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Regional HR Head- Kochi (Diversity Preferred)

Kerala Permanent View Job Description
The GM - HR (South India) will be responsible for leading the full HR charter across the region, particularly Kerala, which includes 200+ retail units and ~1,800-1,900 employees. The role demands a blend of strategic HR leadership, hands-on execution, and strong stakeholder management.
  • Opportunity to lead HR for a large volume of business
  • High Ownership role

About Our Client

Our client is a fast-growing, multi-location retail chain with a deep presence across South India. With strong business momentum and continuous expansion, they are looking to hire a dynamic senior HR leader to drive people strategy, employee relations, and operational excellence across their South India footprint.

This is a diversity-focused leadership mandate.

Job Description

1. Regional HR Leadership

  • Lead the HR function across South India, ensuring alignment with business strategy and organisational goals.
  • Drive HR transformation initiatives to support scale, efficiency, and employee experience.
  • Provide strategic input to the Group Head - HR and business leadership on people priorities.



2. Industrial Relations & Compliance

  • Manage IR matters proactively across Kerala and South India.
  • Ensure statutory compliance, risk mitigation, and strong union/employee relations.
  • Build IR capability within regional HR teams.



3. HR Operations & Execution

  • Oversee employee life-cycle management, HR operations, and people processes across 200+ locations.
  • Strengthen systems, SOPs, and governance to support a high-velocity operational environment.
  • Drive improvements in productivity, policy adherence, and service delivery.



4. Talent & Engagement

  • Partner with business to drive talent planning, capability building, and workforce optimisation.
  • Implement engagement, retention, and culture programs that support frontline and corporate teams.
  • Lead succession planning and development initiatives for high-potential talent.



5. Stakeholder & Business Partnering

  • Act as a trusted advisor to regional leaders, cluster heads, and operations teams.
  • Drive people decisions through strong influence, data-backed insights, and commercial understanding.
  • Build strong relationships across geographies and diverse business units.



6. Team Leadership

  • Lead and develop a team of 17-18 HR members across HRBP, HR Ops, and field HR roles.
  • Build a high-performance, business-aligned HR team with strong execution capability.



The Successful Applicant

Preferred Candidate Profile

  • Female candidates strongly preferred as part of the organisation's diversity charter.
  • 8-10+ years of experience in HR, with exposure to high-velocity, heavy-operations environments.
  • Background from sectors such as retail, hospitals, sales-heavy organisations, dealerships, FMCG, logistics/warehousing, or similar multi-site businesses.
  • Strong IR experience, especially within Kerala, is highly desirable.
  • Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and navigate complex field environments.
  • High energy, strategic mindset, and ability to drive change in a fast-growing business.
  • Willingness to travel extensively across South India.



What's on Offer

Opportunity to work for a growing organisation

Quote job ref
JN-122025-6903784

Job summary

Function
Human Resources
Sub Sector
HR Generalist
What is your area of specialisation?
Retail
Location
Kerala
Job Type
Permanent
Job Reference
JN-122025-6903784

Diversity & Inclusion at Michael Page

We don't just accept difference - we celebrate it. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply for this role and are committed to building inclusive, diverse workplaces where everyone can thrive. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.