Head of HR (for University)

GenZ Talent is recruiting on behalf of a leading university in Islamabad for the position of Head of Human Resources. This role requires a seasoned HR leader to manage the full spectrum of human resources functions across multiple campuses. The successful candidate will partner closely with executive leadership to align HR strategies with the university’s goals, fostering a high-performing and future-ready workforce. Regular travel between campuses is an essential part of this role to ensure consistent HR service delivery and engagement.

Key Responsibilities

HR Strategy & Leadership: Develop and implement HR strategies aligned with organizational objectives. Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on all people-related matters. Lead the HR function across campuses, driving continuous improvement and building a high-performing HR team.

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning: Design and execute talent acquisition strategies for academic, administrative, and leadership roles. Oversee workforce planning, manpower budgeting, and succession planning. Enhance employer branding and recruitment processes, and manage onboarding and probation periods.

Performance Management: Establish and manage a comprehensive performance management framework, including goal-setting, performance reviews, and improvement plans. Promote a culture of accountability and high performance.

Learning & Development: Create leadership development and succession programs. Identify organizational capability gaps and training needs. Oversee employee learning, professional development, and career progression initiatives.

Compensation, Benefits & Rewards: Develop and review compensation structures and conduct salary benchmarking. Manage employee benefits, incentives, rewards, and recognition programs to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.

Employee Relations: Lead employee engagement and organizational culture initiatives. Handle grievance management, disciplinary actions, investigations, and conflict resolution. Foster positive employee relations across all campuses.

Organizational Development & Change Management: Drive organizational design, restructuring, and workforce transformation efforts. Lead change management programs to support institutional growth and promote leadership effectiveness.

HR Operations & Administration: Oversee HR policies, SOPs, employee records, contracts, and documentation. Ensure efficient HR operations, process standardization, and lead HR digital transformation and HRIS optimization.

Compliance & Governance: Ensure compliance with Pakistani labor laws and regulatory requirements. Develop and update HR policies in line with legal and organizational standards. Manage HR audits and compliance reporting.

Payroll & HR Analytics: Supervise payroll coordination, attendance, leave management, and employee lifecycle processes. Monitor HR metrics, workforce analytics, and dashboards to provide strategic, data-driven insights.

Health, Safety & Employee Wellbeing: Promote employee wellbeing initiatives and wellness programs. Support workplace health, safety, and risk management practices.

Stakeholder Management: Collaborate with senior leadership, academic heads, and departmental leaders on strategic workforce initiatives. Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Travel regularly across campuses to maintain consistent HR engagement.

Required Qualifications

A Master’s degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration, or a related field is required, with an MBA preferred. Candidates should hold professional HR certifications such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CIPD, or equivalent, which will be considered an advantage. The role demands 12 to 15+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least five years in a senior leadership position. Proven expertise in managing comprehensive HR functions within large, complex organizations is essential.

Candidates must demonstrate strong knowledge of talent acquisition, organizational development, compensation and benefits, employee relations, payroll oversight, performance management, learning and development, and HR compliance. A thorough understanding of Pakistani labor laws and HR best practices is critical. Experience in leading organizational change, culture transformation, and strategic workforce planning is required. Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills are essential. Experience in higher education or similarly large multi-site organizations is highly desirable. Proficiency with HRIS, Microsoft Office, and HR analytics tools is expected.

Preferred Qualifications and Attributes

The ideal candidate will be a strategic, visionary, and results-driven HR leader with strong business acumen and exceptional people leadership skills. Integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality are paramount. The ability to influence executive leadership and drive organizational transformation is crucial. Willingness to travel regularly across university campuses is necessary to fulfill the role effectively.