Senior Human Resources Manager

Employ; Chennai District; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Job summary

A mission-driven deep-tech startup is seeking a seasoned professional with 8–12 years of experience in People & Culture to build and scale a values-driven culture as the organization expands. The role emphasizes the design and implementation of performance frameworks and Learning & Development initiatives, providing high visibility and ownership with founders. The ideal candidate will have a strong business acumen and startup experience, working directly with leaders to enrich the company culture and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years in People & Culture / HRBP / Talent & OD roles.
• Proven experience building culture and performance systems.
• Hands-on exposure within startup or scale-up environments.
• Strong business acumen — comfortable pushing back with data and logic.
• Capability to handle tough conversations around performance and exits.

Responsibilities

• Build and scale a strong, values-driven culture.
• Design and run performance frameworks.
• Set up Learning & Development from scratch.
• Act as a true people partner to founders and senior leaders, not a support function
• Use people data and insights to influence business decisions
• Strengthen employer brand and candidate experience across the talent lifecycle
• Oversee core people operations with a focus on scalability and automation

Skills

People & Culture

Performance Management

Learning & Development

Data-Driven Decision Making

Startup Experience

Job description

Overview

Location: Chennai (IITM Research Park area)

Experience: 8–12 years

We’re working with a mission-driven deep-tech startup incubated out of a premier academic ecosystem. The company is building real-world solutions in infrastructure, sustainability, and public impact — and is now at a stage where culture, performance, and leadership capability need to scale deliberately.

This role is not about running HR processes.

It’s about building the people engine of a growing company.

What you’ll own

• Build and scale a strong, values-driven culture as the organisation grows
• Design and run performance frameworks (goal setting, reviews, feedback, manager accountability)
• Set up Learning & Development from scratch — especially for first-time managers and leaders
• Act as a true people partner to founders and senior leaders, not a support function
• Use people data and insights to influence business decisions
• Strengthen employer brand and candidate experience across the talent lifecycle
• Oversee core people operations with a focus on scalability and automation

What we’re looking for

• 8–12 years of experience across People & Culture / HRBP / Talent & OD roles
• Hands-on experience building (not just maintaining) culture, performance systems, and L&D
• Startup or scale-up exposure where ambiguity was part of the job
• Strong business acumen — comfortable pushing back with data and logic
• Someone who can handle tough conversations around performance and exits
• Chennai-based professionals only

Why this role is interesting

• High ownership and visibility with founders
• Opportunity to shape culture at a formative stage
• Clear scope to grow into a Head – People & Culture role
• Work that has visible impact beyond just the organisation

If you’re someone who believes great companies are built by design, not default, this role will stretch you.