Nurus Saba

Spearheading HR transformation for a newly demerged EPC entity of the Bajaj Group. Built foundational people practices, scaled operations, and institutionalized governance across project and corporate locations.

Talent Acquisition

· Scaled the organization from 500 to 1500 employees across Engineering, QA/QC, Safety, Commercial, and Project roles.

· Implemented a zonal hiring model to address remote and project-based closures; led 70% direct sourcing through vendor re-alignment and referrals.

· Reduced time-to-hire by 40% with bi-weekly hiring reviews, driving closure speed and quality.

Organization Design & Team Building

· Built the HR team from scratch across site and corporate; established HRBP model and aligned org structure.

· Led realignment of reporting layers and manpower planning post-demerger; created site-wise HR coordination points.

Policy, Process & Governance

· Rolled out 15+ policies (e.g., Travel, Code of Conduct, Grievance, R&R, Site Discipline) to strengthen governance and accountability.

· Launched structured grievance redressal and disciplinary frameworks aligned to statutory mandates.

HR Technology & Lifecycle Digitization

· Deployed HRMS platform (SuccessFactors) across onboarding to exit; introduced real-time dashboards for onboarding, exit and attrition monitoring.

· Built the data backbone for manpower analytics, attrition, and deployment planning.

Engagement & Compliance

· Rolled out monthly site engagement calendar focused on safety, well-being, and morale-building initiatives.

• Company Overview: Fintech Startup
• As a core member of Simpl’s growth journey, I led the complete HR charter—from blueprint to execution—while scaling the org 3X in less than two years. I architected people practices that were agile, tech-enabled, and culture-deep, in sync with founder expectations and investor milestones.
• Built HR from scratch in a high-growth fintech; set up in-house sourcing, recruiter KPIs, and structured SLAs.
• Scaled from 80 to 300+ employees across tech, product, finance, and support functions with a 72% offer-to-join ratio.
• Reduced hiring TAT by 45% and cost per hire by 40% through interview design, pipeline management, and data tracking.
• Anchored founder and leadership hiring with strong focus on candidate experience.
• Launched ‘Simpluse’, an internal eNPS and pulse check program (92% participation) to drive feedback-to-action cycles.
• Initiated stay interviews, job rotations, and skip-level meetings—contributing to a 15% drop in attrition.
• Led internal comms revamp, set up monthly all-hands, and created transparent grievance channels.
• Defined company values with leadership and embedded them through rituals, storytelling, and manager-led engagement.
• Built 30-60-90 day onboarding journey and new hire academies tailored to each function.
• Rolled out manager toolkits, feedback playbooks, and learning pods to scale behavioral and functional skills.
• Designed and piloted leadership assimilation programs for first-time managers and high-potentials.
• Defined org structure, job architecture, and leveling matrix across all teams.
• Partnered with functional heads to build career pathways and succession maps for critical roles.
• Established performance review and calibration systems using scorecards and 9-box frameworks.
• Built internal compensation bands benchmarked to market; drove pay equity and pay transparency.
• Designed Simpl’s R&R charter with spot awards, value-aligned recognition, and team incentives.
• Recognized by ET HR Forum for innovation in benefits design and internal parity structure.
• Led implementation of Darwinbox HRMS across modules—recruitment, performance, leave, and feedback.
• Automated lifecycle workflows and built real-time dashboards for data-led decision-making.
• Authored and rolled out 20+ policies covering POSH, grievance, remote work, and digital onboarding.
• Fintech Startup

• Company Overview: Global Travel & Logistics Firm
• Led the India HR function for a global travel and logistics company, overseeing all facets of HR including talent acquisition, compliance, employee experience, and business partnering. Positioned HR as a strategic enabler of organizational goals while embedding scalable practices during growth and change.
• Rebuilt TA engine to support national hiring for sales, operations, and corporate functions.
• Closed 300+ roles across levels with an 80% offer-to-join ratio through sourcing transformation.
• Launched an internal mobility program that reduced hiring costs by 40% and strengthened internal career progression.
• Designed engagement playbook across locations, integrating monthly R&R, wellness sessions, and leadership connects.
• Instituted quarterly skip-level meetings and engagement surveys to strengthen upward feedback.
• Defined and cascaded organizational values into onboarding, performance, and team rituals.
• Rolled out function-specific learning tracks for customer service, travel tech, and sales effectiveness.
• Facilitated learning needs assessments and external partnerships for capability building.
• Streamlined performance management cycle with OKR adoption and role clarity workshops.
• Partnered with leadership to realign team structures and reporting for improved accountability.
• Benchmarked comp structures and introduced differentiated rewards tied to performance and tenure.
• Implemented a recognition calendar including peer awards, long-service, and cross-functional accolades.
• Drove consistent HR operations across India sites, ensuring full statutory compliance.
• Owned payroll, grievance handling, and digitization of employee records.
• Introduced HR dashboards for monthly workforce reviews with leadership.
• Global Travel & Logistics Firm

• Company Overview: Early-stage Startup
• Joined as the first HR hire for a rapidly growing startup in the media-tech space. Built foundational HR practices and business partnerships from scratch, driving both culture and compliance during the company’s scale-up from 25 to 150 employees.
• Established the entire recruitment funnel from scratch, including ATS setup, JD library, and TA partner onboarding.
• Successfully hired across tech, sales, and content, closing 100+ roles during aggressive ramp-up phases.
• Partnered with leadership on executive hiring and built interview rubrics to drive structured evaluations.
• Launched employee handbook, new hire induction framework, and onboarding checklists to create consistency.
• Set up monthly culture rituals, celebration calendars, and founder connect forums to improve belonging.
• Anchored grievance redressal channels and feedback forums as the sole HR point of contact.
• Designed competency-linked KRAs and collaborated with managers to roll out OKR-style performance planning.
• Initiated basic learning pods and curated self-paced learning content to build a growth mindset culture.
• Drafted the company’s first policy manual—including leave, conduct, travel, and grievance redressal.
• Streamlined documentation, attendance systems, and basic payroll coordination to ensure compliance.
• Partnered with founders to structure teams by function, set up career paths, and improve reporting lines.
• Advised on compensation frameworks and promotion cycles for early leadership team formation.
• Early-stage Startup

• Company Overview: Morgan Stanley Capital International
• Joined MSCI during the early phase of its ESG expansion and played a foundational role in setting up the HR analytics and governance vertical in India. Contributed to the strategic buildout of compensation, workforce intelligence, and DEI analytics to support the growing ESG mandate.
• Developed executive dashboards for workforce demographics, turnover, and diversity tracking to inform global ESG compliance and HR strategies.
• Led predictive analytics and reporting automation to assist leadership in workforce planning and DEI benchmarking.
• Coordinated with global teams to maintain ESG-aligned people data for investor and board reporting.
• Conducted extensive internal and external benchmarking exercises using Mercer, Aon, and Radford data.
• Created comp parity heatmaps to identify pay gaps, driving informed comp strategy decisions.
• Supported global HR operations with data audits, compliance tracking, and policy documentation.
• Collaborated on SOP creation for sensitive workforce changes and supported key HR compliance filings.
• Piloted ESG-focused HR KPIs for India operations—covering employee carbon footprint, remote inclusion, and equitable rewards.
• Partnered with the global ESG office to co-develop talent metrics for sustainability audits.
• Morgan Stanley Capital International

• Company Overview: Executive Search & Recruitment
• Joined as a core member of Mancer’s Mumbai office launch team. Built BFSI vertical hiring from the ground up, led large-scale mandates, and contributed to client acquisition, team development, and delivery excellence.
• Successfully closed 100+ mid-to-senior roles across retail banking, insurance, NBFCs, and private equity domains.
• Built CXO pipelines across risk, compliance, treasury, and finance verticals for Tier-1 BFSI clients.
• Delivered an 85% offer-to-join ratio with average TAT of 21 days across retained search mandates.
• Acquired multiple new BFSI clients and delivered their first C-level mandates, cementing long-term partnerships.
• Designed and led hiring strategy presentations, JD framing workshops, and quarterly hiring reviews with CHROs.
• Mentored a 4-member sourcing team and implemented structured delivery metrics, improving funnel performance.
• Conducted internal trainings on hiring intelligence, sourcing innovation, and stakeholder management.
• Part of founding team for Mumbai operations—contributed to initial office setup, hiring, and process mapping.
• Developed go-to-market pitch decks, recruitment SOPs, and candidate engagement workflows that were later adopted company-wide.
• Executive Search & Recruitment