Role Summary
Ouster is looking for a Director, Global People Operations to act as our core systems architect, operational builder, and multi-national compliance lead for our global team. This critical "builder-manager" position is focused on transforming and scaling our global People infrastructure.
In this role, you will report directly to the Chief People Officer and work in close partnership with the broader People team and Centers of Excellence (COEs). We are seeking a hands-on leader who is equally passionate about architecting high-level global frameworks and getting into the details of configuring day-to-day workflows to guarantee seamless compliance.
Responsibilities
1. HR Systems & Data- Select, configure, and manage our global HRIS (HR Information System) and connected tools (ATS, payroll, equity) to ensure absolute data accuracy.
- Build scalable workflows for core tasks like onboarding, job changes, leaves of absence, and offboarding.
- Optimize service delivery by managing internal HR documentation, intranets, and employee support ticketing systems to maintain a high-quality, frictionless employee experience.
- Create people analytics dashboards and reports to help executive leadership track headcount, turnover, and operational trends.
2. International Payroll & Compliance- Partner with Finance and Legal to ensure accurate, on-time payroll and competitive benefits across our global offices.
- Keep our people records cleanly aligned and compliant across our global network of international subsidiaries.
- Establish clear guidelines, compliance tracking, and operational processes for our mix of full-time employees (FTEs) and international contractors.
- Act as our main advisor on local labor laws, working hours, benefits, and data privacy (such as GDPR/PDPA). Work with internal and external counsel to adapt our company policies to local laws in Canada, the UK, France, Singapore, and Thailand.
- Manage global PEO and EOR relationships to streamline international hiring and ensure local regulatory alignment.
3. Team Management & Partnership- Partner closely with our US HRBPs, Recruiting, and Compensation teams to make sure company programs (like job leveling and performance reviews) actually work in our systems and international offices.
- Manage and coach our international HR operations team, starting with direct management of our HRBP in France.
- Act as the direct HR point of contact and advisor for international executive leaders and teams across Europe, Canada, and APAC.
QualificationsBasic Qualifications- 8+ years of experience running HR Operations, global HRIS platforms, and international payroll, with at least 2+ years of experience managing direct reports.
- Direct experience managing HR operations across complex, multi-entity international corporate structures (subsidiaries, joint ventures, or international branches).
- Hands-on experience managing payroll, benefits, and local labor compliance across multiple international jurisdictions.
- Highly motivated by system design and automation, but equally energized by executing tactical process audits and system updates yourself.
- Strong background managing compliance and vendor relationships for mixed employment models (FTEs and international contractors).
Preferred (Bonus) Qualifications
- Experience managing employee stock education and equity distributions in a public or late-stage private tech company.
- Experience with complex global M&A integration
- Proven track record handling complex international employee relations issues under strict local labor laws.
The base pay will be dependent on your skills, work experience, location, and qualifications. This role may also be eligible for equity & benefits. ($185,000 - $255,000 USD)
We acknowledge the confidence gap at Ouster. You do not need to meet all of these requirements to be the ideal candidate for this role.
