Head TA

James Douglas; Mumbai; On-site; INR 5,500,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

James Douglas in Mumbai is seeking a Head - Talent Acquisition to lead the India Talent Acquisition function, focusing on leadership hiring, robust processes, and strategic partnerships with senior business stakeholders.

The role requires 10+ years in Talent Acquisition, with mandatory exposure to Pharmaceutical/Healthcare/Life Sciences industries, and expertise in executive search, talent mapping, and end-to-end recruitment. Strong governance and analytics are expected.

Qualifications

• MBA/PGDM in HR or related discipline preferred.
• 10+ years of Talent Acquisition experience with leadership hiring.
• Mandatory experience within Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Life Sciences, or Biotechnology industry.
• Strong expertise in executive search, talent mapping, and end-to-end recruitment.
• Proven experience partnering with senior leadership across multiple business functions.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing, negotiation, and execution capabilities.
• Experience building recruitment governance, hiring analytics, and process-driven TA functions.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with ownership and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end Talent Acquisition function across India.
• Drive leadership hiring with a strong focus on senior and business-critical positions.
• Partner with HR leadership and business stakeholders to understand workforce requirements and develop hiring strategies.
• Manage the complete recruitment lifecycle, including workforce planning, talent mapping, sourcing, assessment, stakeholder management, offer negotiation, and onboarding.
• Build strong relationships with senior business leaders and act as a trusted advisor on Talent Acquisition strategy and market intelligence.
• Ensure timely closure of positions while maintaining an exceptional candidate experience.
• Establish recruitment governance, hiring metrics, process discipline, and reporting frameworks.
• Manage executive search firms and external recruitment partners for strategic hiring mandates.
• Continuously improve recruitment processes, analytics, and overall hiring effectiveness.
• Collaborate closely with HR and business teams to deliver efficient and scalable recruitment operations.

Skills

Leadership hiring

Stakeholder management

Executive search

Talent mapping

Negotiation

End-to-end recruitment

Education

MBA/PGDM in HR

Job description

One of our clients in the Pharmaceutical / Healthcare sector is looking to hire a Head - Talent Acquisition to lead and strengthen the India Talent Acquisition function. The role will focus on driving leadership hiring, building robust recruitment processes, partnering closely with senior business stakeholders, and developing a high-quality, execution-driven talent acquisition function to support the organization's growth.

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end Talent Acquisition function across India.

Drive leadership hiring with a strong focus on senior and business-critical positions.

Partner with HR leadership and business stakeholders to understand workforce requirements and develop hiring strategies.

Manage the complete recruitment lifecycle, including workforce planning, talent mapping, sourcing, assessment, stakeholder management, offer negotiation, and onboarding.

Build strong relationships with senior business leaders and act as a trusted advisor on talent acquisition strategy and market intelligence.

Ensure timely closure of positions while maintaining an exceptional candidate experience.

Establish recruitment governance, hiring metrics, process discipline, and reporting frameworks.

Manage executive search firms and external recruitment partners for strategic hiring mandates.

Continuously improve recruitment processes, analytics, and overall hiring effectiveness.

Collaborate closely with HR and business teams to deliver efficient and scalable recruitment operations.

Qualifications & Experience

MBA / PGDM in Human Resources or a related discipline preferred.

10+ years of Talent Acquisition experience with significant exposure to leadership hiring.

Mandatory experience within the Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Life Sciences, or Biotechnology industry.

Strong expertise in executive search, talent mapping, and end-to-end recruitment.

Proven experience partnering with senior leadership across multiple business functions.

Strong stakeholder management, influencing, negotiation, and execution capabilities.

Experience building recruitment governance, hiring analytics, and process-driven Talent Acquisition functions.

Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.