HR Director - People Operations & Performance | Hybrid - LATAM
Posted Updated 16
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Description
We are looking for a hands-on HR Director to lead our international People Operations function and build a transparent, performance-driven HR system.
The HR Director will be responsible for the complete employee lifecycle after hiring: contracts, HR policies, performance management, compensation coordination, employee relations, professional growth, retention, disciplinary matters and offboarding.
This is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the CEO.
Work format
This is a hybrid / remote position.
The successful candidate may work:
- from our office in Panama;
- in a hybrid format;
- or fully remotely from another Latin American country.
Regardless of location, full daily availability during Panama business hours (9am to 6pm) is mandatory.
Occasional business travel may be required.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the international People Operations and HR governance function.
- Develop HR strategy and support organizational design.
- Manage employee and contractor agreements, renewals and HR documentation.
- Maintain employee files, contract trackers and probation records.
- Develop and enforce HR policies and internal procedures.
- Manage performance reviews, KPIs and performance improvement plans.
- Handle employee relations, complaints, conflicts and disciplinary matters.
- Coordinate compensation, bonuses, benefits and payroll information.
- Build promotion, career-development and succession processes.
- Improve employee engagement and retention.
- Manage terminations, exit interviews and offboarding.
- Lead and develop the HR Generalist and future People Operations team.
- Maintain HR dashboards and provide regular reports to the CEO.
- Cooperate with the Global Talent Acquisition Director on workforce planning, hiring quality and probation success.
Scope clarification
The HR Director owns:
- People Operations;
- contracts and HR documentation;
- performance management;
- compensation and benefits;
- employee relations;
- policies and compliance;
- employee development;
- retention and offboarding.
Daily sourcing, candidate acquisition and management of Recruiters are owned by the separate Global Talent Acquisition Director while that function is active.
The HR Director remains responsible for business continuity and may temporarily assume recruitment governance if the Global Talent Acquisition position becomes vacant.
Requirements
Requirements
- At least 5 years of experience as an HR Director, Head of HR or senior HR leader.
- A university degree is a must, or a master's degree is preferred.
- Strong experience managing the full employee lifecycle.
- Proven experience with performance management, employee relations and terminations.
- Experience developing and enforcing HR policies.
- Experience managing remote or international teams.
- Strong knowledge of HR operations, contracts and compensation processes.
- Experience managing an HR team.
- English at C1 level or equivalent.
- Spanish at C1 level or native proficiency.
- Strong judgment, confidentiality and decision-making ability.
- Ability to work independently and communicate directly with the CEO.
- Availability during Panama business hours (9am to 6pm Panama time)
- Candidates based in Latin America are strongly preferred.
Benefits
What we offer
- MONTHLY Salary range from: USD $3.500 to 5.000 according to experience.
- Director-level position with direct access to the CEO.
- International scope across Europe and the Americas.
- Hybrid or fully remote work format.
- Opportunity to build and improve the HR function.
- Real decision-making authority within the approved scope.
- Long-term cooperation.
- Fixed monthly compensation plus performance-based incentives.
- Contract format based on the candidate’s country of residence.
Skills
As published by workable · 10 questions · 9 written answers
Basics
First name, Last name, Email, Headline, Phone, Address, Photo, Education, Experience, Summary, Resume, Cover letter
Pick from a list (1)
- Can you provide two professional references, including at least one former CEO, direct manager or senior executive, through a verifiable corporate email or LinkedIn profile?
Written answers (9)
- Please list all completed university degrees for which you have received a final diploma. For each degree, specify the degree level (Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate/PhD), field of study, full university name, country and graduation year. Do not include incomplete or ongoing programs. Answers without detailed information would be rejected
- What is your expected fixed gross monthly compensation in USD, and why do you consider this amount appropriate for your profile? Please provide one exact monthly amount in US dollars, excluding bonuses and variable compensation. Our budget is USD 3,500–5,000 gross per month, depending on relevant experience, expertise, leadership scope and demonstrated results. Do not provide an annual salary, a salary range, or answers such as “negotiable.” Please briefly explain the professional experience and results supporting your expectation. Applications without an exact monthly amount and a clear explanation will not be considered.
- This position requires both English and Spanish at C1 level or higher. Please state your exact CEFR level for each language and briefly explain how you use both languages professionally: - English: - Spanish: Please confirm that you can conduct interviews, business meetings, employee-relations discussions and written professional communication independently in both languages. Candidates whose English or Spanish is below C1 will not be considered.
- What is your current CITY and COUNTRY of residence? And would you prefer to work HYBRID in our Panama office or REMOTE?
- What is the earliest date you can start full-time? Please note this vacancy is URGENT, so we will not evaluate candidates with availability of more than 15 days.
- Describe the largest HR function you personally managed. Please include company headcount, countries covered and the size of your HR team.
- How many full years have you worked specifically as an HR Director, Head of HR or Chief People Officer with full ownership of the HR function? Please provide the exact company name, official title, dates, whether the company was local or international, countries covered, total company headcount, number of employees within your scope, size of your HR team, reporting line and three measurable results. Count only formal senior HR leadership positions. Experience as an HRBP, HR Manager, Recruiter, Talent Acquisition Manager or Consultant should not be included. Candidates without direct HR Director / Head of HR experience will not be considered.
- International Recruitment Experience. Please describe your experience in international recruitment, providing specific details on the following: - Countries: In which countries have you personally recruited and successfully hired employees? - Total Hires: How many employees have you successfully hired internationally in total? Please provide an exact or approximate number. - Positions: What types of positions have you recruited for (e.g., executive, management, specialist, or operational roles)? - Timeline: When did this international recruitment experience take place? Please specify the years and indicate when you last successfully hired an employee internationally. - Breakdown by Country: Please provide an approximate number of successful hires in each country. - Important: We are interested specifically in your direct, hands-on international recruitment experience, not general HR management or supervision of recruitment teams. Please provide concrete figures and examples rather than general descriptions. Answers without detailed information would be rejected.
- Which ATS have you used in the last 5 years, and in which companies? Please mention the ATS name, company name, and period.