Head of Human Resources - Retail

SHR GLOBAL · Islamabad, Pakistan

Position: Head of Human Resources - Retail Operations

Department: Human Resources

Position: Head of Human Resources

Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Employment Type: Full-Time, On-site

Industry: Retail / Consumer Electronics

Role Purpose

The Head of Human Resources will lead the organization’s overall people strategy, ensuring that HR initiatives are aligned with business objectives, operational priorities, and long-term organizational growth.

This role requires a commercially astute HR leader with substantial experience in retail or other large-scale, customer-facing operations, capable of building a high-performing workforce, strengthening organizational capability, driving a performance-oriented culture, and ensuring consistent HR practices across multiple locations.

The successful candidate will serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and senior leadership team, translating business priorities into effective people strategies while maintaining operational excellence, workforce productivity, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic HR Leadership

• Develop and execute the overall HR strategy in alignment with business goals and organizational growth plans.
• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership team on workforce strategy, organizational design, succession planning, and people-related business decisions.
• Establish HR policies, frameworks, and processes that promote accountability, consistency, and operational effectiveness.
• Provide strategic advice on organizational capability, leadership effectiveness, employee productivity, and change management.

2. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Lead the end-to-end recruitment strategy for corporate, managerial, technical, retail, and frontline positions.
• Develop workforce plans in line with business expansion, operational requirements, and budgetary considerations.
• Build effective talent pipelines for leadership and business-critical positions through executive search, succession planning, and proactive talent mapping.
• Strengthen employer branding, recruitment efficiency, selection quality, and hiring‑manager accountability.
• Establish recruitment metrics, including time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, hiring quality, and workforce availability.

3. Retail HR & Multi-Location Operations

• Oversee HR operations across retail outlets, regional operations, warehouses, and corporate functions, as applicable.
• Develop standardized processes for attendance, shift scheduling, leave management, employee documentation, transfers, and separation.
• Partner with retail and operational leadership to address staffing gaps, absenteeism, turnover, workforce productivity, and employee relations.
• Ensure consistent implementation of HR policies while accommodating legitimate operational requirements across locations.
• Build effective communication and coordination between corporate HR and frontline management.

4. Performance Management & Organizational Development

• Design and oversee performance management systems linked to measurable business and individual objectives.
• Establish clear performance expectations, review cycles, development plans, and accountability mechanisms.
• Identify organizational capability gaps and implement leadership development, employee training, and succession initiatives.
• Support management in building a high-performance culture based on merit, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

5. Employee Relations & Engagement

• Lead employee relations, grievance management, disciplinary processes, investigations, and conflict resolution.
• Establish fair, consistent, and documented procedures for employee concerns and workplace issues.
• Drive employee engagement, retention, internal communication, and initiatives that strengthen organizational culture.
• Advise leadership on sensitive employee matters, workplace conduct, and appropriate corrective actions.

6. Compensation, Benefits & HR Administration

• Oversee compensation structures, salary reviews, benefits administration, payroll coordination, and employee-related budgeting.
• Ensure equitable compensation practices, appropriate job grading, and alignment with market benchmarks.
• Establish effective HR documentation, employee records management, HRIS utilization, and reporting systems.
• Monitor headcount, payroll costs, overtime, employee turnover, and other workforce-related financial indicators.

7. Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure HR policies and practices comply with applicable Pakistani labour laws, employment requirements, and statutory obligations.
• Oversee employment contracts, personnel files, attendance and leave records, disciplinary documentation, and separation procedures.
• Identify employment-related risks and establish appropriate controls, documentation standards, and audit practices.
• Maintain confidentiality, data integrity, procedural fairness, and ethical standards in all HR matters.
• Develop and present regular HR dashboards and management reports covering workforce costs, recruitment, turnover, absenteeism, retention, and performance.
• Use people analytics to identify trends, operational risks, and opportunities for improved workforce effectiveness.
• Review HR processes and implement practical improvements that enhance service delivery, cost efficiency, and employee experience.
• Establish measurable HR objectives and report progress against agreed organizational priorities.

Candidate Profile

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or a related discipline.
• MBA or a relevant postgraduate qualification will be preferred.

Experience

• Approximately 10–15 years of progressive HR experience, including substantial experience in senior HR leadership or management.
• Demonstrated experience in retail, consumer electronics, FMCG, or other large-scale, multi-location and customer-facing businesses.
• Proven ability to lead HR strategy while maintaining hands‑on oversight of HR operations.
• Experience managing diverse workforces, including corporate employees, frontline staff, sales teams, and operational personnel.
• Prior exposure to established retail organizations such as Imtiaz, Carrefour, Chase Up, Service, Bata, or comparable businesses will be advantageous.

Core Competencies

• Strategic business partnering and executive-level stakeholder management
• Retail workforce planning and operational HR leadership
• Talent acquisition and executive search
• Employee relations, conflict resolution, and policy governance
• Performance management and organizational development
• Compensation planning, HR analytics, and cost management
• Change management, leadership development, and succession planning
• Sound judgment, discretion, negotiation, and decision‑making

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Workforce stability and reduction in regrettable employee turnover
• Recruitment effectiveness, time-to-fill, and quality of hire
• Workforce cost management and headcount planning accuracy
• Employee engagement and grievance-resolution effectiveness
• Performance management completion and improvement in workforce productivity
• Compliance with HR policies, labour requirements, and documentation standards
• Leadership pipeline strength and succession readiness
• Consistency and effectiveness of HR service delivery across locations

The organization’s identity will be disclosed to shortlisted candidates at the appropriate stage of the recruitment process.