Description:

About the job:

About MAD:

At MAD, were more than a digital agency were a creative collective blending design and storytelling to craft scroll-stopping, thumb-pausing brand moments. Our team works across industries, turning briefs into bold, strategic campaigns that dont just look good they perform.

Location: Koramangala, Bangalore (Hybrid)

Experience: 3 to 5 years

Benefits at MAD:

Weve worked hard to foster a flexible and employee-friendly culture. Here are some policies were proud to offer:

Hybrid Working Model: We work in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Mondays and Thursdays are remote, but you're welcome to come in if you prefer.

Medical Insurance: Health Insurance and accident coverage for all.

Paid Extended Medical Leave: We recognise that there may be times when you can't come to the office due to medical reasons. Rest assured, your sick leave will remain intact.

Annual Reset Leave: Every year end we make sure we give you time off before a new year comes in, these are usually 5-7 days at the end of the year.

Extended Work from Home: Many of us at MAD come from all over the country, and when it's time to head home, we embrace the flexibility to work from wherever suits you best!

Compensatory Offs: If you work beyond regular hours, you'll receive compensatory time off and reimbursement for travel and meals.

About the Role:

This role owns the end-to-end human resource function. It requires building, operating, and evolving HR systems while acting as a strategic partner to leadership and teams. The position spans execution, decision-making, people management, and culture-building, with accountability across the entire employee lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities:

1. People Strategy & Leadership

- Build, lead, and manage an HR team of 45 associates with clear ownership, structure, and accountability.

- Act as a strategic advisor to founders and team leads on people decisions, workforce planning, and organizational design.

- Support leadership and managers in team-based decisions, performance concerns, role clarity, and growth planning.

2. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

- Own the complete hiring lifecycle: workforce planning, job description creation, sourcing, screening, interviewing, offer management, and closures.

- Streamline and operate hiring processes using an ATS; ensure speed, quality, and consistency.

- Design and execute structured evaluation frameworks for creative and non-creative roles.

- Handle hiring, exits, terminations, and performance-based separations with professionalism and compliance.

3. Performance Management & Development

- Design, implement, and maintain a full performance management system, including KPIs, goal tracking, appraisals, and 360 feedback.

- Drive structured review cycles with data-backed outcomes.

- Identify skill gaps and work with leadership on development plans and internal mobility.

4. HR Operations & Compliance

- Own payroll processing end-to-end, including accuracy, timelines, statutory deductions, and compliance.

- Manage employee records, contracts, HR documentation, and policies.

- Lead POSH compliance, training, redressal mechanisms, and periodic audits.

- Ensure adherence to labor laws, statutory requirements, and internal governance.

5. Compensation, Benefits & Employee Experience

- Manage compensation structures, revisions, and benchmarking.

- Evaluate, negotiate, and manage insurance providers and employee benefits.

- Design and execute employee engagement initiatives, including offsites, retreats, and internal culture programs.

- Build systems that move the organization away from unhealthy or toxic agency practices toward sustainable work culture.

6. Culture & Systems Building

- Redefine HR as a business function, not an administrative layer.

- Build scalable systems and processes from scratch where needed.

- Balance empathy with structure, and people-first thinking with business outcomes.

Required Experience & Skills:

- Proven experience as an HR Generalist / HR Manager handling the full HR spectrum.

- Hands-on experience in payroll, talent acquisition, performance management, and employee relations.

- Prior experience managing teams and building HR systems from the ground up.

- Strong understanding of labor laws, POSH, compliance, and HR best practices.

- Ability to handle sensitive situations including exits, conflict resolution, and performance terminations.

- High ownership mindset, strong decision-making ability, and comfort working closely with leadership.

- Experience in fast-paced, agency, startup, or creative environments preferred.

Qualifications & Eligibility:

- Bachelors degree in BBA (HR) or MBA with specialization in Human Resources.

- 3-5 years of hands-on experience in a full-spectrum HR generalist role.

- Prior experience in a creative agency, advertising agency, or fast-paced startup environment preferred.

- Demonstrated ownership of payroll, talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, and compliance.

- Proven experience handling hiring, exits, and performance-based separations.