Human Resource Business Partner

Human Resource Business Partner

Role Summary

The HR Business Partner (HRBP) will build and lead the HR function for our newly established Intellectual Property firm in India. This role requires a strong HR generalist with prior experience in legal services or intellectual property (IP) firms, capable of setting up compliant HR systems, managing recruitment for specialised legal/IP roles, and acting as a strategic advisor to leadership.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic HR & Business Alignment

• Act as the HR lead for the India entity and partner directly with India leadership and UAE HQ.
• Report functionally to the HR Manager in UAE while leading the HR function for India.
• Translate business goals (IP operations, trademark/paralegal teams, docketing, tech development, operations) into actionable HR plans.
• Support India expansion roadmap: workforce planning, org structure design, legal/IP team scaling.
• Establish HR governance aligned with Indian labour laws, Shops & Establishment Act, PF/ESI, Gratuity, POSH Act, and MCA compliance.
• Ensure HR processes align with the unique operational structure of a legal/IP services environment.

2. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Lead hiring for all functions including:

• Legal/IP specialists (trademark executives, paralegals, docketing, renewals, enforcement support)

• Legal-tech/IT roles (developers, QA, ERP support)

• Operations & support teams

• Build talent pipelines from legal communities, IP firms, law colleges, Naukri, LinkedIn, and industry networks.

• Develop JD frameworks customised to legal/IP workflows.
• Manage end-to-end recruitment and onboarding for legal/IP departments.

3. HR Operations & Employee Lifecycle

• Create HR processes tailored for a legal/IP firm's workflow and confidentiality standards.
• Manage onboarding documentation including legal NDAs, confidentiality clauses, and client-data protocols.
• Implement attendance, leave, and productivity systems relevant to billable/non-billable legal work.
• Lead and manage the India-based HR operations team, ensuring smooth execution of daily HR tasks.

4. Compensation, Payroll & Compliance

• Structure salaries based on Indian standards with benchmarking for legal services and IP roles.
• Ensure compliance with statutory laws (PF, ESI, PT, Gratuity, Maternity Act, etc.).
• Prepare payroll inputs and coordinate with CA/payroll vendor.

5. Performance Management

• Design KPI-based performance systems aligned with:

• Case timelines

• SLA-driven IP tasks
• Legal drafting quality
• Filing accuracy

• Client service standards

• Train managers across legal and IP departments on evaluations and review cycles.

6. Employee Relations & Workplace Culture

• Build a compliant and high-integrity work culture appropriate for a legal/IP environment.
• Handle employee relations, grievances, and conduct investigations in line with professional ethics standards.
• Set up the POSH Internal Committee and ensure mandatory annual training.

7. HR Policy Development

• Draft HR policies tailored for legal/IP teams such as:

• Confidentiality & data protection (aligned with DPDP Act client confidentiality standards)

• Ethics & compliance
• Document-handling protocols
• Attendance policy suitable for case-driven schedules

8. HR Analytics & Reporting

• Maintain dashboards for hiring, attrition, legal/IP team performance, and resource utilisation.
• Provide monthly HR/operations reports to management.

Required Skills & Experience

Education

• MBA/PGDM in HR or related field.

Experience

• 5 - 8 years of HR experience, including:

• Mandatory: At least 1 - 2 years in a legal firm or Intellectual Property (IP) services firm
  
  (e.g., trademark filing firms, law firms, legal outsourcing companies, IP management services).

• Experience setting up HR operations for a new office/startup is an advantage.

• Strong understanding of HR practices in professional services (legal/IP preferred).

• Experience managing an HR team as this role will lead the India HR team.

Technical Knowledge

• Indian HR compliance
• HRMS systems
• Compensation benchmarking for legal/IP roles (preferred)

Soft Skills

• Strong communication, professionalism, and confidentiality awareness
• Ability to independently set up HR structures from scratch
• High attention to detail due to the sensitive nature of legal/IP work
• Strong team leadership and cross-border reporting capabilities