Coal India Begins Search for New HR Director; PESB Opens Recruitment Process

The race for the next Director (Personnel & Industrial Relations) of Coal India Limited (CIL) has formally begun, with the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) issuing the vacancy advertisement for the crucial board-level position.

PESB advertised the post on August 31, 2026, inviting applications from eligible candidates for the position of Director (Personnel & Industrial Relations) in Coal India, a Schedule ‘A’ and Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Coal. The last date for submission of applications by candidates is September 21, 2026, up to 3:00 PM.

The position carries an IDA pay scale of ₹1,80,000–₹3,40,000 and has a tenure of five years from the date of joining or up to the date of superannuation, whichever is earlier. The Director (Personnel & Industrial Relations) will report to the Chairman and Managing Director and will head the Personnel Division of Coal India, including responsibility for personnel policies covering CIL and its subsidiaries.

Vacancy opens an important leadership search

The recruitment assumes significance because Coal India is one of the country’s largest employers and operates through a vast network of mines and subsidiaries. According to the details accompanying the PESB advertisement, CIL had 2,09,809 regular employees as of July 1, 2026.

For the new Personnel Director, the challenge will extend well beyond conventional HR administration. Managing industrial relations across a workforce of this scale, dealing with multiple employee organisations and unions, developing human-resource policies across subsidiaries and preparing the organisation for technological and operational changes will form an important part of the leadership mandate.

Who can apply?

PESB has prescribed a minimum age of 45 years, along with category-specific residual-service requirements. Candidates can come from eligible CPSEs, Central Government services, Armed Forces, eligible State PSUs and qualifying private-sector companies or joint ventures.

The qualification requirement is a graduation degree from a recognised university, while postgraduate qualifications in Personnel Management, Human Resources, MBA or PGDM are given preference. Candidates are expected to have substantial experience in personnel, HR or industrial relations functions. The prescribed pay-scale and service requirements also apply.

The advertisement provides for different eligibility routes depending on the organisation and level from which a candidate is applying. For candidates outside Coal India, the prescribed minimum service requirements in the relevant scale will be particularly important.

A potentially competitive PSU HR race

The Coal India post could generate considerable interest among senior HR executives in the coal sector and other large Central PSUs.

Coal India’s own subsidiaries have a deep pool of experienced personnel executives who understand the complexities of mining-sector industrial relations. At the same time, the PESB eligibility framework allows the field to extend beyond Coal India, potentially bringing experienced HR leaders from other major CPSEs into the contest.

That makes the forthcoming selection process worth watching closely.

The final choice will be significant not merely for Coal India’s personnel administration but also for the company’s broader organisational strategy. With the coal industry undergoing technological, productivity and workforce-related changes, the next Personnel Director will be required to balance employee relations with organisational transformation.

Selection process now underway

Applications are to be submitted online through the PESB portal. The last date for candidates is September 21, 2026, while the last date for nodal officers or competent authorities to forward applications is September 30, 2026, up to 5:00 PM.

The advertisement marks the formal beginning of what is likely to be a closely watched senior-level PSU selection process. Once the eligible candidates are shortlisted and called before PESB, the Coal India HR Director race will become considerably clearer.

For the moment, however, the key message is simple: the search for Coal India’s next Director (Personnel & Industrial Relations) is officially on.