Associate - HR Operations (On-Contract)

Mercari is a Japan-based global marketplace company with a mission to create value in a global marketplace where anyone can buy and sell. At Mercari India, we aim to build a strong People function that supports our growing tech and product teams and helps shape an inclusive, vibrant, and efficient workplace.

We’re looking for a detail-oriented and driven HR Operations to join us on a 12-month contract. This role is pivotal in delivering smooth, compliant, and people-first HR operations as we scale. You’ll help shape employee experiences from day one to exit and everything in between.

Just as important as your skill set is your mindset. At Mercari, culture fit matters deeply. We’re looking for someone who thrives in a collaborative, transparent, and ownership-driven environment, someone who brings curiosity, empathy, and integrity to their work.

Employee Lifecycle Operations

• Manage end-to-end onboarding and offboarding processes including documentation, system updates, IT coordination, orientation logistics and post exit support to ex-employees. 
• Ensure all employee lifecycle events (probation confirmations, transfers, contract extensions, exits) are processed accurately and on time.
• Ensure documentation of processes and manuals

HRIS & Data Management

• Maintain accurate employee data in the HRIS and other tools and regularly audit for completeness, compliance, accuracy and consistency.
• Ensure timely updates of organizational changes, reporting lines, and personal information on all relevant tools
• Generate recurring and ad-hoc reports for HR, Finance, and leadership teams.
• Maintain digital employee files and documentation repositories in line with data protection and legal requirements.

Payroll & Benefits Administration

• Prepare monthly payroll inputs such as new joiner data, exits, deductions, leaves, and variable payouts.
• Coordinate with finance and external payroll vendors to ensure timely, accurate salary processing.
• Administer employee benefits including insurance, wellness programs, reimbursements, and leave management.
• Address escalations from employees regarding payroll and benefits-related issues, ensuring timely resolution.

Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Maintain compliance with labor laws and statutory regulations (PF, ESI, gratuity, bonus, etc.).
• Support documentation requirements for internal and external audits.
• Ensure timely filings and records for POSH, labor inspections, and other legal compliances.

Employee Query Management

• Act as a key point of contact for employee HR-related queries, ensuring high-quality, timely responses.
• Draft and issue employment letters, experience letters, verification letters, and other employee communications.
• Maintain and manage a centralized query tracker to identify recurring issues and resolution patterns.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Independently handle all our vendors
• Coordinate with vendors for background verification, insurance, HR systems, and wellness partners.
• Monitor SLAs, escalate service delays, and maintain professional relationships to ensure service quality.
• Facilitate timely invoice processing and payment coordination in collaboration with finance and procurement teams.
• Establish yourself as the SPOC for HR operations and solve all member related problems efficiently in a timely manner

Policy Adherence & Documentation

• Ensure execution of HR processes in alignment with company policies and local labor laws.
• Maintain and update process documents, SOPs, and policy wikis as per evolving business or compliance needs.
• Conduct periodic reviews of policies to identify gaps, redundancies, or outdated practices.

Process Improvements & Optimization

• Identify manual, repetitive tasks across HR operations and propose improvements for efficiency and accuracy with AI
• Collaborate with Japan teams to streamline workflows, reduce friction, and standardize operational practices.
• Implement simple automation tools such as mail merges, HRIS workflows, macros, and dashboards to eliminate redundancy.
• Analyze recurring process gaps or delays and prepare structured improvement plans with measurable impact.
• Contribute to building scalable, future-ready operations with a data-informed and ai-first approach.

 Generic HR support

• Contribute to various HR projects and initiatives.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of all sensitive employee and company information

• 5-6 years of experience in end-to-end HR Operations roles, preferably in a tech or fast-paced company.
• Experience managing onboarding, exit processes, payroll coordination, and compliance.
• Proficient in using ai for automation, Workday, HRIS systems, Google Workspace, and Excel/Sheets.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• A problem solver who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to maintain confidentiality.
• A team player who believes in collaboration, inclusion, and building a transparent, respectful workplace.
• Should have high level of ownership of all things operations
• Empathy, curiosity, and humility in daily interactions.
• An AI-ready mindset, someone who is open to using technology, automation, and AI-driven tools to improve operational efficiency and employee experience.

Type: Fixed-term contract

Duration: 12 months

Start Date: Immediate or as per availability

If you are passionate about building smooth employee experiences and love being at the heart of HR operations, we’d love to hear from you!