Senior HR Manager - People Operations & Rewards

Pratilipi is a ~300-employee, multi-business, multi-location company with a highly decentralized culture. We value autonomy, ownership, and adult behavior over heavy processes. This role exists to bring operational rigor and risk hygiene to HR operations and compensation — without killing speed or culture. 

1. This is not a policy-heavy HR role. 
2. This is an ownership, judgment, and anticipation role. 

Role Mandate 

Own end-to-end HR Operations, Payroll, and Compensation hygiene for the organization, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and internal fairness — while working within a low-bureaucracy, high-trust environment. 

Key Responsibilities

Payroll & Compliance (Non-Negotiable Ownership)

1. Own monthly payroll end-to-end (vendor managed, internally accountable)
2. Ensure zero-surprise payroll outcomes
3. Own statutory compliance: PF, ESI, TDS, Form 16, gratuity, labour law filings
4. Maintain audit-ready documentation
5. Act as single escalation owner

Compensation & Rewards Hygiene

1. Own offer structuring and CTC design
2. Ensure internal parity logic
3. Support appraisal cycles (math, execution, governance)
4. Partner on increments, role changes, and PIPs (process lens)
5. Flag compensation risks early

HR Operations & Lifecycle Governance

1. Own onboarding-to-exit operational hygiene
2. Build lightweight systems suitable for a decentralized culture
3. Identify risk patterns before escalation
4. Reduce vendor dependency by building internal clarity

Founder & Finance Interface

1. Work closely with Finance on payroll accuracy & budgeting inputs
2. Translate leadership intent into workable guardrails
3. Push back respectfully when risk emerges

What This Role Is NOT 

● Not an HRBP role 

● Not a policy-rewriting exercise 

● Not a “do-as-told” execution role 

What Success Looks Like 

● No recurring payroll or compliance issues 

● Leadership confidence in compensation and payroll hygiene 

● Clear visibility into comp risks without heavy processes 

● Employees trust that HR operations “just work” 

Ideal Profile 

● Minimum 7 years experience in HR Operations / Compensation / Payroll

● Prior experience in growth-stage Indian startups 

● Has personally owned payroll and compliance (not just coordinated)

● Strong understanding of Indian labour laws and taxation 

● Comfortable operating in ambiguity and decentralized environments 

● Willing to push back — respectfully — on founders, finance, and vendors

● High judgment, low ego, strong ownership mindset 

● Zero entitlement - Willing to do any grunt work

What We Value 

● Judgment over checklists 

● Ownership over escalation 

● Anticipation over reaction 

● Simplicity over bureaucracy