Job Title: Manager - HR Projects & Programs (OD, HR Transformation, Operational Excellence, Automation & AI)

Function: People & Culture (HR)

Location: Bengaluru (Hybrid) / As applicable

Role Overview:

The Manager - HR Projects & Programs will lead Organization Development (OD), HR Transformation, and enterprise HR programs that enhance organizational effectiveness, employee experience, and operational excellence. This role requires strong HR program and change leadership, experience driving large-scale HR transformation initiatives, and the ability to leverage data, dashboards, automation, and AI-enabled solutions to deliver measurable business outcomes.

The role will partner closely with HR Leadership, HRBPs, COEs, and Enterprise Technology teams to design, implement, govern, and continuously improve HR programs across the employee lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities:

1. HR Projects, Programs & Transformation Leadership

- Lead and manage enterprise-wide HR projects and programs, from concept through execution and sustainment.

- Drive HR Transformation initiatives aligned to business strategy, operating model changes, and future workforce needs.

- Translate HR strategy into structured programs with clear scope, milestones, success metrics, governance, and risk management.

- Manage cross-functional dependencies and ensure timely delivery of outcomes across multiple HR workstreams.

2. Organization Development (OD) & Change Enablement

- Lead and support OD initiatives including organizational design, role clarity, capability building, performance effectiveness, and culture transformation.

- Partner with HRBPs and business leaders on organization diagnostics, workforce effectiveness, and change impact assessments.

- Design and execute change management strategies (communications, leader enablement, training, adoption tracking) for HR and OD initiatives.

- Act as a thought partner to HR leadership on transformation readiness and sustainability.

3. Operational Excellence in HR

- Drive operational excellence across HR processes by identifying opportunities for simplification, standardization, and scalability.

- Design and implement future-state HR processes that balance employee experience, compliance, efficiency, and cost optimization.

- Establish best practices, SOPs, and continuous improvement mechanisms across HR programs and operations.

- Support maturity of HR program governance, delivery discipline, and execution rigor.

4. MIS, Dashboards & HR Reporting

- Own and govern HR MIS, dashboards, and management reporting for HR programs and transformation initiatives.

- Define KPIs, metrics, and scorecards to track program progress, adoption, efficiency, and business impact.

- Partner with HR analytics and HRIS teams to ensure accurate, timely, and actionable insights for leadership decision-making.

- Prepare executive-ready dashboards, presentations, and recurring reports for HR and business leadership.

5. HR Technology, Automation & AI Enablement

- Partner with HRIS and Enterprise Technology teams to enable HR programs through systems and digital solutions (without owning system administration).

- Identify opportunities for HR process automation (workflows, reporting, approvals, employee lifecycle activities) and support implementation via automation or low-code platforms.

- Support adoption of AI-enabled HR use cases such as intelligent insights, employee support tools, content generation, and decision support, ensuring responsible and compliant use.

- Track and communicate value realization from digital, automation, and AI-enabled HR initiatives.

6. Stakeholder Management & Governance

- Collaborate with HRBPs, COEs, business leaders, and enterprise teams to ensure alignment and sponsorship for HR programs.

- Establish program governance structures, cadence, and reporting mechanisms.

- Communicate progress, risks, dependencies, and outcomes clearly to senior stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

- 8-12 years of experience in HR Projects, HR Programs, OD, HR Transformation, or strategic HR roles.

- Proven experience leading organization-wide change and transformation initiatives.

- Strong exposure to HR MIS, dashboards, metrics, and reporting for leadership decision-making.

- Excellent stakeholder management, problem-solving, and executive communication skills.

Preferred/Nice to Have:

- Experience working with HR systems (e.g., Workday, Oracle HCM, SAP SuccessFactors) from a program, transformation, or business perspective.

- Exposure to automation tools, workflow platforms, or low-code solutions in HR.

- Exposure to AI implementation or AI-enabled HR use cases.

- Project / Program Management certification (PMP, Agile, Scrum) or HR certifications (SHRM / HRCI).

Key Competencies:

- HR Program & Transformation Management

- Organization Development & Change Leadership

- Operational Excellence & Process Optimization

- MIS, Dashboards & Data-driven Insights

- Digital HR, Automation & AI Enablement

- Executive Stakeholder Management