Vansun - Senior Associate Director - HR - IIM / ISB / XLRI / FMS

Role : Senior Associate Director, HR

• Experience : 6-8 years in HR / People Ops, with proven experience in a high-growth startup or entrepreneurial environment. Direct exposure to building HR systems from scratch (rather than only running existing processes).
• Work mode : Onsite - Gurgaon
• Education : Master's degree from a top-tier B-school (IIM, ISB, XLRI, FMS, or equivalent elite global institutions).

Why this role exists :

Vansun has interests across Auto (91Wheels), Astro (91Astro), Fintech (Drivio), and Media (Unicorn Tech Media) businesses. We value bold thinking, transparency, and real, tangible impact both in our business and in our culture.

The ideal candidate for this role would be more than a process keeper or enforcer. We are looking for a builder : Clear OKRs, fair performance reviews, meritocratic thinking, and above all, a culture rooted in integrity and ownership. The Senior HR Manager will work side-by-side with the founder and leaders to not only advocate for employees, but also hold all of us, including leadership, to high standards.

What you'll do :

1. Design from First Principles : Create OKRs, KPIs, review systems, hiring and onboarding frameworks, and conflict mediation protocols for scale. No "one-size-fits-all" playbooks.

2. Drive Accountability : Ensure every role, at every level, has clarity on goals and standards. Call out and fix vague, unfair, or counter-productive structures.

3. Champion High Integrity : Surface uncomfortable truths and ethical blind spots without fear or favour, whether it's among founders, managers, or team members. Foster an environment where trust and transparency win over politics and blame.

4. Deliver Tough Feedback, Kindly : You're expected to have candid, compassionate, and sometimes difficult conversations with both founders and staff.

5. Align People Practices to Business Impact : Every process or decision you propose directly connects to our business outcome : retention, productivity, revenue, or morale. You explain thinking simply, and persuade via clarity, not jargon.

6. Model Maturity & Ownership : Set the tone : Own mistakes, learn fast, lead by example. No drama, no blame-shifting.

You Must Have :

1. Strong builder's mindset : Hands-on experience in creating HR / process systems in chaotic, rapid-growth environments.

2. Demonstrated energy, drive, and comfort with high stakes and ambiguity.

3. Uncompromising ethics with clear stories / examples of doing what's right under pressure.

4. Serious people skills : Ability to inspire, push back, and build influence across founder-led teams and smart young talent.

5. Courage and Candor : Upward and lateral feedback, not just downward.

6. Maturity and self-awareness : Admits mistakes, learns quickly, avoids drama.

7. Real business partnership focus : Thinks like an operator, not just a process enforcer.

Shortlisting Filters We Apply :

1. Clear evidence of startup / high-growth HR experience.

2. Examples of building (not just managing) systems from scratch.

3. Experience with OKR / KPI implementation.

4. Innovation and impact stories : Retention, morale, culture, not just operations.

5. B-school pedigree (IIM, ISB, XLRI, FMS, global equivalents).

(ref : iimjobs.com)