Senior Manager

IHAT seeks a dynamic and experienced professional to lead and strengthen its Human Resources and Organizational Development (HR&OD) function, ensuring strategic alignment with the organizations mission and programmatic goals.

Reporting to the Director HR, the Senior Manager - HR & OD (SM-HR&OD) will be responsible for overseeing human resource planning, recruitment, policy development, compliance, capacity building, employee engagement, and grievance handling. This role ensures adherence to labor laws, facilitates HR policy implementation, and fosters an inclusive and high-performing organizational culture. The position will collaborate with the Director HR on all institutional level processes and compliances, while directly overseeing the function for all other IHAT offices.

This is a senior position, based in Delhi, with frequent travel to Lucknow, Bhopal and Bengaluru.

Key Job Responsibilities:

A. Organizational Development and Culture

(1) Lead strategic OD initiatives that align people, processes, and structures with IHATs mission and evolving program needs.

(2) Drive a high-performance and learning culture by embedding IHATs core values into organizational practices and employee behaviors.

(3) Design and implement a robust succession planning framework to ensure leadership continuity and strengthen internal talent pipelines.

(4) Spearhead structured change management efforts to support organizational transitions, ensuring staff engagement and minimal disruption.

(5) Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion by integrating DEI principles into leadership development, team dynamics, and organizational policies.

B. HR Compliance, Governance & Policy Frameworks

(1) Collaborate with the Director and Senior Manager to ensure HR policies, employee contracts, and disciplinary frameworks comply with legal requirements;

(2) Conduct regular compliance audits and legal reviews to ensure alignment with labor laws and mitigate organizational risk;

(3) Provide oversight on employee relations matters and support fair policy enforcement.;

(4) Develop, implement, and communicate HR policies across the organization.

(5) Optimise the use of HRIS in planning and decision making related to human resources function.C. Human Resource Planning & Recruitment

(1) Develop and implement workforce planning strategies in alignment with organizational goals;

(2) Support talent acquisition, ensuring timely and effective hiring processes (full cycle);

(3) Collaborate with leadership teams to assess staffing needs and recruitment priorities.

D. HR Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making

(1) Track key HR metrics (recruitment efficiency, engagement, retention, training effectiveness) to guide workforce planning;

(2) Utilize HR data for policy improvements and strategic decision-making;

(3) Lead the implementation, customization, and optimization of the HRIS to streamline HR operations and improve data accuracy across the organization;

(4) Ensure the HRIS is effectively integrated with payroll, performance management, recruitment, and learning systems;

(5) Generate dashboards and analytics to support strategic HR decision-making and workforce planning

E. Gender, Inclusion & Safeguarding

(1) Promote gender quality and inclusion across HR policies, recruitment, and organizational practices.

(2) Monitor and report progress related to gender mainstreaming and inclusion using HR analytics and data insights.

(3) Conduct regular training on workplace conduct, harassment prevention, and gender sensitivity.

(4) Uphold safeguarding and PSHEA commitments, ensuring a safe and respectful work environment;

(5) Implement and manage grievance redressal mechanisms, whistle-blower protection, and anti-discrimination initiatives to reinforce a culture of integrity and accountability.

F. Capacity Building & Employee Development

(1) Design and implement training programs to promote continuous learning;

(2) Conduct training needs assessments and support leadership development initiatives;

(3) Oversee succession planning in collaboration with senior leadership.

G. Employee Wellness & Engagement

(1) Develop and integrate wellness initiatives into workplace culture;

(2) Execute staff engagement initiatives to enhance morale and retention;

(3) Establish feedback mechanisms and address workplace concerns proactively

H. Grievance Handling & Conflict Resolution

(1) Act as the primary contact for employee grievances, ensuring fair and confidential resolutions;

(2) Implement best practices for dispute resolution and support leadership in addressing systemic challenges.

I. Stakeholder Collaboration & Governance Support

(1) Collaborate with leadership teams and external partners to strengthen HR and OD initiatives;

(2) Support any leadership team meetings by preparing reports, making presentations, documenting minutes, and ensuring timely follow-ups on key action points.

Perform other duties as assigned by the management.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualification and Experience:

Applicants must have a Masters degree in HR, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or related field.

Experience:

(1) Over 12 years of experience in Human Resources, with demonstrated expertise in strategic workforce planning, organizational compliance, HR policy development, employee engagement, and change management;

(2) Strong knowledge of labor laws, HR analytics, and capacity-building programs;

(3) Proven ability to handle conflict resolution and foster a high-performing, inclusive workplace;

(4) Prior experience with I/NGOs is essential.

Skills and Competencies:

(1) Workforce Planning & Recruitment: Ability to forecast and manage staffing needs;

(2) Strategic HR Leadership: Ability to develop policies and drive HR initiatives;

(3) Compliance & Risk Management: Expertise in ensuring regulatory adherence;

(4) Employee Engagement & Well-being: Strong focus on fostering a positive workplace culture;

(5) Conflict Resolution & Mediation: Proficiency in handling grievances and disputes;

(6) HR Analytics & Workforce Planning: Ability to use data to inform decision-making;

(7) Stakeholder Management: Effective collaboration with internal and external partners.

Relationships

(1) Internal - Direct: Director HR, Directors, HR Team, Staff, and other relevant departments - Admin and Finance;

(2) Internal - CEO and Senior Project Director as needed;

(3) External: Donors, based on requests from Senior Leadership; External Agencies for HR and OD Initiatives; Auditors; and other stakeholders as required.

IHATs Values in Practice

(1) Community Centric: It is the communities IHAT serves and the community at IHAT that drives it forward;

(2) Think Sustainability: IHAT believes in engaging with the government and communities to scale up and sustain positive outcomes;

(3) Scientific and Innovative: IHAT relentlessly pursues scientific rigour and adapts its work in the face of new evidence. It encourages out-of-the-box thinking and challenges itself to do better;

(4) Interdisciplinary: IHAT foster discussion, debate and deliberation across disciplines to arrive at the best possible solution.