HR Transformation Manager

Role overview

This is a rare, high-impact role for an HR professional who sits at the intersection of technology, process design, and data. We are a 450+ person organization operating across four countries and are entering an exciting phase of growth and transformation. The HR Transformation Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our people function by designing and delivering the systems, processes, and capabilities that enable a modern, scalable, and data-driven HR organization.

This role will architect and lead the implementation of a centralized HRMS, streamline and standardize payroll and core HR processes, establish meaningful people analytics, and drive the adoption of best-in-class HR practices. As the project owner for our HR transformation journey, the HR Transformation Manager will build the foundations that empower our people, support business growth, and create a consistent employee experience across all locations.

In the first 6 months you will lead the Darwinbox implementation end-to-end, design and execute the payroll outsourcing model across four markets, build the HR automation layer, and create the people analytics function from scratch. After stabilisation, this role becomes the permanent owner of HRIS, people data across geographies, and continuous improvement across the HR function.

The three pillars of this role

Pillar 1 — Darwinbox HRMS Implementation

• Act as the internal project manager for the Darwinbox implementation — owning the project plan, vendor relationship, and go-live milestones

• Lead data migration: audit existing employee records across all four markets, cleanse data, and manage the load into Darwinbox

• Configure core modules: Core HR, Leave & Attendance, Payroll (UAE & India), Performance, and Recruitment (ATS)

• Design and document all HR workflows in Darwinbox — onboarding, offboarding, probation, promotion, contract changes

• Train the HR team and people managers across all markets on Darwinbox usage

• Act as system administrator post-go-live: manage user access, module configuration, upgrades, and integration with Finance/payroll

• Serve as the primary liaison with Darwinbox's customer success and technical teams

Pillar 2 — Payroll Outsourcing & Compliance

• Design the payroll outsourcing operating model for all four markets — defining what is outsourced vs retained in-house

• UAE: manage WPS compliance, EOSB/gratuity calculations, GPSSA contributions, and MOL reporting through the payroll vendor

• India: oversee PF, ESIC, TDS, state-wise PT, and LWF through the outsourced payroll provider; manage the monthly reconciliation cycle

• KSA: coordinate Gosi contributions, Nitaqat reporting, and salary certificate requirements through the local payroll agent

• China: manage the FESCO agent relationship — monthly data export, net salary reconciliation, social insurance, and housing fund (Gongjijin)

• Build and own the monthly payroll calendar and cut-off schedule across all markets

• Conduct quarterly payroll audits to ensure statutory accuracy and vendor SLA adherence

• Manage payroll vendor relationships, contracts, and renewals

Pillar 3 — HR Automation & People Analytics

• Map all manual HR processes and identify the highest-value automation opportunities (onboarding workflows, approval chains, document generation, leave management)

• Design and maintain the HR data model — ensuring headcount, payroll cost, and people data are clean, consistent, and audit-ready

• Build the core HR analytics dashboard: headcount by market and function, attrition rate and reasons, cost-per-hire, time-to-fill, payroll cost as % of revenue

• Deliver monthly people metrics report to the Head - HR and quarterly HR scorecard to the CEO and Head - Finance

• Build predictive models over time: attrition risk scoring, workforce demand forecasting, compensation equity analysis

• Support the Head - HR in board-level people reporting — translating HR data into business narrative

What we are looking for

Must-have

• 6–10 years of HR experience with a significant portion in HRIS, HR operations, or HR technology roles
• Hands-on experience implementing an HRMS — Darwinbox, Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or equivalent — as a project lead or core team member
• Deep working knowledge of payroll compliance in at least two of: UAE (WPS/EOSB), India (PF/ESIC/TDS), KSA (Gosi/Nitaqat)
• Strong data skills — Excel/Google Sheets at advanced level; Power BI, Tableau, or Looker for dashboarding
• Demonstrated ability to map and re-engineer HR processes — you have built SOPs, workflows, and automation before
• Project management discipline — comfortable owning a Gantt chart, managing dependencies, and reporting status to senior stakeholders

Good to have

• SQL or Python for data querying and analysis
• Experience in a startup or high-growth scale-up across multiple geographies
• PMP or equivalent project management certification