Job Summary

The Deputy General Manager – Human Resources is responsible for leading the entire HR function at the manufacturing facility, ensuring alignment between people strategies and business objectives. The role focuses on managing industrial relations, employee engagement, talent acquisition, workforce planning, statutory compliance, labor relations, and capability development for both blue-collar and white-collar employees. The incumbent will partner closely with plant leadership to foster a productive, compliant, and high-performance work environment while maintaining harmonious industrial relations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR & Plant Partnership

• Act as a strategic HR partner to the Plant Head and leadership team.

• Develop and implement people strategies that support manufacturing productivity, quality, safety, and operational excellence.

• Lead workforce planning initiatives to ensure optimal manpower availability.

• Support organizational restructuring, expansion, automation, and change management initiatives.

Industrial Relations & Labor Management

• Lead and manage Industrial Relations (IR) activities to maintain harmonious employee relations.

• Build and sustain positive relationships with labor unions and employee representatives.

• Lead wage negotiations, settlements, and collective bargaining processes.

• Handle disciplinary matters, domestic inquiries, grievance management, and dispute resolution.

• Ensure proactive management of industrial unrest risks and employee concerns.

Statutory Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable labor laws and factory regulations, including:

  • Factories Act

  • Industrial Relations Code

  • Shops & Establishment requirements (where applicable)

  • Contract Labour regulations

  • EPF, ESI, Bonus, Gratuity, and other statutory obligations

• Coordinate statutory inspections, audits, and compliance reviews.

• Maintain all statutory records and documentation.

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Oversee manpower planning for production, maintenance, engineering, quality, EHS, and support functions.

• Ensure timely hiring of permanent, contractual, and temporary workforce.

• Develop recruitment strategies to support business growth and plant expansion.

• Build talent pipelines for critical plant leadership and technical positions.

Employee Engagement & Welfare

• Drive employee engagement initiatives across shop-floor and staff populations.

• Oversee employee welfare programs including transportation, canteen, housing, medical, and recreational initiatives.

• Promote a positive workplace culture emphasizing trust, collaboration, and accountability.

• Conduct employee communication forums and grievance redressal programs.

Learning & Capability Development

• Identify skill gaps and implement technical and behavioral training programs.

• Drive leadership development programs for supervisors and plant managers.

• Support succession planning for critical manufacturing and leadership positions.

• Facilitate multi-skilling and workforce capability enhancement initiatives.

Performance Management

• Lead performance management processes for plant employees.

• Partner with functional leaders to establish performance goals and productivity targets.

• Facilitate talent reviews and career progression plans.

• Support performance improvement and workforce productivity initiatives.

Compensation & Benefits

• Support compensation benchmarking and wage administration.

• Manage annual wage revisions and incentive schemes.

• Ensure equitable and competitive compensation practices.

• Oversee employee benefits and welfare programs.

HR Operations & Digitalization

• Manage HR operations including attendance, leave administration, payroll inputs, and HRMIS.

• Drive HR process automation and digital transformation initiatives.

• Ensure accuracy of HR data and management reporting.

• Develop dashboards and analytics to support decision-making.

Health, Safety & Workplace Culture

• Partner with EHS teams to promote a strong safety culture.

• Support compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

• Drive employee awareness programs on safety, ethics, and workplace conduct.

• Participate in incident investigations and corrective action planning where required.

• Industrial Relations climate and dispute-free operations

• Employee engagement and retention rates

• Recruitment turnaround time and manpower availability

• Statutory compliance adherence and audit outcomes

• Training and skill development effectiveness

• Employee productivity and absenteeism levels

• Contract labor management effectiveness

• HR process efficiency and digital adoption

• Safety culture and workforce participation initiatives

Requirement

Education

• MBA/PGDM in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Labor Welfare, or equivalent.

• Degree in any discipline from a recognized institution.

• 15–20 years of progressive HR experience in manufacturing, engineering, automotive, FMCG, chemicals, industrial products, or related sectors.

• Strong experience in Industrial Relations and labor law compliance.

• Demonstrated experience managing large blue-collar workforces and unionized environments.

• Experience supporting multi-shift manufacturing operations.

Required Competencies

Functional Competencies

• Industrial Relations & Union Management

• Labor Law Compliance

• Workforce Planning

• Talent Acquisition

• Employee Engagement

• Compensation & Benefits

• HR Operations & Payroll Coordination

• Organizational Development

• Change Management

• HR Analytics & Reporting

Behavioral Competencies

• Leadership & Team Management

• Stakeholder Management

• Negotiation & Conflict Resolution

• Strategic Thinking

• Decision Making

• Problem Solving

• Influencing Skills

• Communication & Interpersonal Effectiveness

• Resilience & Agility