General Manager – Employee Relations

Reporting To: Head – Human Resources

Direct Reports: Factory HR Managers – 7 Biscuit Manufacturing Plants (Non-Unionised)

Location: Dhulagarh (Extensive multi-plant travel)

Role Purpose The General Manager – Employee Relations will spearhead the Employee Relations, Industrial Relations, and Factory HR governance for 7 biscuit manufacturing units. The role is critical in ensuring uninterrupted production, stable industrial relations, statutory excellence, and disciplined workforce management in a high-volume, high-speed, 24x7 FMCG manufacturing environment.

The position demands a leader with deep exposure to food / biscuits / FMCG plants, high contract labour dependency and shop-floor dynamics.

Key Responsibilities

1. Employee & Industrial Relations Leadership

- Drive harmonious ER/IR climate across all manufacturing units.
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with workers, works committees, and shop-floor leadership.
- Proactively anticipate and mitigate ER risks impacting production continuity, especially during peak and festive seasons.
- Lead negotiations, conciliation matters, and dispute resolution with maturity and legal robustness.

2. Workforce Deployment & Productivity Optimization

- Ensure optimal manpower deployment aligned to production plans and line efficiencies.
- Drive productivity-linked initiatives.
- Partner with Operations to improve utilization of human resources across shifts and plants.
- Provide ER inputs during automation, expansion, and restructuring initiatives.

3. Worker Engagement, Training & Culture Building

- Design and drive structured Worker Engagement Programs across all plants.
- Ensure continuity of engagement initiatives to strengthen morale, discipline, and performance ownership.
- Facilitate regular training programs for workers covering:
- Productivity awareness
- Safety & compliance
- Behavioural standards
- Cost and quality alignment




- Develop a solid performance-oriented work culture through frontline leadership presence and consistent messaging.
- Act as an effective orator and communicator, capable of addressing large workforce groups and influencing positive behavioural outcomes.

4. Factory HR Governance & Standardization

- Lead and mentor Factory HR Managers to ensure:
- Strong shop-floor connect
- Proactive grievance management
- Consistent implementation of HR policies
- Uniform disciplinary standards
- Standardize ER and disciplinary practices across factories.
- Monitor ER health through structured dashboards covering absenteeism, attrition, overtime, disputes, productivity, and compliance metrics.
- Ensure strict implementation of HR policies, Standing Orders, and Code of Conduct across all units

5. Contract Labour & Contractor Management

- Provide governance over large contract labour populations.
- Develop reliable contractor networks to ensure seamless manpower availability.
- Ensure full statutory compliance under:
- Contract Labour Act
- Minimum Wages Act
- PF, ESIC, Bonus and wage compliances
- Drive ethical, compliant, and productivity-linked contractor management models.

6. Statutory Compliance & Government Liaison

- Ensure zero-risk statutory compliance across all factories under:
- Factories Act
- Industrial Disputes Act
- Standing Orders
- Food manufacturing-related labour compliances
- Act as senior interface with:
- Labour Department
- Factory Inspectorate
- Local administration and regulatory authorities
- Lead inspections, audits, statutory hearings,



and conciliation proceedings.
- Maintain strong, professional liaison with government officials to safeguard business continuity.

7. Administrative Excellence & Process Simplification

- Review and streamline factory administrative processes to enhance efficiency.
- Implement systems and controls to simplify documentation, reporting, and compliance tracking.
- Enable Admin Officers and HR teams to spend maximum productive time on the shop floor rather than desk-bound administration.
- Drive digitization and system-led governance in factory HR operations.

8. Talent Acquisition & Capability Building (Factory HR)

- Work with Factory HRs to build pipeline of competent professionals from similar FMCG / food manufacturing industries.
- Strengthen hiring standards for shop-floor in alignment with business needs.
- Mentor and develop internal HR talent to build long-term organizational capability.

9. Crisis Management & Business Continuity

- Anticipate and manage ER crises such as:
- Production stoppages
- Labour unrest
- Strike / lockout risks
- Lead calm, decisive resolution during critical business situations.
- Advise leadership on ER risk scenarios linked to expansion, new lines, or mechanization.

Education & Experience

- Post-Graduate in HR / IR / Labour Welfare (mandatory)
- 12–18 years of experience in FMCG / Food Manufacturing
- Strong exposure to:
- Unionized and non-unionized shop-floor environments
- Complex plant operations
- High contract labour dependency
- Multi-plant ER governance

Key Competencies

- Deep expertise in FMCG-specific ER & IR dynamics
- Strong negotiation and conflict management skills
- High shop-floor credibility and frontline leadership presence
- Strong communication and mass-address capability
- Sound statutory and labour law expertise
- Administrative process orientation with systems mindset
- Calm and decisive under pressure

📌 General Manager – Employee Relations (Kolkata)
🏢 SAJ Food Products (P) Ltd(Bisk Farm)
📍 Kolkata