HR Ops Director

HR Ops Director

I am thrilled to be working with the elite global product design business who are looking for a HR Ops Director to join their team. EMEA experience is essential - particularly Germany, France, Spain and the Nordics.

Salary - Competitve with great bens
Location - London 3 days a week with lots of travel to Europe

Are you an exprienced HR leader with a passion for driving HR operational excellence across diverse regions? Do you have a strong background in building and managing HR teams, especially within the EMEA region? If you thrive in dynamic environments and have a knack for strategic thinking and process improvement, we'd love to hear from you!

The Role:
As the new HR Operations Director,





you'll be stepping into a newly created role, leading the development of a comprehensive HR operations function. This is a unique opportunity to build and scale HR operations across payroll, contracts, benefits, policies, and processes, with a focus on delivering plain-English, customer-focused solutions that align with my clients innovative brand.

Key Responsibilities:

Build & Lead HR Operations: Lead a small team, initially including two HR Administrators, and build out the HR operations piece, ensuring flawless execution of contracts, payroll, and benefits administration.
Policy & Process Development: Take ownership of policy creation, ensuring they are modern, clear, and strategically aligned, with a focus on areas like parental leave, menopause, sickness, and gym memberships.
Strategic Thinking: Look beyond the day-to-day and take a holistic view of HR operations, identifying what is fit for purpose, stripping away unnecessary processes, and applying first-principle thinking.
Advisor Model & Shared Services:





Play a pivotal role in establishing an HR Advisor model across multiple regions (France, Germany, UK) and develop a shared services approach to take operational burdens off HR Business Partners.
Data Integrity & HR Systems: Overhaul the current HRIS system and help transition to more robust technology, ensuring data integrity across all HR processes.
Collaborative Leadership: You will work closely with a newly hired Senior Director of Talent Management, contributing to the broader EMEA talent strategy.

About You:

You're the type of leader who thrives in operational detail but can also zoom out to see the big picture. You'll be a trusted partner to the senior leadership team, complementing the strategic vision of Head of HR,





while rolling up your sleeves to drive operational success.
Proven Experience: You've built HR operations from scratch or transformed existing functions, demonstrating a clear ability to manage complex, large-scale change.
Balanced Mindset: You excel at balancing strategic decision-making with flawless operational execution.
Comfort in Ambiguity: You're comfortable navigating uncertainty and figuring things out as you go. Resilient, adaptable, and confident in your ability to lead through change.
Stakeholder Management: You have strong people management skills and can inspire your team. You'll also bring gravitas to engage with senior stakeholders and the wider business.
Tech-Savvy & Pragmatic: Familiarity with HR tech and an innovative mindset are key.





You understand that processes should serve a purpose and always look for practical, real-world solutions.
Project Management & Change: Experience in shared services, streamlining, and HR transformation is a must. Backgrounds in consultancy (Accenture, PwC) or dynamic environments like tech startups (Spotify, Uber) are highly desirable.

This is an incredible opportunity to shape the future of HR operations at a leading organisation. If you are ready to bring your expertise, strategic thinking, and operational excellence to the table, we want to hear from you!

▶️ HR Ops Director
🖊️ Oakleaf Partnership
📍 East London