| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Human Resources |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | HR Head |
| Direct reports | HR Manager, Assistant HR Manager, Senior HR Executive, HR Executive |
| Experience | 10 to 14 years in HR, with 3 or more years leading an HR team for a location or business unit |
Senior HR Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Senior HR Manager
Department: Human Resources
Reports to: HR Head
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Senior HR Manager runs HR for a large location, business unit or division and leads a team of HR managers and executives. The role covers the full employee lifecycle for that unit, from manpower planning and hiring to performance cycles, employee relations, compliance and exits, and serves as the unit head's main HR adviser. It usually reports to the HR Head or DGM HR. A good Senior HR Manager solves most people problems inside the unit and escalates only what needs a policy decision.
Key responsibilities
- Agree the unit's yearly manpower plan with its head, and compare sanctioned with actual headcount at every month end.
- Lead a team of HR managers and executives, assign process owners and review open work in a weekly HR meeting.
- Oversee hiring for the unit, sit on final interviews for manager roles and approve offers within delegated limits.
- Run the unit's appraisal cycle from goal setting through mid-year reviews and rating moderation to increment proposals.
- Handle escalated grievances, disciplinary cases and performance improvement plans, and make sure each is fair and fully documented.
- Check that the unit's attendance, leave and payroll inputs are closed accurately and on time every month.
- Audit compliance for the unit, including PF, ESI, professional tax and contractor obligations, and fix gaps before external audits.
- Study attrition and exit interview data for the unit, and agree retention actions with each department head.
- Coach line managers on HR policy, difficult conversations and team problems, and brief them whenever a policy changes.
- Represent the unit in company-wide HR projects such as policy revisions, HR system rollouts and engagement surveys.
Requirements
- MBA, PGDM or MPM in HR
- Graduate in any discipline
- A certification in labour law or HR analytics is an advantage
- 10 to 14 years in HR, with 3 or more years leading an HR team for a location or business unit
KRAs and KPIs for a Senior HR Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Headcount versus plan | Actual headcount within 3 percent of sanctioned headcount at every month end |
| Unit attrition | Voluntary attrition within the unit's annual target, reviewed monthly |
| Appraisal completion | All unit appraisals and rating moderation completed by the company deadline |
| Case handling | Escalated grievances and disciplinary cases closed within 30 days, with complete records |
| Payroll input accuracy | Zero salary corrections caused by late or wrong inputs from the unit |
| HR team capability | Every HR team member has a development plan and takes ownership of at least one new process during the year |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: HRMS, MS Excel, Applicant tracking system, EPFO and ESIC portals, MS PowerPoint.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: DGM HR, HR Head, AVP HR
Interview questions for a Senior HR Manager
- How would you divide work in an HR team of four serving a unit of 800 people?
- A department head wants to terminate someone rated average last year. What do you ask for first?
- How would you run a rating moderation meeting with 12 department heads?
- Tell us about a policy change that upset employees. How did you handle the rollout?
- Unit attrition rose from 12 to 20 percent in a year. What would you do in the next quarter?
- How do you check the monthly attendance and payroll inputs of 800 people in a short window?
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What does a senior HR manager do?
A senior HR manager leads HR for a location, business unit or division. They plan manpower, oversee hiring, run the appraisal cycle, handle escalated grievances and discipline, audit compliance, analyse attrition and coach line managers, while leading a team of HR managers and executives who run daily operations.
What is the difference between a senior HR manager and an HR manager?
An HR manager usually runs HR processes for a team, office or smaller unit, often hands-on. A senior HR manager owns HR outcomes for a larger unit, leads other HR managers, advises the unit head on structure and people decisions, and handles the cases that HR managers escalate. The senior role is judged more on results such as attrition and headcount versus plan.
How many years of experience do you need to become a senior HR manager?
Most companies expect 10 to 14 years of HR experience, including a few years managing an HR team. Candidates usually move up from HR manager or HR business partner roles after handling a full appraisal cycle, disciplinary cases and statutory audits for a sizeable unit on their own.