People & Culture Manager

52% of the world can’t access essential healthcare: we’re a business that does something about it. Join us. 

 

We focus on access to health products and services in emerging markets through a three-part model; focusing on collecting insights on community’s health needs, running targeted health campaigns (education, screening, etc) and managing the distribution of a range of essential medicines and health products.  

Why work with us? We are challenging established business norms, with a new value proposition to build a socially-minded business model for half the planet. You get to be creative, move fast, own truly important things, grow, learn, and help people. We’re not a charity, we are redesigning how affordable healthcare is delivered through truly innovative business and service delivery models. 
 

We already work with over half of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and have footholds in markets across Southeast Asia, India and Africa. We will be expanding rapidly over the next year and entering a number of new regions and markets.
 

Who are we looking for? 

Title: People & Culture Manager 

Arrangement: Full-time 

Location: Mumbai, India 

Reporting to: Group People & Culture Manager / COO 

Company Link: www.reach52.com

Role Overview 

reach52 is looking for a People & Culture Manager to own the people agenda for our India operations. This is a senior generalist role with real ownership across people operations, compliance, culture, performance, and compensation. You will work closely with the Group P&C Manager, the Finance Manager, and the Global Operations team to ensure our India people practices are consistent, compliant, and reflective of who we are as an organisation. 

Key Responsibilities 

People Operations & SOPs 

• Own and maintain India people operations end-to-end: contracts, employment documentation, policy adherence, and HR records. 

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve People & Culture SOPs for India, aligned with global standards set by the Group P&C Manager. 

• Manage HR tools and systems to ensure accuracy and transparency of people data across the India team. 

• Support the Global Operations team on India-specific people matters, providing clear and practical guidance. 

Labour Compliance 

• Maintain a thorough working knowledge of Indian labour codes and employment regulations, and ensure all people practices are fully compliant. 

• Work closely with the Finance Manager on payroll compliance, statutory contributions (PF, ESI, PT), and contractor arrangements. 

• Review and advise on all employment and contractor agreements to ensure alignment with applicable Indian labour law. 

• Monitor regulatory changes proactively and update policies and agreements as . 

Culture & Engagement 

• Own reach52's culture agenda for India — not just champion it, but actively shape it. 

• Design and run engagement initiatives and pulse surveys; analyse results and drive meaningful follow-through. 

• Create moments of connection for a distributed India team and ensure reach52's values are lived, not just stated. 

• Partner with leadership to embed inclusion, wellbeing, and diversity into everyday ways of working. 

• Flag people or culture concerns early and work constructively with leadership to address them. 

Performance & Compensation 

• Own the performance cycle for India: goal-setting, mid-year and year-end reviews, calibration, and feedback processes. 

• Ensure performance processes are understood, consistently applied, and completed on time across the India team. 

• Manage compensation and benefits for India: benchmarking, annual review cycles, and ensuring equity across the team. 

• Work with the Finance Manager and Group P&C Manager on compensation proposals and headcount planning. 

Onboarding 

• Design and run a structured onboarding experience for all new joiners in India, ensuring they are set up for success from day one. 

• Coordinate joining formalities, documentation, system access, and induction schedules. 

• Gather feedback from new joiners and continuously improve the onboarding process. 

Talent Acquisition (approx. 20% of role) 

• Support hiring for senior or specialist India roles that sit outside the remit of the dedicated recruiter. 

• Partner with the recruiter and hiring managers to ensure a consistent, high-quality candidate experience. 

• Contribute to reach52's employer brand efforts in India in collaboration with the Group P&C Manager. 
  

Qualifications & Experience 

• 6+ years of progressive HR or people operations experience, with demonstrable experience advising on Indian labour law compliance. 

• Solid understanding of Indian employment regulations, labour codes, and statutory requirements (PF, ESI, PT, Shops & Establishments Act). 

• Proven track record of owning culture, engagement, and performance processes, not just supporting them. 

• Experience managing compensation and benefits benchmarking and review cycles. 

• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, global, and distributed environment. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to work across functions and seniority levels. 

• Experience in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, or life sciences sector preferred. 

• Prior experience in a startup or SME environment preferred.