Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Timeline
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SURBHI BHATNAGAR

Piscataway,NJ

Summary

Dynamic Senior Talent Acquisition and Global Mobility Leader with over 14 years of experience driving high-velocity growth for Fortune 500 companies and global consulting brands, including Cognizant, Majesco, TATA Elxsi, and Cummins. A unique value proposition is delivered through 'Trifecta' expertise that seamlessly integrates technical literacy from an engineering background, strategic recruitment insights gained from an MBA and Cornell ILR education, and a deep understanding of complex compliance as a Certified Global Mobility and Immigration Specialist. Proven ability to attract top talent while navigating the intricacies of global mobility ensures alignment with organizational goals. Committed to fostering inclusive workplaces that empower diverse teams to excel.

Overview

14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

North America Talent Acquisition (TA) Strategy

InRhythm
2025.06 - 2025.11
  • At InRhythm, TA is not just about filling seats; it is a consultative partnership with executive leadership.
  • Strategic Sourcing: Moving beyond job boards to leverage AI agents and advanced Boolean search to find "Bar-Raiser" talent (InRhythm’s internal term for high-performers).
  • Pipeline Forecasting: I use predictive analytics to align hiring with the sales pipeline, ensuring that as new enterprise projects are signed, the specialized technical pods are ready to deploy.
  • Employer Branding: I lead initiatives to position InRhythm as a "Best Place to Work," focusing on their 300% growth narrative and high-engagement culture.
  • Catered majorly BFSI clients (Mastercard, Goldman Sachs, Fidelity, Farm credit)
  • High-Impact Onboarding
  • InRhythm views onboarding as a "competitive advantage" rather than a paperwork exercise.
  • Preboarding: Engaging candidates from the moment the offer is signed to reduce "first-day anxiety" and increase offer-to-start ratios.
  • The 30-60-90 Day Framework:
  • 30 Days: Cultural immersion and initial technical training.
  • 60 Days: Active contribution to enterprise projects.
  • 90 Days: Full ownership of deliverables.
  • Mentorship: Pairing new hires with a "buddy" or "coach" to ensure they navigate the consulting landscape effectively.
  • Strategic Vendor Management
  • For specialized or high-volume needs, I oversee the ecosystem of external partners.
  • Selection & Due Diligence: Evaluating staffing agencies and executive search firms based on their "hit ratio" (the quality of candidates sent vs. those interviewed).
  • Cost Efficiency: I previously demonstrated a reduction in agency use from 44% to 16%; at InRhythm, I likely apply these same principles to maximize direct hiring while keeping vendors on high-performance SLAs.
  • Contract Lifecycle: Managing the "cradle-to-grave" process—from negotiating rates and terms to auditing project financials and timesheets.
  • HR Leadership & Compliance
  • As the North America Lead, I was the Chief Change Agent for global functions.
  • Diversity & Inclusion (DEI): Implementing inclusive job descriptions and diverse sourcing channels to meet InRhythm’s 30%+ DEI growth goals.
  • Compliance: Managing I-9 administration, H-1B/TN1 transfers, and OFCCP compliance, which is critical for a company operating in diverse North American markets.
  • Performance Culture: Driving eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) and engagement initiatives to maintain "Best Place to Work" standards.

Talent Acquisition Lead (Senior Associate)

Cognizant Technologies Services
2019.07 - 2020.11
  • I was a critical engine for the North American Talent Acquisition Leadership Team. Operating across high-stakes verticals like Life Sciences, Healthcare, and Digital Marketing Customer Experience, my responsibilities were a blend of high-volume delivery and complex compliance management.
  • Below is a detailed elaboration :
  • Multi-Channel Strategic Sourcing
  • I led the design and execution of sourcing strategies to build high-quality, diverse pipelines for specialized roles (e.g., Clinical Data Scientists, Healthcare IT Consultants, Digital Transformation Leads).
  • Passive Talent Attraction: Utilizing advanced Boolean search, LinkedIn Recruiter, and AI-powered tools (like Phenom and Textio) to engage high-performing candidates who weren't actively looking.
  • Referral Optimization: Leveraging Cognizant’s internal networks and alumni platforms to increase high-intent applications.
  • DEI Sourcing: Diversifying sourcing channels to ensure a 30% increase in DEI hiring, partnering with professional organizations and attending diverse job fairs to reach underrepresented talent.
  • High-Volume & Specialized Recruiting
  • Managing an annual hiring volume of ~120 employees, I balanced the speed of high-growth demand with the precision of executive search.
  • Full Lifecycle Management: From requisition intake with hiring managers to final "closing" and offer acceptance.
  • Vertical-Specific Expertise: Identifying candidates with niche technical and regulatory knowledge, such as GxP, HIPAA compliance, and Clinical Data Management Systems.
  • Screening & Calibration: Conducting in-depth behavioral and technical phone screens to ensure the "hit ratio" (screen-to-interview) met stringent leadership expectations.
  • Data-Driven Sourcing Optimization
  • I acted as a "Recruitment Scientist," using metrics to refine where and how Cognizant spent its recruiting budget.
  • Sourcing Channel Effectiveness: Analyzing which platforms (job boards, aggregators, social networks) yielded the best Quality of Hire.
  • Agency Reduction: Strategically pivoting from external agencies to internal sourcing, which reduced agency usage from 44% to 16%, resulting in $735k in savings.
  • Funnel Analytics: Tracking metrics like Applicants-per-Opening and Interview-to-Hire ratios to identify and remove bottlenecks in the hiring process.
  • Collaborative Leadership & Vendor Management
  • Stakeholder Partnership: Serving as a consultative partner to the Associate Director and North American Leadership Team to forecast pipeline needs.
  • Team Leadership: Managing a combined team of 4 on-site and 3 offshore HR professionals, ensuring consistent sourcing quality across global borders.
  • Vendor Performance: For the 16% of hires still using agencies, I managed the contracts and performance SLAs, ensuring vendors were only utilized for the most difficult-to-fill technical roles.
  • Offer Management & Negotiation
  • In these highly competitive sectors, offer management is more than just sending a letter; it is a strategic "closing" process.
  • Complex Compensation Structuring: Designing offers that include base, performance bonuses, and Long-Term Incentives (LTIs) for senior roles.
  • Market Benchmarking: Utilizing real-time data to ensure offers for specialized roles (e.g., Clinical Data Scientists, Healthcare Solution Architects) were competitive against other Fortune 500 giants.
  • Approval Workflows: Navigating Cognizant’s internal pricing and margin approval levels to ensure the hiring "hit ratio" aligned with the 10-20% revenue growth goals.
  • Immigration & Compliance (US Mobility)
  • Given the heavy reliance on global talent in North American tech services, I was the primary gatekeeper for legal compliance.
  • Visa Transfers & New Petitions: Managing the lifecycle for H-1B, TN1, and L-1 candidates, ensuring smooth transitions from previous employers to Cognizant.
  • I-9 & OFCCP Compliance: Maintaining 100% audit-ready documentation for all new hires, ensuring adherence to federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) and diversity mandates.
  • LCA Posting & Public Access Files: Coordinating with the legal team to ensure Labor Condition Applications were filed accurately to prevent project delays.
  • Enterprise-Scale Onboarding
  • I led a team that facilitated the transition of ~120 employees annually per lead, ensuring a "zero-drag" integration.
  • Weekly Cohort Management: Overseeing large-scale weekly virtual and on-site onboarding sessions (often 50-100 hires company-wide).
  • Segment-Specific Training: Ensuring Healthcare and Life Science hires received specialized regulatory training (HIPAA, GxP) during their first week.
  • BGV Oversight: Managing the Background Verification process through vendors to ensure "Day 1 Readiness."
  • Revenue & Growth Metrics
  • My impact at Cognizant was directly tied to the company's multi-billion dollar performance.
  • Revenue Driver: My strategy of hiring ~120 specialized employees per year contributed to a 10-20% average revenue growth within specific business units.
  • Portfolio Impact: I supported the Health Sciences vertical, which as of Q3 2025 generates over $1.6 billion quarterly for Cognizant.
  • Efficiency Gains: By reducing agency reliance from 44% to 16%, I directly contributed to $735k in bottom-line savings—capital that was reinvested into further hiring.

Majesco
2017.06 - 2019.06
  • At Majesco, my role was a strategic blend of Recruitment Operations and Vendor Governance. I essentially acted as the "Architect" of the Consulting Division’s talent supply chain, moving it from a fragmented, expensive model to a streamlined, brand-led internal practice.
  • Here is a brief summary of that role:
  • Leading the Consulting Practice
  • I was responsible for the talent health of Majesco’s most profitable arm: Insurance Consulting.
  • Domain Expertise: I specialized in hiring niche roles for Core Insurance platforms (P&C, L&A), including Implementation Consultants, Solution Architects, and Business Analysts.
  • Agile Workforce: Managed a dual pipeline of FTEs and Contractors, ensuring the consulting practice could scale up or down based on client project demands.
  • Strategic Vendor Management & Cost Control
  • I transformed how Majesco interacted with external search firms.
  • Agency Rationalization: I audited the existing vendor list and shifted the focus from "quantity" to "quality," reducing agency dependency from 44% to 16%.
  • The $735k Impact: By building a robust internal sourcing engine, I saved the organization nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in placement fees.
  • SLA Governance: Negotiated terms and managed performance for the remaining 16% of vendors, ensuring they only handled the "hardest-to-fill" executive or highly specialized roles.
  • Sourcing Innovation & Branding
  • To replace the 28% drop in agency usage, I had to innovate:
  • Brand Strategy: I developed specific marketing and branding strategies tailored to the US consulting market to attract passive candidates directly.
  • Process Efficiency: I optimized the "Hit Ratio" (Screen-to-Interview), ensuring that for every candidate sent to a hiring manager, the likelihood of a technical interview was significantly higher than industry standards.
  • Revenue Generation
  • Direct Cost Savings: By shifting agency usage from 44% to 16%, I effectively removed nearly $1M in potential expenses, which directly contributed to the company’s swing from a $5M loss (2017) to a $6.9M profit (2019).

Talent Acquisition Lead for North America

TATA ELXSI
2016.08 - 2017.01
  • At TATA ELXSI, my role as the Talent Acquisition Lead for North America was foundational. Reporting directly to the Head of HR, I functioned as a "Builder," creating the infrastructure necessary to scale their specialized Automotive and Engineering business units.
  • Talent Acquisition & Executive Search
  • I developed a high-precision acquisition engine.
  • Process Design: I designed and implemented the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle specifically for the North American market.
  • Specialized Sourcing: Focused on high-demand skills like ADAS, Infotainment, and Connectivity, ensuring TATA ELXSI had the technical talent to win major OEM contracts.
  • Executive Search: Personally managed the "Headhunting" process for senior leadership and principal engineering roles, ensuring culture-fit and technical excellence.
  • Pipeline Forecasting: Acted as a strategic advisor to the business by predicting future talent needs 2–3 quarters ahead, based on the sales and project bid pipeline.
  • Enterprise Onboarding & Compliance
  • As the North American lead, I ensured that the transition from "Candidate" to "Productive Employee" was seamless and legally sound.
  • Global Mobility: Managed the critical intersection of immigration and onboarding, specifically handling H-1B and TN1 transfers to ensure zero-day gaps in project staffing.
  • Compliance Leadership: Oversaw I-9 administration and ensured all hiring practices met strict EEOC and OFCCP federal requirements.
  • Team Integration: Directed a team of two professionals to facilitate a unified onboarding experience that aligned US hires with TATA ELXSI’s global engineering standards.
  • Strategic Vendor Management
  • I served as the primary negotiator for the tools and partners that powered the HR department.
  • Assessment Strategy: I sourced and vetted new technical assessment vendors, implementing coding and engineering tests that filtered for quality before candidates reached hiring managers.
  • Contract Negotiation: Managed the full RFP (Request for Proposal) process, negotiating contracts and SLAs to ensure the company received maximum value for its HR tech spend.
  • Vendor Relations: Acted as the point of contact for external staffing firms, ensuring they adhered to the new processes I implemented.
  • Revenue Generation & Financial Impact
  • In a consulting and engineering services firm like TATA ELXSI, Talent = Revenue.
  • Billing Readiness: By implementing proactive "Pipeline Forecasting," I reduced the time-to-fill for engineering roles, directly increasing the number of billable hours the company could charge to clients.
  • Cost Avoidance: My focus on building an internal executive search capability and optimizing vendor contracts reduced the "Cost-per-Hire" and protected the project margins.
  • Growth Enablement: My efforts supported TATA ELXSI’s ability to take on larger, more complex automotive projects by proving the company had the recruitment infrastructure to staff them rapidly.

Recruitment Consultant

Cummins Inc. (Korn Ferry)
2014.09 - 2015.12
  • Recruitment Consultant, I provided talent acquisition and human resources services, primarily focusing on the engineering divisions of Cummins. I facilitated the hiring and recruitment of staff for positions such as Leadership and research and development. I collaborated with senior leadership to build new business units and used her analytical skills to define and create job descriptions. Her responsibilities also included managing plant-based hiring, campus recruitment, and hiring for the Asia Pacific region.

HR-Consultant

Crest Premedia/Springer
2013.03 - 2013.09
  • HR-Consultant, I handled leadership hiring for India and Europe. I was also responsible for building teams from inception for Pharmacovigilance, Medical Writers, and Doctors.

IT Recruiter

Capita India Pvt. Ltd (Randstad)
2011.07 - 2012.02
  • IT Recruiter, where I was actively involved in end-to-end recruitment for both lateral and campus hires for entities in India and the UK. Her duties also included vendor management.
  • Internships
  • Tata Consultancy services (TCS) (August 2010 to November 2010): As a Project Trainee, I was actively involved in campus and lateral hiring, and conducting professional drives for various IT skills.
  • Ranbaxy Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. (May 2010 to July 2010): As a Project Trainee, I worked on identifying training needs, making training calendars, and facilitating Pharma training. She also used an Online Learning Management system for training.

Education

Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Program -

Cornell University ILR School
USA
2022-01

MBA (Master of Business Administration) - Human Resources

Bharti Vidyapeeth University
Pune, Maharashtra, India
2011-01

B.E (Bachelor of Engineering) - Electronics & Communication

Rajasthan University
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
2008-01

Skills

  • Financial Impact: A proven "Profitability Driver" who saved considerable amount by reducing agency dependency from 44% to 16% and fueled 10-20% revenue growth at (Cognizant, Majesco, InRhythm) through high-volume, specialized hiring (~120 hires/year)
  • AI-Driven Modernization: A forward-thinking leader currently leveraging AI agents and GPTs to automate sourcing, pipeline forecasting, interviewing and business administration
  • Global Mobility & Compliance: An expert in the North American talent landscape, with deep mastery of H-1B, TN1, and Green Card processes, ensuring zero-risk compliance (EEOC/OFCCP)
  • Strategic Leadership: Not just a recruiter, but an Architect of Process I have built TA departments from the ground up, managed global on-site/offshore teams (up to 7 members), and implemented enterprise-scale DEI initiatives (achieving a 30% increase in diverse hiring)
  • Vertical Specialization: Digital Marketing ,Banking and Financial, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Insurance Tech, and Automotive Engineering
  • Skills Hired: Advanced AI Orchestration using Hugging Face (Transformers, PEFT/LoRA, Diffusers), RAG Architecture with Vector Databases (Pinecone/Weaviate), Agentic Workflows (CrewAI/LangGraph), Model Quantization ($bitsandbytes/ONNX$), MLOps (CI/CD for ML/Drift Monitoring), Computational Biology ($In-Silico$ Modeling), Bioinformatics, Health Informatics (HL7/FHIR), Predictive Diagnostics, Telematics & Actuarial Data Science, Cloud-Native Architecture (AWS/Azure/GCP), Platform Engineering, Cybersecurity (Zero Trust/DevSecOps), Embedded Software (C/Rust), ADAS Sensor Fusion, V2X Connectivity, Battery Management Systems (BMS), Digital Product Management, Full-Stack Development (React/Nodejs), API/Microservices, MarTech Architecture, and AI Governance (HIPAA/GDPR/EU AI Act), Genesys, CRM, Adobe, Guidewire, Duckcreek , Solution Architects and leaders

Certification

  • CICI (Corporate Immigration Compliance Institute) for H1B training for Employer issued April 2025.
  • CICI (Corporate Immigration Compliance Institute) for Employer based Green Cards-step by step process issued April 2025.
  • CICI (Corporate Immigration Compliance Institute) for I-9 administrator in Mar 2025.
  • Foundations of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
  • Diverse Talent in Recruiting and Hiring
  • Job Interviewing for Leaders and Managers
  • Recruiting Veterans
  • Practical Leadership skills
  • Beamery New user certification

Timeline

North America Talent Acquisition (TA) Strategy

InRhythm
2025.06 - 2025.11

Talent Acquisition Lead (Senior Associate)

Cognizant Technologies Services
2019.07 - 2020.11

Majesco
2017.06 - 2019.06

Talent Acquisition Lead for North America

TATA ELXSI
2016.08 - 2017.01

Recruitment Consultant

Cummins Inc. (Korn Ferry)
2014.09 - 2015.12

HR-Consultant

Crest Premedia/Springer
2013.03 - 2013.09

IT Recruiter

Capita India Pvt. Ltd (Randstad)
2011.07 - 2012.02

MBA (Master of Business Administration) - Human Resources

Bharti Vidyapeeth University

B.E (Bachelor of Engineering) - Electronics & Communication

Rajasthan University

Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Program -

Cornell University ILR School
SURBHI BHATNAGAR