Director of International HR Operations

Justworks•New York, NY

10h•$198,000 - $237,600•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Global Director of HR Operations, you are the leader responsible for setting and executing the global HR operations strategy across all international markets. Reporting into the VP of International Operations, you own the design, governance, and continuous improvement of compliant, scalable, and people-centered HR operational frameworks that support employees, customers, and the business globally. You are a trusted executive partner who brings deep expertise across global employment compliance, HR operations, and employer-of-record (EOR) models, paired with a strong customer and employee experience mindset. You excel at translating complex legal, regulatory, and operational requirements into clear, scalable processes and narratives that can be executed consistently across regions. You are energized by complexity and scale. You enjoy building global operating models, leading senior regional leaders, and partnering cross-functionally with Product, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Sales, and Customer Success to ensure HR operations are both compliant and commercially aligned. You think strategically but are not afraid to go deep when needed—understanding how and why systems, laws, and processes work, and improving them end to end. You bring a people-first leadership style, a strong sense of accountability, and a passion for innovation, continuously identifying opportunities to leverage technology, automation, and AI to elevate global HR operations and customer outcomes.

Requirements

Minimum of 10+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant leadership responsibility across global or multi-regional HR operations
Proven experience designing and leading HR operations at scale, including compliance, employee relations, payroll, benefits, and lifecycle management
Deep experience managing complex, high-risk HR and legal situations involving employees and customers across multiple jurisdictions
Demonstrated success partnering with Product and Engineering teams to operationalize compliant HR and EOR products
Strong track record of leading and developing senior managers and globally distributed teams
Experience establishing global operating models, SOPs, and governance frameworks
Deep knowledge of data governance, privacy, and compliance within an HR and international context
Highly collaborative, business-oriented leader with a customer-first mindset

Nice To Haves

Extensive experience working across multiple countries and regions
Deep expertise in employer-of-record (EOR) and international employment models
Experience building HR operations functions in high-growth or scaling environments
Strong interest in innovation, AI, and automation within HR and operational domains
Hands-on experience with global payroll and benefits administration
Experience using tools such as JIRA, Zendesk, Notion, and Asana
Multilingual fluency

Responsibilities

Set the global vision, strategy, and operating model for HR Operations across the full employee and customer lifecycle.
Lead and develop a globally distributed team of regional HR Operations leaders and specialists, establishing clear ownership, performance standards, and career development pathways
Own global HR compliance strategy, ensuring adherence to local labor laws, data privacy, and regulatory requirements across all countries of operation, in close partnership with Legal and Compliance
Build and maintain a robust global network of external advisors and in-country experts across legal, HR, payroll, and benefits domains
Partner with Product, Engineering, and Compliance to shape HR-related product strategy, roadmap decisions, and operational readiness, with a focus on scalable and compliant international offerings
Collaborate with Customer Success, Sales, Revenue Enablement, and Marketing to develop HR content, tooling, and education that supports both internal teams and external customers
Serve as the senior escalation point for complex, high-risk employee relations, compliance, and customer issues, providing clear guidance and decision-making grounded in risk awareness and business impact
Design and implement global standards, policies, SOPs, and documentation that balance consistency with necessary local flexibility
Champion continuous improvement initiatives, leveraging data, customer feedback, and operational insights to improve efficiency, compliance, and experience
Drive innovation through the adoption of new technologies, automation, and AI to enhance HR operations at scale
Other duties as needed based on department and/or organizational needs