People & Culture Lead

EssentiallySports Media, Inc.; India; On-site; INR 2,000,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

EssentiallySports is a digital sports media platform serving a global audience with a rapidly growing team in India. We are seeking a People & Culture Lead to partner with leadership to design and implement scalable people practices, enhance employee experience, and nurture a high-performing culture as the organization expands.

You will own broad HR responsibilities from performance management and employee relations to HR operations and data analytics, balancing day-to-day duties with strategic

Qualifications

• 7+ years HR experience, 5+ in HRBP or senior HR generalist.
• MBA in HR (full-time preferred).
• Experience building/improving HR processes and initiatives.
• Strong in performance management, employee relations, grievance handling, and coaching.
• Ability to analyse people data, identify trends, and share insights.
• Experience partnering with business leaders on workforce planning and team effectiveness.
• Comfortable in fast-paced, evolving environments.
• Good understanding of Indian labour laws and compliance.
• Experience in media, content, digital organisations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leadership to translate business priorities into people initiatives.
• Support workforce planning, team structures, and role clarity as the business evolves.
• Identify talent gaps and practical solutions.
• Design a workplace experience to attract, engage, and retain talent.
• Guide managers on performance concerns and growth opportunities.
• Facilitate employee relations, conflict resolution, and policy compliance.
• Own HR operations, records, leave, attendance, and audits.
• Develop HR dashboards to inform leadership decisions.

Skills

HRBP experience

People analytics

Stakeholder mgmt

Process improvement

Performance mgmt

Workforce planning

Labour laws (India)

Media industry exp

Communication

Education

MBA in HR (full-time preferred)

Job description

EssentiallySports is a digital sports media platform serving modern fandom. Primarily aimed at serving the American audience, ES is industry leading new-age media that has multiple products and IPs under its portfolio.

Over the years, the company has evolved from a traditional content publisher into a broader media ecosystem that includes editorial coverage, creator-led IPs, newsletters, branded storytelling, and fan-engagement initiatives.

Our work today is driven by one core principle, that of building sustained relationships with audiences, not just generating one-time traffic.

About the Role

We are looking for a People & Culture Lead to lead and strengthen the people function at EssentiallySports. This role will work closely with leadership to build scalable people practices, improve employee experience, and support a high-performing culture as the company continues to grow.

You will be responsible for shaping key people processes across performance management, employee relations, engagement, retention, and HR operations. We are looking for someone who enjoys solving people's challenges, takes ownership, and is comfortable building systems and processes where they do not yet exist.

This role is ideal for someone who can balance day-to-day HR responsibilities while also thinking about the bigger picture and helping leaders make better decisions.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of HR experience, including at least 5 years in an HRBP, senior HR generalist, or people-focused role
• MBA in HR from a recognised institute (full-time preferred)
• Experience building or improving HR processes, frameworks, or people initiatives
• Strong experience in performance management, employee relations, grievance handling, and manager coaching
• Ability to analyse people data, identify trends, and present insights to stakeholders
• Experience working closely with business leaders on workforce planning, team effectiveness, and people-related challenges
• Comfortable working in fast-paced and evolving environments
• Good understanding of Indian labour laws and statutory compliance requirements
• Experience in media, content, creative, or digital-first organisations will be an added advantage

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with leadership to understand business priorities and build people initiatives that support growth and team effectiveness
• Support workforce planning, team structures, role clarity, and organisational changes as the business evolves
• Identify talent, capability, or process gaps and recommend practical solutions
• Help create a workplace experience that attracts, engages, and retains strong talent

Business Partnering

• Work closely with managers and team leads to address people-related challenges and improve team effectiveness
• Provide guidance on employee concerns, performance issues, team dynamics, and retention risks
• Build strong relationships across teams and proactively identify areas that need attention
• Act as a trusted partner to managers while balancing employee and business needs

Performance Management

• Own and continuously improve the performance management process
• Support managers in setting goals, conducting reviews, and having effective feedback conversations
• Guide managers through performance concerns and improvement plans
• Partner with leadership to identify high-potential employees and support their growth and development

Engagement, Retention & Culture

• Design and execute initiatives that strengthen employee engagement and workplace culture
• Drive employee feedback mechanisms such as pulse surveys and listening forums
• Analyse employee sentiment and attrition trends to identify improvement opportunities
• Develop initiatives that improve retention and create a positive employee experience

HR Operations & People Data

• Ensure smooth execution of HR operations, including employee records, leave management, attendance, compliance, and documentation
• Build and maintain HR dashboards and reports that help leadership make informed decisions
• Improve existing HR processes and introduce better ways of working where required
• Ensure employee data and documentation remain accurate, organised, and audit-ready

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Handle employee concerns, grievances, and workplace issues in a fair, professional, and timely manner
• Support managers and employees through sensitive conversations, team changes, and conflict resolution
• Ensure HR practices remain compliant with applicable labour laws and company policies

Offboarding & Exit Management

• Manage the end-to-end exit process, including documentation, clearances, and full and final settlement coordination
• Conduct meaningful exit interviews and identify trends that can help improve retention
• Share key attrition insights and recommendations with leadership on a regular basis

Attributes We Value

• Strategic ownership- you hold both the big picture and the operational detail simultaneously
• Strong interpersonal judgment- you build trust quickly, maintain it under pressure, and know when to push back
• Builder's mindset- you are energised by the blank page, not intimidated by it
• Structured thinking- you move between strategy and execution without losing quality in either
• Clear communicator- precise, direct, no unnecessary complexity; strong writing is non-negotiable
• Discretion and reliability- especially with sensitive people information and leadership conversations

Why EssentiallySports

• One of the fastest-growing digital sports media platforms globally, serving a primary American audience
• High-agency environment with direct exposure to leadership and real influence over how the organisation scales
• Opportunity to build the HR function from the ground up and not just maintain an inherited system
• Work at the intersection of media, culture, and people in one of the most dynamic spaces in digital today