Director, Regional HR Shared Services

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION The Director, Regional HR Shared Services is a strategic and operational leader responsible for designing, implementing, scaling, and managing a customer-focused HR Shared Services model across North and Central America. This role will lead regional HR service delivery, core HR operations, process optimization, governance, and continuous improvement to ensure HR services are efficient, consistent, compliant, and aligned with enterprise business objectives. This leader will oversee the evolution of HR Shared Services from function-based support into a tiered service delivery model with clear intake, ownership, escalation, and service accountability. The role will partner closely with HR Business Partners, Centers of Excellence, HRIS, IT, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Learning, and regional HR leaders to streamline service delivery, improve colleague experience, strengthen governance, and enable future regional expansion. This position is located at the Global Support Center in Costa Rica. Key Responsibilities Develop, execute, and scale the regional HR Shared Services strategy in alignment with enterprise HR priorities and business objectives. Lead the transition to a tiered service delivery model that creates a single intake point, clear ownership, defined escalation paths, and consistent service standards. Oversee HR Shared Services operations across North and Central America, including Tier 1 intake, Tier 2 support, case routing, service resolution, and regional process standardization. Drive transformation initiatives that improve service delivery, colleague experience, automation, self-service adoption, and operational efficiency. Partner with HRIS and IT to optimize Workday, Workday Help, case management, knowledge management, reporting, and other HR technologies supporting HR service delivery. Establish and maintain governance frameworks, operating procedures, service standards, controls, and documentation for HR operations and shared services. Collaborate with HR Business Partners, Centers of Excellence, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Learning, and regional HR leaders to ensure seamless end-to-end service delivery. Monitor and improve SLAs, KPIs, customer satisfaction, case resolution trends, service quality, and operational effectiveness. Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing HR Shared Services organization, including managers, team leads, and individual contributors across multiple service areas. Drive continuous improvement initiatives through Lean, process reengineering, automation, standardization, and operational excellence methodologies. Identify opportunities to reduce manual work, improve data quality, standardize processes, increase accountability, and strengthen the colleague and manager support experience. Support regional expansion efforts by assessing readiness, defining service scope, aligning resources, and implementing scalable service delivery practices. Handle complex or escalated issues, ensuring timely resolution, stakeholder engagement, and compliance with company policies and regional regulations. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related discipline (or additional equivalent experience). 10+ years of progressive Human Resources experience. 5+ years leading HR Shared Services, HR Operations, HR Service Delivery, HR Service Centers, Employee Services, or Global Business Services (GBS). Excellent communication skills in English (B2+ or higher) and ability to collaborate across functions and geographies. Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, transforming, or scaling HR Shared Services operating models. Experience leading cross-functional HR teams across multiple countries or regions. Proven experience managing managers and/or team leaders within large HR Operations organizations. Strong background leading HR transformation, process improvement, organizational change, and operational excellence initiatives. Experience establishing SLAs, KPIs, governance frameworks, service ownership models, and performance management processes. Hands-on experience with HR technologies including Workday, Workday Help, ServiceNow HR, case management platforms, knowledge management systems, or similar HR service delivery tools. Experience partnering with HR Business Partners, Centers of Excellence, HRIS, IT, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Learning, and regional HR teams. Preferred Qualifications Experience building, expanding, or leading Regional or Global HR Shared Services Centers. Experience supporting HR operations across North America, Central America, Latin America, or other multi-country regions. Experience implementing Tier 0, Tier 1, and Tier 2 HR service delivery models. Experience leading HR digital transformation initiatives. Experience with self-service, automation, chatbot technologies, knowledge management, and AI-enabled HR support. Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent continuous improvement methodology. Experience working in complex global matrix organizations. Skills and Abilities Deep understanding of HR Operations and end-to-end employee lifecycle processes. Strong leadership, coaching, organizational development, and stakeholder management skills. Ability to influence senior leadership and drive alignment across multiple business functions. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities. Experience using KPIs, SLAs, operational metrics, customer satisfaction data, and trend analysis to drive business decisions. Excellent communication skills with executive-level stakeholders. Strong customer-service mindset focused on colleague experience. Ability to prioritize multiple initiatives in a fast-paced global environment. High degree of professionalism, confidentiality, and compliance awareness. Ability to build governance models, SOPs, knowledge articles, and standardized operating procedures. Benefits: This is a hybrid position based in Ultra Park II, Lagunilla (Heredia). On-site presence is required only when necessary, such as for meetings, trainings, or collaborative activities, in alignment with the company’s telework agreement, which currently requires employees to work on-site three (3) days per week) Private Medical Insurance Asociacion Solidarista Life Insurance Personal Day Off Note: Only candidates with Costa Rican nationality or valid immigration status will be considered; applicants residing outside Costa Rica will not be considered, and relocation is not available