Director, People Operations & Transformation

The Opportunity

The Director of People Operations and Transformation is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing all facets of the human resources operations lifecycle, with a primary focus on driving efficiency, effectiveness, and technological advancement.

This role will lead the scaling of the HR function by leveraging smart technology solutions to streamline processes, enhance employee experience, and produce data-driven metrics demonstrating operational success. The Director of People Operations and Transformation is an exciting opportunity for a high-performing Senior Manager ready to step into a more senior, strategic leadership role.

This role is hybrid, with approximately 50% of your time in the office and 50% remote. We’re currently based in Swords, Co. Dublin, and will be relocating to our new office at North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 in May 2026.

Responsibilities

Strategic Operations Management

• Oversee the entire employee lifecycle - from recruitment and onboarding to offboarding ensuring efficient, compliant, and integrated operational processes.
• Lead the HR requirements for market expansion in line with our strategic growth targets, ensuring scalable solutions that enable the business.
• Partner with senior leadership and key stakeholders across the organization to ensure alignment between HR initiatives and business objectives.

HR Technology & Transformation Leadership

• Identify, evaluate, and implement HR technology solutions (leveraging Workday, Greenhouse, Cloudpay and AI-driven tools) to automate tasks, improve data accuracy, and enhance the overall employee experience.

Process Improvement & Automation

• Champion continuous improvement initiatives, redesigning existing workflows to maximize efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and ensure scalability across the organization.

Data Analytics & Reporting

• Define, track, and report on key HR metrics and KPIs including turnover rates, HR operational efficiency and SLA’s to measure the effectiveness of HR programs and identify areas for strategic improvement.
• Provide regular reporting within HR and external stakeholders as required.

Programme Management

• Lead and manage cross functional HR Programs that enhance/improve the overall employee experience and continuously improve back-office people operations process.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all HR operations comply with relevant labour laws and regulations across all our geographies and are customer centric in design.
• Implement robust internal controls to protect employee data and mitigate operational risks and lead the required reviews of policy compliance and data in line with internal risk functions and audits.

Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with external HR service providers and technology vendors, ensuring service level agreements (SLAs) are met and optimized for cost and performance.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor a team of HR operations specialists, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and customer centricity.

Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive experience in HR operations, with at least 3 years experience leading a team. 
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or a related field.
• Proven experience implementing and optimizing enterprise-level HR technology solutions (preferably Workday), ensuring seamless integration and user adoption.
• Strong strategic understanding of HRIS with advanced proficiency in data analytics and reporting tools, and the ability to anticipate and leverage emerging HR technology trends.
• Strong ability to interpret multiple data sets, translate metrics into actionable insights, and make data-driven decisions.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and transformation initiatives in a fast-paced and scaling environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization and translate stakeholder needs into efficient and effective HR workflows.
• Solid knowledge of employment law and HR best practices.

About ESW

Our purpose is simple: to create moments that matter between people and the brands they cherish. We enable brands to expand their global reach, facilitating simple and seamless ecommerce experiences for consumers worldwide. Through our integration solutions, we deliver a complete international checkout experience, including local duties, taxes, fulfilment, delivery management, and global returns and payment processing capabilities.

Guided by our values—Own It, Champion Simplicity, Win as One, and Debate then Commit—we strive to foster innovation, accountability, and teamwork, creating solutions that inspire trust and drive impactful results.

Why join us?

• Competitive salary and benefits: Your financial well being is important to us. Join ESW and experience the satisfaction of being rewarded for your hard work, dedication and commitment.
• Professional and personal development: Find your spark and leave your mark. We will ensure your talent is nurtured and cultivated for growth and success throughout your career with ESW.
• Hybrid Working: Our Hybrid Working Model empowers you to embrace the flexibility of hybrid working and enjoy the best of office and remote work.
• Diversity, Belonging & Inclusion: When we win, we win together. You'll be part of a culture that values every individual for who they are, fostering an environment where uniqueness is encouraged.

ESW is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at ESW are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

If you require any reasonable accommodations or adjustments throughout the hiring process, please let us know. We are dedicated to ensuring equal access and opportunity for all candidates.

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