Executive Director, Human Capital Operations

Role Overview

This senior leadership position is responsible for steering the full spectrum of Human Capital Operations for a large, fast-moving workforce. The role ensures dependable delivery of payroll, employee relations, HR administration, workforce operations, and employee services, with a strong focus on operational quality and regulatory compliance.

The ideal candidate will bring deep experience leading HR operations for sizable employee bases, along with a strong grasp of workforce governance, employee lifecycle management, payroll execution, and employee relations in complex organizational settings.

Core Responsibilities

• Direct all Human Capital Operations activities, covering payroll, employee relations, personnel administration, and employee services.
• Make sure payroll is processed accurately, on time, and in line with labor rules and internal policies.
• Design and roll out HR operating models that can scale to support large workforce groups.
• Set, track, and improve SLAs, operational KPIs, and governance standards for HR operations.
• Oversee end-to-end employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, contract handling, transfers, promotions, leave administration, and offboarding.
• Lead employee relations efforts and ensure employee concerns and workplace issues are resolved effectively.
• Work closely with HR Centers of Excellence and business leaders to keep operations aligned with organizational needs.
• Champion process improvement, automation, and continuous enhancement across HR operations.
• Safeguard data accuracy, reporting reliability, and workforce compliance within HR systems.
• Build, guide, and strengthen high-performing HR Operations teams.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, or a closely related discipline is required.
• A master’s degree is preferred.
• At least 12 years of progressive HR experience, including 5 or more years in a senior HR Operations leadership position.
• Proven ability to manage HR operations for organizations with more than 3,000 employees.
• Strong background in payroll operations, employee relations, and personnel administration.
• Solid understanding of labor legislation, HR governance, compliance, and workforce administration.
• Experience supporting large-scale workforces, ideally in education, public sector, or labor-intensive environments.
• Track record of implementing operational controls, service delivery structures, and HR process improvements.
• Well-developed leadership, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Experience

Additional advantage will be given to candidates who have supported large teacher groups, school systems, universities, or other education-focused organizations. Experience handling HR operations during rapid workforce expansion and high-volume recruitment is also valuable. Familiarity with workforce planning and performance governance frameworks will be considered a plus.

Key Competencies

• HR operations leadership
• Payroll administration
• Employee relations
• Workforce administration
• HR governance and compliance
• Operational excellence
• HR service delivery
• Process improvement and automation
• Workforce analytics
• Stakeholder management