HR Director
Kochi
Human Resource
1 Openings
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Talent Acquisition
* Own end-to-end hiring for tech, AI, product, and leadership roles - sourcing strategy, JD design, pipeline management, and offer closure
* Build and manage high-quality hiring pipelines for hard-to-fill roles in a competitive talent market
* Set and track hiring metrics - time to fill, quality of hire, funnel conversion, offer acceptance rates
* Introduce AI and automation into hiring workflows to improve speed and candidate experience
* Serve as a talent partner to engineering and product leadership - not just a hiring executor
HR Operations & Compliance
* Own the full HR operations stack, onboarding, performance management, compensation cycles, exit processes
* Ensure HR compliance across domestic and international entities, employment law, statutory requirements, overseas HR obligations
* Design and manage compensation and benefits structures that are competitive for a product-first organisation
* Lead payroll coordination and ensure HR systems are fit for scale
Organisation Design & Culture
* Partner with the CEO on org structure decisions, reporting lines, spans of control, team design
* Build a culture of performance and ownership, not just process compliance
* Drive employee engagement and retention programmes, with a focus on engineering and product talent
* Lead leadership development and succession planning for senior roles
HR Strategy
* Define the people strategy for the next 2–3 years in alignment with business growth plans
* Build an HR function that scales, the right team, the right tools, the right processes
* Be a trusted advisor to the CEO and leadership team on all people-related decisions
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Non-negotiable requirements:
* MBA with HR specialisation from a Tier 1-2 B-school
* 20 years of progressive HR experience;
* Background in product-based technology organisations, IT services experience alone will not be considered
* Prior experience in companies with 1000+ employees at minimum
* Full-function ownership, must have led both talent acquisition and HR operations, not TA alone
* Personally owned tech and AI/product hiring, not just managed a team that did it
* Willingness to be based in Kochi, this is an onsite role and location is non-negotiable
What we're really hiring for:
We are looking for a senior leader who still builds, who brings energy and curiosity to the role, who has introduced new ways of working in the last 12 - 18 months, and who is excited by the scope of what this role offers rather than intimidated by it.
The best fit for this role is someone who has come through a strong product organisation and still has the drive and initiative of someone in their growth years.
Good to have:
* Experience managing HR for overseas entities or geographically distributed teams
* Exposure to AI/ML talent hiring or AI-augmented HR workflows
* Background in B2B product companies (SaaS, enterprise software, maritime tech, logistics tech, fintech)
* Prior experience with international HR compliance, employment laws across multiple geographies
WHY THIS ROLE
Direct report to CEO, you will be in every strategic conversation that touches people, not presenting to an HR committee.
Full-function ownership from day one, no handoffs, no matrix, no waiting for sign-off from a global HR head.
A product organisation that is growing, you are not maintaining a steady state; you are building for the next phase.
LOCATION
Kochi, Kerala. This is an onsite role. The location is non-negotiable. Candidates who are not based in Kochi or not open to relocating to Kochi will not be considered.
Talent Acquisition
* Own end-to-end hiring for tech, AI, product, and leadership roles - sourcing strategy, JD design, pipeline management, and offer closure
* Build and manage high-quality hiring pipelines for hard-to-fill roles in a competitive talent market
* Set and track hiring metrics - time to fill, quality of hire, funnel conversion, offer acceptance rates
* Introduce AI and automation into hiring workflows to improve speed and candidate experience
* Serve as a talent partner to engineering and product leadership - not just a hiring executor
HR Operations & Compliance
* Own the full HR operations stack, onboarding, performance management, compensation cycles, exit processes
* Ensure HR compliance across domestic and international entities, employment law, statutory requirements, overseas HR obligations
* Design and manage compensation and benefits structures that are competitive for a product-first organisation
* Lead payroll coordination and ensure HR systems are fit for scale
Organisation Design & Culture
* Partner with the CEO on org structure decisions, reporting lines, spans of control, team design
* Build a culture of performance and ownership, not just process compliance
* Drive employee engagement and retention programmes, with a focus on engineering and product talent
* Lead leadership development and succession planning for senior roles
HR Strategy
* Define the people strategy for the next 2–3 years in alignment with business growth plans
* Build an HR function that scales, the right team, the right tools, the right processes
* Be a trusted advisor to the CEO and leadership team on all people-related decisions
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Non-negotiable requirements:
* MBA with HR specialisation from a Tier 1-2 B-school
* 20 years of progressive HR experience;
* Background in product-based technology organisations, IT services experience alone will not be considered
* Prior experience in companies with 1000+ employees at minimum
* Full-function ownership, must have led both talent acquisition and HR operations, not TA alone
* Personally owned tech and AI/product hiring, not just managed a team that did it
* Willingness to be based in Kochi, this is an onsite role and location is non-negotiable
What we're really hiring for:
We are looking for a senior leader who still builds, who brings energy and curiosity to the role, who has introduced new ways of working in the last 12 - 18 months, and who is excited by the scope of what this role offers rather than intimidated by it.
The best fit for this role is someone who has come through a strong product organisation and still has the drive and initiative of someone in their growth years.
Good to have:
* Experience managing HR for overseas entities or geographically distributed teams
* Exposure to AI/ML talent hiring or AI-augmented HR workflows
* Background in B2B product companies (SaaS, enterprise software, maritime tech, logistics tech, fintech)
* Prior experience with international HR compliance, employment laws across multiple geographies
WHY THIS ROLE
Direct report to CEO, you will be in every strategic conversation that touches people, not presenting to an HR committee.
Full-function ownership from day one, no handoffs, no matrix, no waiting for sign-off from a global HR head.
A product organisation that is growing, you are not maintaining a steady state; you are building for the next phase.
LOCATION
Kochi, Kerala. This is an onsite role. The location is non-negotiable. Candidates who are not based in Kochi or not open to relocating to Kochi will not be considered.
Recruitment Notice
“Due to high interest, our team connects only with candidates whose profiles closely match the role mandate.”
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