Associate Director, P&O Operations

Zealand Pharma•Cambridge, MA

1d•$137,000 - $168,000

About The Position

As Associate Director People Operations – U.S., the role supports the operational People foundation that employees and leaders rely on every day. The position ensures consistent, compliant, and well-documented People Operations support for the U.S. entity, aligned with global standards led from Denmark and US. This is an execution-focused role responsible for professional support across the full employee lifecycle incl accurate administration and strong system data quality. The role acts as a key operational link between U.S. employees, People leaders, external vendors (Workday, TriNet), and People Operations in Denmark.

Requirements

5-7 years of experience in People Operations, HR administration, or HR coordination
Hands-on experience with TriNet and/or Workday (experience with AI-enabled tools is a plus) to support structured processes, documentation, and compliance-related administrative activities
High attention to detail and strong organizational skills; able to manage multiple parallel requests reliably
Clear and professional written and verbal communication skills in English
Experience working in a global life sciences/biotech environment is desirable
Working as part of an international team, reporting to leader located in Denmark

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a start-up biotech environment

Responsibilities

Support end-to-end U.S. employee lifecycle administration (Talent Acquisition), Onboarding, changes, Offboarding), in close collaboration with TriNet and People Operations in Denmark
Ensure employment-related documentation is complete, accurate, and properly stored in line with internal standards and requirements
Maintain and validate employee master data in Workday and TriNet, identifying and resolving inconsistencies in coordination with People Operations
Support U.S. payroll, benefits, and compliance administration (execution only), including I-9 coordination and document retention; guide employees to the correct TriNet resources and escalate as needed
Contribute to continuous improvement, documentation, and standardization of People Operations workflows, including opportunities for automation and use of AI-enabled tools
Design and implement US-specific P&O policies, programs, and practices that reflect local regulatory requirements while remaining aligned with global Zealand Pharma principles
Drive employee onboarding, engagement, and retention initiatives that support a high-performance, inclusive culture in the US office
Partner with Denmark-based P&O colleagues to localize global people programs — including performance management, compensation cycles, and Learning &Development — for the US context
Manage US P&O including benefits administration, leave programs, payroll coordination, and compliance with federal and state employment regulations
Provide guidance and coaching to US/DK people managers on employee relations matters, performance issues, and organizational change
Support headcount planning and workforce analytics in collaboration with Finance and Talent Acquisition to enable informed build decisions as the US organization scales
Act as a cultural ambassador, helping to bridge between Denmark and US offices through thoughtful communication, shared practices, and relationship-building across geographies
Support team with end-to-end Talent Acquisition