Director of International HR Operations

Who We Are At Justworks, you’ll enjoy a welcoming and casual environment, great benefits, wellness program offerings, company retreats, and the ability to interact with and learn from leaders in the startup community. We work hard and care about our most prized asset - our people. We’re helping businesses get off the ground by enabling them to focus on running their business. We solve HR issues. We’re data-driven and never stop iterating. If you’d like to work in a supportive, entrepreneurial environment, are interested in building something meaningful and having fun while doing it, we’d love to hear from you. We're united by shared goals and shared motivations at Justworks. These are best summed up in our company values, which are reflected in our product and in our team. Our Values If this sounds like you, you’ll fit right in. Who You Are 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. Your Success Profile What You Will Work On 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 How You Will Do Your Work As the Global Director of HR Operations, your success is measured by the organization’s ability to operate compliantly, efficiently, and consistently across markets while delivering exceptional employee and customer experiences. Your leadership is anchored in the following competencies: Strategic and consultative leadership – builds trusted partnerships with senior stakeholders, understands complex business challenges, and designs scalable, global solutions Executive-level communication – clearly and persuasively articulates complex concepts to diverse audiences, from frontline teams to executive leadership Accountability and ownership – sets high standards, takes responsibility for outcomes, and drives results across global teams Adaptability at scale – navigates ambiguity and change across markets, adjusting strategy and execution as business and regulatory environments evolve Solution-oriented mindset – identifies root causes and implements sustainable, forward-looking solutions rather than short-term fixes Intellectual curiosity – continuously learns about global employment trends, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies Risk assessment and governance – applies rigorous, structured approaches to identifying, mitigating, and managing legal and operational risk Complexity management – synthesizes large volumes of nuanced, sometimes conflicting information to drive clear decisions and action Qualifications 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 Bonus Points for: 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 #LI-MM3 #LI-Hybrid Actual compensation is based on multiple factors that are unique to each candidate, including and not limited to skill set, level of relevant experience, and specific work location. Salary ranges for positions based in other locations may differ based on the cost of labor in that location. For more information about Justworks’ Total Reward Philosophy, including all of the perks and benefits we are proud to offer our team members, please visit Total Rewards @ Justworks. Diversity At Justworks Justworks is committed to maintaining a workplace where diversity of identity, culture, and life experience is the norm and is celebrated authentically and respected consistently. Diversity in our work, our people, and our product drives creativity and innovation, entrepreneurial leadership and integrity, competitiveness, and collaboration throughout our business and in the market. We depend on our differences to make our team stronger, our workplace more dynamic, and our product accessible to all of our customers. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer open to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or familial status, disability, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status. Justworks is fully dedicated to providing necessary support to candidates with disabilities who may require reasonable accommodations. We also provide reasonable accommodations to employees based on their sincerely held religious beliefs, as well as for other covered reasons consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. If you're in need of a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at accommodations@justworks.com. Your comfort and success matter to us, and we're here to ensure an inclusive experience. Our DEIB Report