Lead IR

Saint Gobain; Ambernath; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Saint Gobain in Ambernath, Maharashtra, is seeking an experienced Lead HR to head HR operations for a manufacturing plant. You will lead industrial relations, labour law compliance, union management and workforce productivity while partnering with plant leadership and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience in unionised manufacturing environments, with expertise in LTS/collective bargaining and statutory compliance.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of HR experience, preferably in large manufacturing/industrial organisations.
• Minimum 5 years of Plant HR leadership experience.
• Strong expertise in Industrial Relations and Union Management.
• Proven experience in LTS / wage settlements / collective bargaining.
• Strong knowledge of Labour Laws and statutory compliance.
• Experience dealing with ALC, DLC, Labour Department, Industrial Tribunal and Labour Courts.
• Hands-on experience in domestic inquiries and disciplinary proceedings.
• Experience handling labour disputes and strikes.
• Strong understanding of manpower rationalisation and productivity improvement.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a unionised manufacturing environment.
• Fluency in Marathi is highly desirable due to local stakeholder and workforce interactions.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Plant HR operations and partner with Plant Head on people strategy.
• Manage industrial relations and union negotiations, settlements and governance.
• Ensure labour law compliance with statutory authorities and forums.
• Handle complex employee grievances, disciplinary matters and domestic inquiries.
• Drive manpower rationalisation and productivity improvement with Operations.
• Develop contingency plans for industrial disputes and labour unrest.
• Engage with local government and labour authorities for governance.
• Provide strategic HR inputs to Plant Leadership and monitor HR metrics.

Skills

Industrial Relations

Union Management

Labour Laws

Negotiation

Stakeholder Management

Plant HR Leadership

Education

MBA / PG in Human Resources

LLB / Labour Law qualification

Graduate in any discipline

Job description

Position - Lead IR

Location - Ambernath , Maharashtra

Language - Marathi, Hindi preferred.

Role overview -

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic Lead HR professional to lead HR operations for a manufacturing plant. The role will be responsible for driving Plant HR, Industrial Relations, Labour Law compliance, Union Management, manpower productivity, and employee engagement, while partnering closely with plant leadership and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate should have strong hands-on experience in unionised manufacturing environments, labour dispute resolution and managing statutory/local authorities.

Critical Key Responsibilities to be taken in consideration -

1. Plant HR Leadership

• Lead end-to-end HR operations for the manufacturing plant.
• Partner with Plant Head and functional leaders on people strategy and workforce planning.
• Manage manpower planning, deployment, productivity and employee relations.
• Drive HR policies and initiatives aligned with business and plant objectives.
• Manage HR operations through internal teams and HR/contract labour vendors.

2. Industrial Relations & Union Management

• Manage relationships with trade unions and employee representatives.
• Handle union negotiations, collective bargaining and settlement discussions.
• Lead Long-Term Settlements (LTS) and other labour agreements.
• Maintain healthy and constructive industrial relations within the plant.
• Proactively identify and resolve employee/union-related issues.

3. Labour Law & Statutory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with applicable labour laws and statutory requirements.
• Liaise with local authorities such as:
• ALC Assistant Labour Commissioner
• DLC Deputy Labour Commissioner
• Labour Department / other statutory authorities
• Represent the organisation in labour-related matters before relevant authorities and forums.
• Handle Industrial Tribunal / Labour Court matters in coordination with legal teams.

4. Employee Relations & Dispute Resolution

• Handle complex employee grievances, disciplinary matters and domestic enquiries.
• Conduct and oversee domestic inquiries in accordance with applicable policies and laws.
• Manage labour disputes, settlements and legal proceedings.
• Develop preventive mechanisms to minimise employee relations risks.

5. Manpower Rationalisation & Productivity

• Drive manpower rationalisation and workforce optimisation initiatives.
• Improve manpower utilisation and labour productivity.
• Work closely with Operations to identify opportunities for productivity improvement.
• Develop and implement productivity-linked initiatives and workforce models.
• Support business restructuring and workforce transformation initiatives.

6. Labour & Strike Management

• Proactively manage potential industrial unrest and labour conflicts.
• Handle strike situations, protests and critical employee relations matters.
• Develop contingency plans for business continuity during industrial disputes.
• Maintain strong relationships with union representatives and local stakeholders.

7. External Stakeholder Management

• Build effective relationships with local government and labour authorities.
• Manage interactions with statutory bodies and local stakeholders.
• Represent the organisation professionally in labour-related discussions and proceedings.

8. HR Governance & Business Partnership

• Provide strategic HR inputs to Plant Leadership.
• Drive employee engagement, culture and capability-building initiatives.
• Ensure effective implementation of HR policies at the plant.
• Monitor HR metrics including manpower cost, productivity, absenteeism, attrition and employee relations indicators.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should have:

• 15+ years of HR experience, preferably in large manufacturing/industrial organisations.
• Minimum 5 years of Plant HR leadership experience.
• Strong expertise in Industrial Relations and Union Management.
• Proven experience in LTS / wage settlements / collective bargaining.
• Strong knowledge of Labour Laws and statutory compliance.
• Experience dealing with ALC, DLC, Labour Department, Industrial Tribunal and Labour Courts.
• Hands-on experience in domestic inquiries and disciplinary proceedings.
• Experience handling labour disputes and strikes.
• Strong understanding of manpower rationalisation and productivity improvement.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a unionised manufacturing environment.
• Fluency in Marathi is highly desirable due to local stakeholder and workforce interactions.

Education

• Graduate in any discipline
• MBA / PG in Human Resources preferred
• LLB / Labour Law qualification will be an added advantage

Preferred Industry Background

Candidates from Manufacturing / Engineering / Automotive / Building Materials / Insulation / Industrial Products / FMCG manufacturing with strong plant HR exposure would be preferred.