HC Operations Executive Director

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Executive Director of Human Capital Operations to lead and oversee all HR operational functions across a large and dynamic workforce. This role is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of payroll, employee relations, HR administration, workforce operations, and employee services while maintaining operational excellence and compliance.

The successful candidate will have extensive experience managing HR operations for large employee populations and a strong understanding of workforce governance, employee lifecycle management, payroll operations, and employee relations within complex organizations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all Human Capital Operations functions, including Payroll, Employee Relations, Personnel Administration, and Employee Services.
• Ensure the accurate and timely execution of payroll processes and compliance with labor regulations and organizational policies.
• Develop and implement scalable HR operational frameworks capable of supporting large employee populations.
• Establish and monitor service level agreements (SLAs), operational KPIs, and governance standards across HR Operations.
• Oversee employee lifecycle processes including onboarding, contract administration, transfers, promotions, leave management, and offboarding.
• Lead employee relations initiatives and ensure the effective resolution of employee cases and workplace matters.
• Partner with HR Centers of Excellence and business leaders to ensure operational alignment and workforce effectiveness.
• Drive process optimization, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives across HR Operations.
• Ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy, and workforce compliance across HR systems.
• Manage and develop high-performing HR Operations teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, or a related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including at least 5 years in a senior HR Operations leadership role.
• Proven experience managing HR Operations for organizations with 3,000+ employees .
• Extensive experience overseeing payroll operations, employee relations, and personnel administration.
• Strong knowledge of labor laws, HR governance, compliance, and workforce administration.
• Experience supporting large-scale workforces, preferably within education, public sector, or labor-intensive organizations.
• Demonstrated success in establishing operational controls, service delivery models, and HR process improvements.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and problem-solving capabilities.

Preferred Experience

Experience supporting large teacher populations, school networks, universities, or education organizations.

Experience managing HR Operations during periods of rapid workforce growth and high-volume recruitment.

Exposure to workforce planning and performance governance frameworks is considered an advantage.

Key Competencies

HR Operations Leadership

Payroll Management

Employee Relations

Workforce Administration

HR Governance & Compliance

Operational Excellence

HR Service Delivery

Process Improvement & Automation

Workforce Analytics

Stakeholder Management