Head, HR Operations - North America

Company Description

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs.  

Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting. From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold.  

Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland. 

Job Description

As part of the NA regional Human Resources Leadership Team and the Group HR Operations function, the Head of HR Operations NA is responsible for leading the delivery of NA HR operational services within a global performance framework and with strong partnering within and across the regions.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop the NA regional HR Operations team ensuring they are motivated and equipped with strong service delivery, customer centric and continuous improvement capabilities. Role model desired behaviors including service mindset, customer centricity, project, and operational discipline to create a high performing organization.
• Partner with the HR Regional Leaders and supplier partners to deliver full range of operational. benefit and payroll services across the NA (US and Canada) region with strong service excellence and customer centricity.
• Actively manage the quality of HR Operational delivery through the delivery teams supporting the region. Jobholder has primary responsibility for the operational delivery to the US and Canada through the outsourced (Capgemini) Kolkata Service Center.
• Drive ongoing services improvement and value delivery; definition and tracking of performance metrics to identify continuous improvement opportunities and levers.  This includes ensuring employees have the relevant continuous improvement capabilities (Lean, agile and general continuous improvement techniques).
• Take an active role in driving projects and initiatives that deliver operational excellence, continuous improvement, efficiency, impact to employee experience through leveraging leadership and change management capabilities.  
• Manage and continually monitor the HR Operations budget and the US Benefits budget seeking to optimize service levels, resources, and cost.
• Manage the relationship with the strategic suppliers for all relevant services with a strong focus on customer service and continuous improvement; including immigration, relocation, service delivery, leave administration, benefit providers and payroll. 
• Support the delivery of HR functional projects in alignment with the HR Project Portfolio including robust change management.
• Accountability for ensuring compliance with regulatory framework for Human Resources and accountability through a number of audits with our delivery partners. 
• Build strong partnerships with key client groups, such as Business leaders, Business HR and HR Centers of Expertise, across the region. Use empathy and design thinking to embed continuous feedback loops to evolve and refine service delivery performance.
• Supports and encourages effective collaboration, interconnectivity, and process alignment with all areas of HR (i.e. between regional HR teams, in-country and global HR teams and external service provider). Be an active member of the NA HR and global HR Operations community.

Qualifications

General Experience:

• Passionate about delivering services to the business and a desire to lead change projects to continuously improve what we do.
• Human Resource experience (7 to 10 years), with at least 5 years in a leading position at a country, multi‑country, regional or global level.
• Strong vendor management experience is essential, experience in shared services environment is a plus.
• Proven experience in regional service delivery: payroll, operational compliance, escalations management, continuity planning and continuous improvement within multinational companies.
• Experienced in implementing HR projects, driving continuous improvement, and managing others in a cross – regional context.

Critical Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum of University Degree, preferably in Business, Economics, Social Sciences, or equivalent experience.
• English is a must plus one or more languages pertinent to the region desirable.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills to build strong and positive relationships with regional and with global teams.

Additional Information

What We Offer: 

• A culture that celebrates diversity & inclusion, promotes professional development, and strives for a work-life balance that supports the team me