HR Lead

Weekday AI (YC W21); Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,000,000 - 3,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Weekday AI, Bengaluru client, is seeking an experienced HR Lead to own the complete people function within a fast-growing retail organisation. This hands-on leader will build scalable HR systems, strengthen employee engagement, and guide the HR team.

The role partners with founders and senior leadership while staying closely connected to employees and on-ground teams, shaping the people function and employee experience across the organisation.

Qualifications

• 10-12 years of HR generalist experience in retail, FMCG, consumer internet, or similarly operations-intensive environments.
• Proven experience building HR functions and processes from the ground up, ideally as an early or first HR hire.
• Strong understanding across employee engagement, L&D, HR policies, compliance, talent acquisition, and generalist HR operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the HR team with clear ownership and standards.
• Build onboarding frameworks, including 30-60-90 day plans and knowledge transfer.
• Drive employee engagement through pulse checks and structured connect programs.
• Develop, review, and implement compliant HR policies and processes.
• Partner with leadership on organisation design, workforce planning, and role clarity.
• Strengthen employer brand and candidate experience across platforms.
• Oversee learning & development initiatives and identify capability gaps.
• Own payroll governance, ensuring accuracy and timeliness across the payroll function.
• Collaborate with senior leaders on employee relations and people decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes and the employee experience as the organisation scales.
• Balance strategic priorities with hands-on execution in a growing workforce.

Skills

HR Leadership

Employee Engagement

Policy & Compliance

Payroll Governance

Talent Acquisition

Learning & Development

Job description

This role is for one of the Weekday's clients

Salary range: Rs 2000000 - Rs 3500000 (i.e INR 20-35 LPA)

Experience: 8+ yrs

Location: Bengaluru

Job Type: Full-time

We are looking for an experienced HR Lead to take ownership of the complete people function within a fast-growing retail organisation. This role will be responsible for building scalable HR systems and processes, strengthening employee engagement, supporting organisational growth, and leading the HR team.

The ideal candidate will act as a strategic partner to founders and senior leadership while remaining closely connected to employees and on-ground teams. This is a hands-on leadership role with significant ownership in shaping the people function and employee experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the HR team, establishing clear ownership, accountability, and operating standards
• Build and manage structured induction and onboarding frameworks, including 30-60-90 day plans, manager readiness, and knowledge transfer
• Drive employee engagement through regular pulse checks, structured connect programs, and meaningful relationships with employees and managers
• Develop, review, and implement practical and compliant HR policies and processes
• Partner with leadership on organisation design, team structures, reporting lines, workforce planning, and role clarity
• Build and strengthen the employer brand, including career platforms, social presence, candidate experience, and talent attraction initiatives
• Oversee foundational learning and development initiatives by identifying capability gaps and implementing relevant training programs
• Own HR compliance and audit processes, ensuring adherence to statutory and regulatory requirements
• Establish strong payroll governance, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, controls, and effective coordination across the payroll function
• Partner with senior leaders and managers on employee relations, people decisions, and organisational challenges
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, systems, and employee experience as the organisation scales
• Balance strategic HR priorities with hands-on execution across a diverse and growing workforce

What Makes You a Great Fit

• 10-12 years of HR generalist experience, with significant exposure to retail, FMCG, consumer internet, or similarly operations-intensive environments
• Proven experience building HR functions and processes from the ground up, ideally as an early or first HR hire
• Strong understanding across employee engagement, L&D, HR policies, compliance, talent acquisition, and generalist HR operations
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge and guide senior leaders when required
• Experience working closely with non-white-collar and frontline employees, with the ability to build trust and engagement across organisational levels
• Strong understanding of organisation design, employee experience, people processes, and workforce requirements in a high-growth environment
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous, and evolving environments where systems and processes are still being established
• Strong leadership and team-development capabilities, with a focus on building an accountable and independent HR function
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• A practical, hands-on approach combined with the ability to think strategically and build scalable people practices