Cedar is a Forbes ranked global management consulting firm whose heritage includes being part of the founded by the creators of the Balanced Scorecard. Since 1985, Cedar's teams have been assisting clients in areas of strategy, process, strategic human capital, and technology, with a strong focus on the financial services sector www.cedar-consulting.com will tell you more.
Cedar’s group unit, IBS Intelligence (www.ibsintelligence.com), based in the UK has been the definitive source for research, news-analysis and advisory specialized in Financial Technology markets, for over 30 years. Cedar Hill Capital is an independent $20mn FinTech venture capital fund with a sharp lens on B2B FinTech and Financial Services-infrastructure companies. The Cedar FinTech Innovation Lab in Dubai and Mumbai brings banks & technology companies together with an opportunity to access the relevant Middle East and India market opportunity.
Title/ Role: Director - Human Resources Manager
Job Summary:
The HR Manager will serve as the anchor of Cedar's internal people function, working within a small, agile HR team to build and run best-in-class HR practices across Cedar Consulting and the Cedar Group. This is a hands-on, broad role suited to someone who is equally comfortable designing a framework and executing the day-to-day.
You will be the primary HR partner to leadership and staff across the firm, covering the full employee lifecycle. Given Cedar's consulting context, this role also carries responsibilities that are distinct to professional services — including consultant career development, utilisation and staffing, performance calibration, and the particular dynamics of retaining high-performing advisory talent.
Key responsibilities/ deliverables:
Performance Management
Own and continuously improve Cedar's performance review process — goal setting, mid-year check-ins, and year-end appraisals
Support managers in calibration discussions and in delivering high-quality, developmental feedback
Maintain fairness, consistency, and rigour in performance ratings and consequence management
Identify high performers and manage acceleration pathways in coordination with leadership
Manage underperformance processes with appropriate documentation and support
Consultant Career Development
Design and manage structured career frameworks and progression pathways for consulting staff
Coordinate staffing and project allocation in partnership with practice leads, balancing utilisation and development
Support consultant capability building — identifying training needs, curating learning interventions, and tracking development
Run mentoring and buddy programmes to support junior consultant growth
Advise leadership on succession planning and readiness for promotion decisions
Compensation & Benefits
Manage the annual compensation review cycle, including benchmarking, budgeting, and communication
Maintain market competitiveness through regular benchmarking against consulting sector peers
Administer employee benefits and ensure awareness and uptake across the firm
Support leadership on compensation structuring for senior and specialised hires
Employee Relations & Culture
Serve as a trusted, confidential point of contact for employee concerns, grievances, and conflict resolution
Manage disciplinary and grievance processes in line with policy and applicable labour law
Champion a culture of high performance, inclusion, and professional excellence
Run employee engagement surveys, analyse results, and work with leadership on follow-through
Organise firm events, team rituals, and culture-building initiatives that reflect Cedar's identity
HR Operations & Compliance
Maintain accurate employee records, contracts, and HR documentation across all entities
Ensure compliance with applicable labour laws, statutory requirements, and internal policies
Own the HR policy manual — maintaining, updating, and communicating policies as needed
Manage payroll inputs in coordination with Finance, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
Administer HRIS and reporting, providing people data and insights to leadership as needed
Candidate profile:
Experience & Background
At least 8-10 years of HR experience, with meaningful exposure to the full HR generalist remit
Prior experience in a professional services, consulting, or knowledge-intensive firm strongly preferred
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple HR workstreams simultaneously in a lean team environment
Familiarity with Indian labour law and statutory compliance requirements
Experience working with or reporting to senior leadership in a high-expectations environment
Skills & Attributes
High degree of professional maturity — discreet, balanced, and trusted by both leadership and staff
Strong interpersonal and communication skills; able to influence without authority
Detail-oriented and process-driven, with the ability to also think structurally about people systems
Comfortable operating in a lean, agile team where ownership is broad and pace is high
Genuine interest in the consulting industry and in building HR practices that match its rigour