Senior HR Manager — India GCC Setup - Asset & Wealth Management

About the Organisation

A prominent UK-headquartered Asset & Wealth Management firm is establishing a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, India under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. This GCC will serve as a strategic operational hub supporting the firm's global workforce across the UK, EMEA, APAC, and Americas.

As the centre scales from inception to full operational maturity, a senior HR leader is needed to build the people infrastructure from the ground up shaping culture, capability, and the employee experience that will define this GCC for years to come.

Please Note Mandatory Requirement

Candidates without direct HR experience within Asset Management or Wealth Management will not be considered for this role. An understanding of the regulatory environment, talent landscape, and people dynamics within AWM is essential. You must bring domain credibility alongside HR leadership capability.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Senior HR Manager with a proven track record in the Asset & Wealth Management sector to lead all people and culture activity for this greenfield GCC. This is a strategic, hands-on leadership role you will not be inheriting an established HR function. You will be building one.

You will work in close partnership with the Senior Delivery Lead and global HR leadership in the UK, serving as the HR authority for the India centre while ensuring alignment to the firm's global people strategy, values, and regulatory obligations.

Key Responsibilities

GCC People Strategy & Setup

• Design and implement the HR operating model for the Hyderabad GCC from inception through to steady state
• Develop the people strategy in alignment with the BOT model covering talent acquisition, onboarding, development, and retention
• Partner with global HR leadership to localise the firm's people frameworks, policies, and practices for the India market
• Build the HR function infrastructure including HRIS, payroll, compliance documentation, and employee lifecycle processes

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Lead senior hiring across all GCC functions in partnership with Talent Acquisition, with a strong focus on AWM-domain capability
• Define workforce planning models aligned to the GCC's phased growth trajectory
• Build employer brand presence in Hyderabad's competitive financial services talent market
• Ensure hiring practices comply with local employment law and the firm's global diversity and inclusion standards

Employee Relations & Culture

• Establish a positive, inclusive, and high-performance culture from day one
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all employee relations matters across the GCC
• Develop and embed engagement frameworks, feedback mechanisms, and recognition programmes
• Champion psychological safety, wellbeing, and a culture aligned to the parent firm's global values

Performance & Organisational Development

• Design and implement performance management frameworks suited to a GCC environment
• Partner with functional leaders to build capability development programmes and learning pathways
• Support leadership development and succession planning as the centre matures
• Drive organisational design conversations as headcount scales across functions

Compliance & HR Governance

• Ensure full compliance with Indian employment law, statutory obligations, and labour regulations
• Maintain alignment with the firm's global HR policies, audit requirements, and regulatory standards relevant to Asset & Wealth Management
• Manage HR risk including documentation, grievance handling, disciplinary processes, and exit management
• Provide regular HR reporting and people metrics to global leadership and the GCC programme governance structure

Global HR Partnership

• Serve as the India HR lead within the firm's global HR community
• Collaborate with UK and regional HR teams to ensure consistency in policy, compensation benchmarking, and employee experience
• Contribute to global HR initiatives as the voice of the India centre

What We're Looking For

Must Have

• 12+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant tenure at a senior HR manager or HR Business Partner level
• Asset Management or Wealth Management domain experience non-negotiable mandatory requirement
• Proven experience setting up or significantly scaling an HR function within a GCC, captive centre, or offshore delivery environment
• Deep understanding of Indian employment law, statutory compliance, and HR regulatory requirements
• Experience partnering with global HR teams across multiple geographies UK, EMEA, APAC, or Americas
• Strong track record across the full HR lifecycle talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, L&D, and organisational design
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills comfortable engaging with C-suite and senior global leaders
• Strong data literacy able to use people analytics to inform decisions and present insights to leadership
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting HR through a BOT or managed services transition
• Exposure to AWM-specific regulatory requirements impacting HR SM&CR, FCA conduct rules, or equivalent
• Familiarity with HRIS platforms (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or similar)
• Experience working within a matrix reporting structure across UK head office and local operations
• Relevant HR qualifications CIPD, SHRM, or equivalent