Vice President of HR Operations

The Vice President of HR Operations at Harbor Global serves as a strategic enterprise leader responsible for building, optimizing, and scaling a global HR operations ecosystem that supports a complex, fast-moving professional services organization. This role oversees the full spectrum of HR operations including global payroll, HRIS, total rewards, talent processes, international compliance, workforce analytics, and employee service delivery — ensuring all systems, programs, and processes are efficient, integrated, and aligned with Harbor Global’s strategic priorities.

The VP partners closely with the CHRO and executive leadership team to translate global business strategy into operational plans, drive data‑driven decision making, enhance the worldwide employee experience, and lead continuous improvement and automation across all regions. As a transformational global leader, the VP champions operational rigor, cross‑functional alignment, and innovation to deliver a scalable HR foundation that accelerates organizational performance across Harbor Global’s professional services footprint.

This is a fully remote position that can be worked from the United States or Canada located in the Atlantic, Eastern or Central Time zone.

Strategic Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead the design and execution of a global HR operations strategy that supports Harbor Global’s professional services business model and long-term growth.
• Build and maintain a scalable, integrated HR operations infrastructure including systems, processes, global payroll operations, and service delivery models—across all regions.
• Partner closely with the CHRO and executive leadership to align HR operations with company objectives, workforce planning, and organizational priorities.
• Drive a global HR operating cadence that brings consistency, accuracy, and efficiency to HR processes and payroll cycles, while respecting regional nuances.
• Oversee the global HRIS ecosystem, ensuring data integrity, system interoperability, and optimization of technology investments supporting HR, timekeeping, and payroll.
• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of HR technologies that enhance employee experience, process automation, and reporting including systems supporting global payroll accuracy and compliance.
• Develop and own global workforce analytics, dashboards, and insights that support strategic decision making.

Total Rewards, Payroll & Compliance

• Guide the operationalization of global compensation, benefits, mobility, and rewards programs in partnership with Total Rewards leadership, ensuring seamless integration.
• Ensure global compliance with employment laws, regulations, taxation rules, data privacy, audit requirements, and risk management standards across all operating regions.
• Oversee HR policy governance, ensuring policies are modern, inclusive, clear, and consistently applied worldwide, including policies impacting payroll administration and time collection.

Service Delivery & Employee Experience

• Build and manage a global HR service delivery model, with an employee‑centric approach, that provides timely, accurate, and high‑quality full employee lifecycle support to employees and leaders.
• Drive continuous improvement of HR operations processes, SLAs, and workflows to enhance global consistency and employee trust.

Cross‑Functional & Global Partnership

• Collaborate across Finance, IT, Legal, Operations, and regional leadership to ensure cohesive, compliant, and scalable HR and payroll processes.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executives on HR operations and global capabilities, risks, and opportunities.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing global HR operations and payroll team, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence.

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• 12+ years of progressive HR operations leadership, including significant experience in professional services or similarly complex, client‑driven environments;
  Experience in a PE‑backed organization highly desired.
• Demonstrated success leading global HR operations and payroll across multiple countries, regions, and regulatory…