Head – HR & Admin, New Delhi

Ground Zero; New Delhi; On-site; INR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Ground Zero in New Delhi is seeking a Head – HR & Admin to lead the organisation's people and administration functions. You will shape HR strategy, oversee recruitment, payroll, compliance, performance management, employee engagement, learning, administration, HR MIS and budgeting, working closely with the COO/Director of Operations and location managers.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can build HR systems in a lean, growing NGO/enterprise, manage a small HR team across

Qualifications

• 4–5 years of HR Generalist experience covering recruitment, payroll, compliance and engagement.
• Postgraduate degree in HR, Business Administration or related field; MBA/PGDM HR preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Indian labour laws, PF/ESI/TDS and statutory compliance.
• Experience with HRIS/payroll software and MS Excel/Google Sheets.
• Experience managing HR for multi-location or distributed team is an advantage.
• Nonprofit/social sector experience preferred but not mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Formulate HR strategy, policies and systems to support growth.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding and talent pipelines across locations.
• Manage payroll, benefits and statutory compliance processes.
• Design and run a structured performance management cycle.
• Drive employee engagement, culture and internal communications.
• Lead learning and development and HR team mentoring.
• Oversee administration, office operations and vendor management.
• Prepare HR MIS, budgeting and reporting for leadership.

Skills

HR Generalist

Recruitment

Payroll

Compliance

Employee Engagement

HRIS

MS Excel

Education

Postgraduate degree in HR/Business Administration

MBA/PGDM HR

Tools

HRIS/Payroll Software

MS Excel/Google Sheets

Job description

Role: Head – HR & Admin, New Delhi
Experience: 4-5 years
Salary: 6- 8 LPA

About the Role:

The Head – HR & Administration will lead the organisation's end-to-end people and administration function, with responsibility across HR strategy, recruitment, payroll, compliance, performance management, employee engagement, learning and development, administration, HR MIS and budgeting.

This is a hands-on HR leadership role suited to someone who can build and strengthen people systems in a lean and growing organisation. The role will work closely with the COO/Director of Operations, programme and functional leads, managers and employees across locations, while managing a small HR team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. HR Strategy, Policies & Systems

• Review existing HR policies and practices, identify gaps and drive improvements.
• Develop, update and implement policies covering leave, conduct, grievances, travel, expenses, performance, safeguarding and other employee-related areas.
• Develop and maintain an annual HR calendar covering recruitment, onboarding, appraisals, increments, employee engagement, learning and compliance.
• Build and maintain HR dashboards covering headcount, attrition, open positions, training, compliance and other key people metrics.
• Ensure HR policies and practices are aligned with applicable labour laws and regulatory requirements.
• Strengthen HR processes and systems to support organisational growth and consistency.

2. Recruitment & Onboarding

• Own the end-to-end recruitment process across functions, from understanding hiring requirements and developing JDs to sourcing, interviewing, selection and offer management.
• Build talent pipelines through job portals, professional networks, referrals, institutional partnerships and sector networks.
• Track recruitment timelines and provide regular hiring updates to leadership.
• Design and improve structured onboarding processes covering organisational culture, policies, compliance, systems and role clarity.
• Ensure timely collection and maintenance of employee documentation.
• Coordinate with relevant teams for IT assets, email IDs, system access and other onboarding requirements.
• Strengthen internship and volunteering processes as potential talent pipelines.

3. Payroll, Benefits & Statutory Compliance

• Coordinate monthly payroll processing for employees in partnership with the payroll vendor.
• Provide accurate payroll inputs covering new joiners, exits, leave, loss of pay, salary revisions and other changes.
• Ensure timely compliance related to PF, ESI, TDS, PT and other applicable statutory requirements.
• Manage employee queries related to salary, benefits, PF, advances and other compensation matters.
• Process salary revisions, annual increment letters and Full & Final settlements.
• Manage employee insurance administration, including renewals and claims support.
• Support periodic compensation benchmarking and benefits reviews.

4. Performance Management

• Design and implement a structured performance management cycle covering goal setting, mid-year reviews, annual appraisals and development planning.
• Support managers in setting meaningful goals and conducting effective performance conversations.
• Ensure performance reviews are completed within defined timelines.
• Identify high performers and support managers in addressing performance concerns.
• Connect performance outcomes with increments and career development decisions in a transparent and consistent manner.

5. Employee Engagement & Culture

• Design and implement employee engagement initiatives across teams and locations.
• Develop and manage Reward & Recognition initiatives.
• Plan and coordinate employee events, team meetings and organisation-wide engagement activities.
• Serve as a trusted point of contact for employee concerns and grievances and ensure appropriate resolution.
• Support the development of a positive, inclusive and people-centric workplace culture.
• Strengthen internal communication and employee experience across the organisation.

6. Learning & Development

• Conduct training needs assessments across functions and levels.
• Identify learning priorities and coordinate relevant internal and external training programmes.
• Manage mandatory training programmes such as POSH, safeguarding and compliance training.
• Maintain training records and track completion and learning hours.
• Support managers in identifying development needs within their teams.
• Mentor and develop the HR team member through effective delegation, coaching and feedback.

7. Administration & Office Operations

• Oversee day-to-day administration and office operations.
• Manage facilities, housekeeping, utilities, office supplies, assets and vendor relationships.
• Coordinate administrative requirements across different locations and teams.
• Support planning and management of the administration and infrastructure budget.
• Manage office leases, equipment, asset registers and maintenance schedules.
• Coordinate employee documentation and official letter requirements.
• Oversee HRIS administration and ensure employee records are accurate, updated and appropriately maintained.

8. HR Budget, MIS & Reporting

• Prepare and manage the annual HR & Administration budget.
• Track HR expenditure against budget and identify variances and corrective actions.
• Maintain accurate HR MIS and dashboards for leadership review.
• Prepare periodic reports covering recruitment, attrition, performance, employee engagement, learning, compliance and other key HR metrics.
• Support internal and external audits by ensuring accurate HR records and documentation.
• Provide data-driven insights to leadership to support people-related decision-making.

Experience & Qualifications:

• 4–5 years of HR Generalist experience covering recruitment, payroll, compliance and employee engagement.
• Postgraduate degree in HR, Business Administration or a related field; MBA/PGDM HR preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Indian labour laws, PF/ESI/TDS and statutory compliance.
• Experience with HRIS/payroll software and MS Excel/Google Sheets.
• Experience managing HR for a multi-location or distributed team will be an advantage.
• Prior nonprofit/social sector experience is preferred but not mandatory.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and build HR systems in a lean, evolving environment.
• Willingness to travel occasionally, as required.

Hiring process:

• Step 1: Pre-work
• Step 2: R1 Interview
• Step 3: Final Interview