Associate Director - HRIS

About the Opportunity

Emeritus is partnering with global universities to facilitate world-class global education in India. In alignment with the latest UGC mandates and the NEP 2020 framework, we are establishing Joint Ventures (JVs) to launch seven world-class foreign university campuses across India.

We are seeking a seasoned HR Technology leader to drive the digital backbone of this massive initiative. This is a greenfield opportunity to design, deploy, and manage the HR infrastructure for these seven distinct entities while integrating them into a cohesive central ecosystem.

Role Purpose

The Associate Director – HRIS will act as the principal architect and transformation lead for the organization’s multi-entity expansion. You will lead the design, configuration, and implementation of HR System across 7 new university setups, ensuring seamless integration with our central HRMS.

The Strategic Evolution:

Initially, this role focuses on Implementation & Architecture. Post-implementation, this role will evolve into a Group HRMS Centre of Excellence (CoE). You will transition into a strategic internal consultant, taking over Application Management Services (AMS) for the parent company and JVs—effectively replacing external partners and building an in-house HRMS team.

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- Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Architecture

· Standardization vs. Localization:
Define the global HR tech standards (taxonomy, data models) while configuring localized workflows specific to the academic and operational needs of each university.

· Governance:
Establish data privacy, security protocols, and role-based access controls (RBAC) compliant with Indian (DPDP Act) and Global standards.

2. Implementation Leadership (The Build Phase)

· End-to-End Deployment:
Lead the full lifecycle implementation of Darwinbox for the 7 JVs—from scoping and blueprinting to UAT, Go-Live, and Hyper-care.

· Process Harmonization:
Map and re-engineer HR processes to ensure they fit the digital environment, ensuring consistency across all campuses.

· Stakeholder Management:
Act as the bridge between the Central HR Team, JV Partners, and University Leadership to align system capabilities with business goals.

3. Integration & Interoperability

· Ecosystem Connectivity:
Manage complex API integrations between Darwinbox and third-party systems, including:

o Campus Management / Student Information Systems

o Finance & ERP Systems o Learning Management Systems (LMS)

o Identity & Access Management (IAM)

o Recruitment & Background Verification Systems

o Payroll Systems

· Data Integrity:
Ensure unified data standards to facilitate real-time people analytics and dashboards across all entities.

4. Strategic Evolution:
Internal AMS & CoE (The Growth Phase)

· In-Housing AMS:
Transition the organization away from external AMS partners. You will become the internal "Managed Services Partner," handling support, upgrades, and feature optimization for the Parent Company and all JVs.

· Cost Optimization:
Drive ROI by centralizing HR tech support and removing external consultancy costs.

· Team Building:
Scale the function by hiring, mentoring, and leading a team of HRMS analysts and administrators to support the expanding ecosystem.

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- Candidate Profile

Experience &

Education:

· 8–10 years of functional and technical experience in HRMS.

· MBA in HR, IT, or a related field is preferred.

Technical

Competencies:

· Preferred:
Darwinbox Expertise - Deep, hands-on experience with Darwinbox configuration, implementation, and modules

· Implementation Lifecycle:
Proven track record of leading at least 2–3 full-lifecycle HRMS implementations in a multi-entity or shared services environment.

· Integration Knowledge:
Strong understanding of APIs, SFTP, middleware, and data synchronization protocols.

Behavioral

Competencies:

· Architect Mindset:
Ability to see the "big picture" of how 7 different entities connect to a central parent.

· Agility:
Comfortable working in a setup that involves new JVs and cross-border collaboration.

· Consultative Approach:
Ability to translate technical constraints into business solutions for C-suite stakeholders (CHRO, CXOs, JV Boards)