Head of ER Advisory - GCN India

HSBC Holdings plc; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,500,000 - 7,500,000; Full time

Job summary

HSBC Holdings plc in Bengaluru/Hyderabad seeks an experienced Head of Employee Relations Advisory for Global Capability Network India. You will lead ER strategy, governance and complex investigations, partnering with Legal, Compliance and HR to ensure compliant and effective workforce solutions.

You will drive an insight-led ER agenda, manage high‑risk matters, and shape policy and practice across 30k+ employees in India, while aligning with the global ER framework and business strategy.

Qualifications

• Post Graduation in Human Resources, Employee Relations, Law or related discipline.
• 15+ years of progressive experience, including 10+ years leading Employee Relations in a large organization.
• Deep expertise in Indian employment, labor and industrial relations legislations.

Responsibilities

• Lead Employee Relations Advisory for Global Capability Network India, aligning ER with business strategy and People priorities.
• Own the ER risk agenda and establish mitigation strategies within risk appetite.
• Govern ER policies, governance and practices aligned with Indian law and Group frameworks.
• Govern complex ER matters including disciplinary cases and grievances with robustness and fairness.
• Lead India approach to employment litigation and work with Internal Legal and external counsel.
• Provide guidance on Industrial Relations and employee representation matters and anticipate regulatory changes.
• Establish governance and reporting on ER activity, risk themes and metrics.
• Drive insight-led ER planning using data to identify systemic issues and risks.
• Oversee ER operating model, capacity, standards and process simplification.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Influence

Strategic Advisory

Regulatory & Employment Law

Risk Governance

People Management

Communication & Judgement

Education

Post Graduation in HR/IR/Law

Job description

Some careers have more impact than others.

If you’re looking for a career where you can make a real impression, join HSBC and discover how valued you’ll be. HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world, with operations in 62 countries and territories. We aim to be where the growth is, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and, ultimately, helping people to fulfil their hopes and realize their ambitions. We are currently seeking an experienced professional to join our team in the role Head of Employee Relations Advisory – Global Capability Network India

Location- Hyderabad and Bengaluru

Overview of the team

• HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world, with operations in 62 countries and territories. We aim to be where the growth is, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and, ultimately, helping people to fulfil their hopes and realize their ambitions.
• Employee Relations Advisory (ERA) team is accountable to deliver the Employee Relations strategy around Policies & Procedures, Conduct and Concerns Management, Business Change and Transformation, People Risk and Governance, Employment Law and Litigation & Industrial Relations by applying appropriate judgement in making decisions taken are compliant with local legislations and Group's guidelines that apply.
• This role will be part of the Employee Relations Advisory Team of Infrastructure that manages Employee Relations Advisory related aspects for Global Capability Networks across 8 countries supporting Global Capability Network in India comprising of c.30k employees and reports in Head of Employee Relations Advisory – Infrastructure.

In this role, you will:

• Lead Employee Relations Advisory for Global Capability Network India, aligning the agenda with business strategy, workforce priorities, organisational culture, risk appetite and the broader People strategy. Provide strategic counsel and constructive challenge to HR and business leadership on complex employee, workforce and organisational matters, balancing employee experience, business needs, legal and regulatory considerations.
• Own the ER (Employee Relations) risk agenda by proactively identifying litigation, conduct and workforce risks; establish appropriate mitigation strategies and ensure risks remain within the organisation’s risk appetite.
• Lead the development, governance and continuous improvement of ER policies, frameworks and practices, ensuring alignment with Indian employment legislation, regulatory requirements, Group frameworks and evolving business needs.
• Own the governance and resolution of complex and high-risk ER matters, including disciplinary cases, grievances, whistleblowing, investigations and performance matters, ensuring consistency, fairness, procedural robustness and appropriate risk management.
• Lead the India approach to employment litigation and disputes, partnering with Internal Legal and external counsel on litigation strategy with clear accountability for outcomes. Provide strategic advice on workforce transformation and business change, outsourcing, operating-model changes and other complex workforce interventions.
• Provide guidance on Industrial Relations and employee representation matters, including the management of emerging industrial relations risks where applicable. Anticipate and interpret changes in Indian employment legislation, regulatory expectations and market practice, translating these into implications, recommendations and proactive changes to strategy, policies and business practices.
• Establish robust governance and oversight, providing senior leadership with meaningful trends, risk indicators, case insights and recommendations to support informed workforce decisions. Ensure appropriate quality assurance, consolidation and reporting of India ER activity, including material cases, risk themes, litigation, workforce change and service delivery metrics.
• Drive an insight-led ER agenda using case data, ER metrics, employee trends and thematic analysis to identify systemic issues, emerging risks and opportunities for preventative interventions. Oversee, track and monitor Employee Relations Advisory service delivery metrics and provide trends and insights to Entity, Regional and Global Governance Forums.
• Own the effectiveness of the India ER operating model, ensuring appropriate prioritisation, capacity, service standards, escalation mechanisms, quality assurance and consistent delivery of ER advisory services. Lead continuous improvement and simplification of ER processes, leveraging technology, data and innovative approaches to improve manager and employee experience, strengthen controls and increase the effectiveness of ER delivery.
• Build and lead a high-performing Employee Relations team, developing capability in strategic advisory, employment law, investigations, workforce transformation, industrial relations, risk management and stakeholder influence. Coach and enable the ER Advisory Team, HRBPs and people managers to strengthen ER capability, improve manager effectiveness and promote consistent, fair and accountable practices. Build strong strategic partnerships with HRBPs (Human Resource Business partners), business leaders, Legal, Compliance, Risk, Reward and other specialist functions; represent Employee Relations in governance and leadership forums; embed ER considerations into organisational and workforce strategy; and role-model the organisation’s leadership behaviours and values to support high performance, responsible leadership, employee trust and sustainable business outcomes.

To be successful you will:

• Post Graduation in Human Resources, Employee Relations, Law or related disciple, with 15+ years of experience in progressive experience, including significant experience i.e., 10 years leading Employee Relations in a complex, large scale organization.
• Proven track record of leading an Employee Relations Advisory function, shaping ER strategy, policies, frameworks, and practices that enable business outcomes while maintaining appropriate employee, regulatory and reputational risk controls.
• Deep expertise in Indian employment, labor and industrial relations legislations, with the ability to translate evolving regulatory requirements into practical, commercially sound ER strategies, policies and interventions.
• Strong experience managing complex and high-risk ER issues, including investigations, disciplinary actions, grievances, employee disputes, litigations, regulatory proceedings, industrial relations. Demonstrated expertise in advising on organizational transformation and workforce changes and other complex workforce interventions.
• Strong risk and governance mindset, with the ability to identify emerging people, legal, regulatory, employee relations risks to establish appropriate controls and provide clear recommendations for active risk mitigation.
• Exceptional influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to consult, challenge and influence stakeholders (across levels) across HR, Business Legal, Compliance, Risk and other control functions to achieve balanced and sustainable outcomes.
• Strong commercial and business acumen with ability to understand business strategy, operating models and workforce priorities and translating them into pragmatic ER solutions.
• Good communication, judgement and interpersonal skills, with the ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential matters with integrity, empathy and sound judgment.
• Strong leadership capability, including developing ER/ Advisory talent, building organizational capability, creating a high-performance culture and establishing consistent ER standards across a complex organization.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and navigate complex, competing priorities, making sound and timely decisions with limited precedent while maintaining appropriate risk discipline.

You’ll achieve more at HSBC

HSBC is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a culture where all employees are valued, respected and opinions count. We take pride in providing a workplace that fosters continuous professional development, flexible working and, opportunities to grow within an inclusive and diverse environment. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified persons irrespective of, but not limited to, their gender or genetic information, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, social status, medical care leave requirements, political affiliation, people with disabilities, color, national origin, veteran status, etc., We consider all applications based on merit and suitability to the role."

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