behaviours.

• Ensure that all necessary records are collated and filed in accordance with company policy, statutory and contractual requirements.

Effective Stakeholder Relationships :

• Ensure effective communication with all internal (cross-regional) & external stakeholders.

• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with internal stakeholders, including Capability Hub leaders, functional BPOs, regional HR teams, and business unit leaders.

• Serve as a key liaison between the India Capability Hub and global/regional stakeholders to ensure alignment on HR service expectations, strategic priorities, and workforce planning needs.

• Represent the HR function in cross-functional forums and governance meetings, ensuring HR considerations are embedded in decision-making.

• Facilitate regular engagement with stakeholders to review HR service delivery against Working Level Agreements (WLAs), identify improvement opportunities, and resolve issues collaboratively.

• Proactively engage with ICH service teams and other enabling functions to coordinate delivery, share insights, and support integrated people strategies.

• Support change management and communication activities for new or evolving services delivered by the HR function from the Capability Hub.

• Promote a customer-focused mindset within the HR team, ensuring responsiveness, professionalism, and consistent delivery aligned with business needs.

CAPABILITY PROFILE

Formal Education :

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial/Organisational Psychology, or a related discipline is essential.

• Postgraduate qualifications in Human Resources, Employment Law, Organisational Development, or Business (preferred but not essential).

• Professional certification in HR (e.g., SHRM, CIPD, AHRI) is desirable.

Work Experience & Skills :

• Minimum 16 years of progressive HR experience, including generalist and leadership roles across multiple HR functions.

• Proven experience working in or with a Global Capability Centre (GCC) or shared services environment, ideally during a period of scale-up or transformation.

• Demonstrated success in leading HR service delivery teams, including operational HR, onboarding, employee data management, and reporting.

• Strong understanding of Indian labour law, HR compliance frameworks, and statutory requirements.

• Experience managing HR shared services aligned to Working Level Agreements (WLAs) or similar service models.

• Proficiency in using enterprise HR systems (e.g., Oracle HCM, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday), including reporting and workflow tools.

• Ability to analyse HR data and metrics to inform decision-making, improve performance, and support strategic workforce planning.

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience working in matrixed, cross-cultural organisations.

• Proven ability to lead teams, build capability, and drive performance through coaching, mentoring, and development.

• Agile mindset with a continuous improvement orientation and the ability to navigate ambiguity and change.