Associate Director HR Operations (Life Sciences)

TL;DR

Associate Director HR Operations (HR): Leading the HR Operations function across the Americas to deliver high-quality HR services with an accent on operational excellence and digital transformation. Focus on optimizing service delivery through process simplification, automation, and the integration of AI-enabled capabilities.

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

Company

Global leader in life sciences specializing in the manufacture of medicines with over 30 sites across five continents.

What you will do

• Lead HR Services teams overseeing Workforce Administration, Payroll, and Time Management across the Americas.
• Drive digital transformation by implementing automation and AI-enabled capabilities to standardize HR processes.
• Partner with site HR teams, business leaders, and global process owners to optimize end-to-end employee lifecycle processes.
• Utilize service metrics and operational data to identify improvement opportunities and enhance employee experience.
• Manage the resolution of complex service delivery issues and escalations while maintaining stakeholder confidence.
• Oversee the evolution of the Americas HR Capability Center to ensure organizational readiness for future business needs.

Requirements

• Proven experience leading HR Operations, Shared Services, or Employee Services in a complex global organization.
• Strong expertise in payroll operations, workforce administration, and service delivery management.
• Demonstrated success in leading transformation, change management, and operational improvement initiatives.
• Excellent leadership, coaching, and stakeholder management skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or equivalent experience.
• Fluent English communication skills required.

Nice to have

• Experience working with Workday or ServiceNow.
• Background in healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or CDMO environments.

Culture & Benefits

• Agile career opportunities and a dynamic working culture.
• Inclusive and ethical workplace environment.
• Compensation programs designed to recognize high performance.
• Comprehensive benefits package depending on role and location.