People & Operations Program Specialist

Thakral One; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Thakral One is seeking a People & Operations Program Specialist – APAC to support centralisation initiatives across the region. You will manage onboarding, PO creation, reporting, background verification, and change requests while collaborating with Talent Acquisition to coordinate interviews.

Role requires governance, compliance, and strong stakeholder engagement across multiple geographies, with a focus on process improvement and automation.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in operations or program coordination roles.
• Hands-on project management with planning and stakeholder coordination.
• Experience with budget tracking, PO handling, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end onboarding of vendors and contractors with governance standards.
• Create, manage, and reconcile Purchase Orders; maintain financial dashboards.
• Coordinate interviews and TA support for contractors across APAC.
• Enforce procurement policies and collaborate with risk/compliance teams.
• Identify opportunities for process automation and efficiency through stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Vendor onboarding

PO management

Reporting

Stakeholder engagement

Process improvement

Project management

Analytical mindset

Tools

Excel

MS Project

Smartsheet

Ariba

Job description

About the job People & Operations Program Specialist

As a People & Operations Program Specialist – APAC, you will play a critical role in supporting centralisation initiatives across the region by managing vendor and contractor operations. You will oversee onboarding, PO creation and management, reporting, background verification, and change requests, while collaborating closely with Talent Acquisition teams to coordinate interviews. This role ensures compliance, process efficiency, and timely execution of operational tasks, with strong stakeholder engagement across multiple geographies.

What You'll Do and How You'll Succeed

• Manage end‑to‑end onboarding of new vendors and contractors, ensuring compliance with governance and risk standards.
• Initiate background verification processes for contractors and track completion.
• Communicate onboarding requirements and timelines to vendors and internal teams.

PO Management & Reporting

• Create and manage Purchase Orders (POs) and ensure timely updates and reconciliation.
• Maintain Opex trackers and develop dashboards for financial visibility.
• Generate and distribute monthly reports on PO status and onboarding progress.

Talent Acquisition Support

• Coordinate interviews for new contractors across APAC countries in collaboration with regional TA teams.
• Ensure smooth scheduling and communication between hiring managers and candidates.
• Support change requests related to contractor assignments and onboarding.

Governance & Compliance

• Enforce adherence to sourcing and procurement policies across markets.
• Collaborate with risk and compliance teams to mitigate operational risks.
• Maintain accurate documentation for audits and governance reviews.

Process Improvement & Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify opportunities for process optimisation and automation to reduce manual effort.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external vendors to ensure seamless operations.
• Act as a trusted partner to business teams, providing insights and recommendations for operational efficiency.

We'd Love to Hear From You If...

Experience

• You have 5–8 years in operations or program coordination roles.
• You have hands‑on experience in project management (planning, execution, stakeholder coordination).
• You have exposure to financial management (budget tracking, PO handling, reporting).
• You have strong experience in stakeholder engagement across multiple geographies.
• You have worked in consulting, managed services, recruitment, workforce, or project management roles (preferred).
• You have experience in regional support teams and knowledge of APAC sourcing compliance requirements (preferred).

Technical Expertise

• You are advanced in Excel for reporting and dashboard creation.
• You are proficient in project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet).
• You are familiar with procurement platforms such as Ariba (good to have).
• You have experience with automation tools or process improvement initiatives.

Ways of Working

• You demonstrate excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• You are highly organised and effective in coordination.
• You have an analytical mindset with strong problem‑solving orientation.
• You thrive in a fast‑paced, multi‑country environment.
• You ensure compliance and governance discipline in all processes.