Head of People Operations

Summary

Join Collabora as the forward-thinking Head of People Operations, leading the people operations function across all regions. Reporting to the COO, you will drive operational excellence in service delivery, employee lifecycle management, global compliance, automation, and employee experience. Build and automate scalable processes to enable a world-class people experience while supporting company growth. This role can be based in Cambridge/UK, Montreal/CA, or remotely, with substantial overlap in European and Canadian time zones. You will define and lead the global people operations strategy, scale and optimize operations for a distributed workforce, and champion a data-driven culture. The position requires extensive experience in People Operations, including management in an international environment.

Requirements

• At least 10+ years’ experience of working in People Operations, including 5 years’ experience in a managerial (leadership) role within an international environment
• Experience leading People Operations in technology-driven organizations, with a strong understanding of the unique challenges and pace of the tech sector
• Experience leading teams through digital transformation and leveraging HR technology to optimize employee experience
• Track record of implementing digital tools and platforms to enhance employee experience and streamline operations
• Proven success leading people operations in a global and high-growth environment
• Deep understanding of HR systems, processes, and service delivery models
• Knowledge of global employment law (UK, Canada, US and France), compliance frameworks, and data privacy
• Analytical mindset with the ability to derive insights from data to inform strategy
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and proven ability to partner with cross-functional teams—including engineering, product, and business leadership — to align people strategy with organizational objectives
• Ability to think in an agile manner and approach challenges with an end-to-end perspective
• Strong project management abilities
• Ability to analyze and review People Operations data to identify trends

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the global people operations strategy in alignment with overall business and people goals
• Scale and optimize people operations to support a distributed workforce across multiple countries
• Champion a data-driven culture by overseeing HR analytics and workforce insights
• Own the global HRIS strategy, implementation, automation, and optimization
• Lead the integration of technology and automation to improve efficiency and employee experience
• Own end-to-end employee lifecycle processes including recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, mobility, promotions, transfers, and employee changes
• Ensure consistency and compliance across all people processes and touchpoints with other departments
• Ensure compliance with global labour laws, data protection (e.g., GDPR), immigration policies, and local regulatory requirements
• Partner with Finance and Delivery on audits, internal controls, and cross-border employment complexities
• Build scalable knowledge management (e.g., employee handbooks, policy libraries)
• Deliver quality inputs to Payroll (multiple payrolls in different countries)
• Handle benefits administration through external brokers/parties (across different countries)
• Conduct salary benchmarking
• Build, develop, and mentor a high-performing global people operations team
• Foster a culture of accountability, agility, openness to change, collaboration, rapid iteration and continuous improvement