Associate Director HR Operations

Today, Lonza is a global leader in life sciences operating across three continents. While we work in science, there’s no magic formula to how we do it. Our greatest scientific solution is talented people working together, devising ideas that help businesses to help people. In exchange, we let our people own their careers. Their ideas, big and small, genuinely improve the world. And that’s the kind of work we want to be part of.

The Associate Director HR Operations / Head HR Services - Americas will spearhead the operational performance of our:

- Workforce Administration globally and
- Payroll and HR Advisory in the Americas region

The individual is accountable to deliver efficient, predictable, and effective services (Surprise Free Operations), ensuring that services provided by the HRS team are delivered in a reliable, timely, cost-effective, and high-quality manner to meet the needs of our employees, managers, and stakeholders.

The Associate Director HR Operations / Head HR Services will also play a pivotal role in further expanding the scope of the HR Services hub in Costa Rica and enhancing the Service Advisory model within the region.

Key responsibilities:
- Take ownership and accountability for maintaining high standards of quality and SLA compliance for Global Administration services, ensuring that benchmarks are met or exceeded. Regularly monitor and report on performance metrics, implementing corrective actions as necessary.- Lead and oversee the HR Service Advisory team for the Americas region, ensuring the provision of high-quality advisory services to internal stakeholders.- Drive performance improvements for Pay/Time delivery in collaboration with the Regional Payroll Manager and GPO organization, optimizing processes and systems to enhance efficiency and accuracy. Implement strategies to streamline payroll operations, reduce errors, and ensure timely payment processing. Provide guidance and support to the team to facilitate continuous improvement and uphold service excellence standards.- Provide strong leadership, direction, and engagement across Americas HR Services teams, setting clear objectives, offering coaching and support, and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. Align team efforts with the organization's strategic direction and goals.- Establish and maintain effective collaboration with site HR representatives and the Regional HR Community, actively seeking to understand and meet client expectations. Foster open communication channels to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.- Generate insightful reporting and statistical analysis on key business performance KPIs and SLAs, leveraging data-driven insights to propose initiatives and conduct regular site reviews with local leadership teams and HR leaders. Utilize findings to drive continuous improvement efforts.- Take accountability for addressing business escalations within the region, providing timely and accurate information and resolution to key stakeholder groups. Uphold stakeholder trust and confidence through effective escalation resolution.- Motivate and guide the assigned Supervisor and/or Team Leads and their teams in their personal performance and development, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.- Proactively manage resource requirements within the teams to ensure optimum performance against budgetary requirements.- Work closely with the regional leads and Global Process Owners to standardize processes, and improve efficiencies within team performance. Collaborate on initiatives and projects critical for achieving organizational objectives.- Proactively inform and upskill managers, employees, and the HR community on relevant issues, systems, changes, processes, and tools. Implement effective communication channels and training programs to foster a culture of continuous learning and development- Support the transition and transformation of regional HR Administration activities into the Costa Rica Global Hub, driving process reengineering, technology implementation, and organizational change management initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Key Requirements:
- Fluency in English is essential for effective communication across diverse regions and cultures. Proficiency in German or French is a plus.- University degree in Human Resources, or related areas such as Business Administration, or Finance.- Proven track record of leading services at a global level in a dynamic business environment.- Over 5 years of experience in HR Operations Management in Shared Services, with a specialized focus on Workforce administration and Payroll operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.- Proven experience in implementing strategic roadmaps and driving process improvements.- Strong analytical skills and experience with Lean Six Sigma methodologies.- Demonstrated success in driving a mindset change within the team to prioritize process improvement, foster efficien