Description:

Position objective

This role will lead the design and execution of the companys total rewards strategy, ensuring fairness, competitiveness, and alignment with global best practices while supporting business goals. The incumbent will own end-to-end compensation and benefits operations, HR compliance, and data-driven HR analytics, and will drive digital transformation and employee experience enhancement across the HR function, ensuring all compensation programs are administered consistently and in line with internal policies and applicable regulations.

Key responsibility areas:

- Design, implement, and continuously enhance compensation frameworks, salary structures, and benefits programs to attract and retain high-performing talent, supported by annual and ad-hoc market benchmarking and survey participation (e.g., Mercer).

- Lead annual compensation planning, including salary reviews, merit cycles, incentive and variable pay programs, ensuring alignment with business performance, pay equity, and local market competitiveness.

- Conduct job evaluation, job levelling, and classification analysis, acting as a trusted advisor to HR/People partners and business leaders on grading, pay ranges, and internal equity.

- Oversee benefits strategy and administration, including health insurance, retirement plans, and flexible benefits, driving vendor evaluation, negotiation, cost optimization, and employee satisfaction.

- Ensure strict compliance with all relevant compensation and benefits legislation (including human rights and pay equity), as well as internal policies, audits, and governance requirements.

- Collaborate with HR, Payroll, Finance, Accounting, and Legal to ensure consistent, accurate, and compliant execution of compensation and benefits processes across locations.

- Lead or support strategic initiatives such as pay equity analysis, job architecture and banding, M&A integrations, system implementations, and global/enterprise total rewards harmonization.

- Use HRIS and analytics tools to pull, organize, and analyze HR and rewards data, build reports and dashboards (including for union negotiations, leadership reviews, and benefits utilization), and provide insights on cost trends, risk exposure, and ROI.

- Partner with Finance and senior leadership to forecast and manage budgets for compensation and benefits programs, providing regular proposals, reports, and recommendations to support decision-making.

Qualifications and experience:

- Masters degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

- 10+ years of progressive experience in Compensation & Benefits, Total Rewards, or HR Compliance roles, preferably in a manufacturing or multi-location environment.

- Deep expertise in compensation design, payroll, and administration of health, retirement, and leave programs, with strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements.

- Strong business acumen with the ability to connect compensation and benefits strategy to financial impact and organizational goals.

- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with proven stakeholder management and influencing capability at senior levels.

- Strong vendor management and negotiation skills, with experience driving value from external partners and benefits providers.

Location and compensation:

Location: Mumbai (corporate / HO role; multi-location exposure preferred).