Director, U.S. HR Operations

About the role

The U.S. HR Operations Lead plays a critical role in ensuring that HR processes, systems, and policies are efficient, compliant, and aligned with the organization's strategic goals. This role oversees core HR processes, manages payroll operations, and drives process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the HR Operations and Payroll team, driving a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Oversee core HR processes (onboarding, offboarding, data management) with a focus on accuracy, consistency, and scalability.
• Standardize and document HR workflows, partnering cross-functionally to improve service delivery and employee experience.
• Manage U.S. payroll operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely processing with strong controls and audit readiness.
• Drive payroll process improvements, automation, reporting enhancements, and vendor performance optimization.
• Oversee outsourced payroll providers, ensuring SLA adherence, issue resolution, and cost-effective service delivery.
• Lead Workday process implementation, optimization, troubleshooting, and data integrity efforts across HR and IT.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, updating policies as requirements evolve.
• Lead strategic HR and payroll projects, including system enhancements and global service model expansion.
• Develop and maintain reporting and analytics for payroll, HR metrics, and service performance insights.
• Manage Workday end-user support and the HR help desk, ensuring timely issue resolution and employee training.
• Strengthen internal controls, reconciliations, and cross-functional audits to ensure financial accuracy and operational compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in HR operations, payroll management, and shared services roles, preferably in a publicly listed company and critical experience in smaller startup-like dynamic environments.
• Proven experience leading HR Operations in a scaling or evolving environment, with the ability to build and standardize processes, clarify ownership, and drive accountability across cross-functional teams.
• Strong knowledge of payroll processes, including balanced knowledge of federal, state, and local tax compliance requirements, including IRS regulations related to payroll tax treatment, reporting, and audit compliance.
• Experience with managing internal teams as well as outsourced managed services teams.
• Proficiency in process improvement methodologies such as Six Sigma or Lean, with a track record of driving operational efficiencies.
• Demonstrated expertise in HR systems and implementations.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong experience in transformation / change management in a multi country / cultural environment, including process re-engineering and end-to-end processes simplification.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams in a matrixed environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Fluency in English; proficiency in French is ideal, Spanish highly desirable, and any other language is a strong plus.

Success Criteria

• Payroll Accuracy Rate: Maintain a high payroll accuracy rate, ensuring minimal errors in payroll processing.
• Time to Resolve Payroll Issues: Achieve quick resolution times for payroll-related inquiries and issues.
• Employee Satisfaction and Engagement: Maintain high employee satisfaction and engagement scores through regular surveys.
• Vendor Performance Metrics: Ensure third-party vendors meet service level agreements and resolve issues promptly.
• Compliance and Audit Results: Achieve successful compliance audits with minimal findings.
• Process Improvement Initiatives: Implement effective process improvements that enhance efficiency and reduce manual effort.
• HR System Utilization: Ensure high utilization rates of HR systems like Workday.
• Employee Turnover Rate: Maintain a low employee turnover rate.
• Project Completion Rate: Successfully complete HR projects on time and within budget.
• Employee Help Resolution Time: Achieve quick resolution times for employee inquiries through the Workday Help.
• People Analytics: Provide actionable insights through people analytics to drive initiatives and improve workforce outcomes.
• Service Reporting: Ensure consistent and accurate service reporting, providing insights into HR service delivery and operational efficiency.