Associate Director, P&O Operations

Does it excite you to deliver a smooth, compliant, and well-documented People Operations experience for U.S. employees, and do you have experience working in a start-up biotech environment? If this sounds like you, and you are ready to take on a broad area of responsibilities, then you could be our new colleague.

Your new position 

As Associate Director People Operations – U.S., the role supports the operational People foundation that employees and leaders rely on every day. The position ensures consistent, compliant, and well-documented People Operations support for the U.S. entity, aligned with global standards led from Denmark and US.

This is an execution-focused role responsible for professional support across the full employee lifecycle incl accurate administration and strong system data quality. The role acts as a key operational link between U.S. employees, People leaders, external vendors (Workday, TriNet), and People Operations in Denmark.

We offer exciting responsibilities

• Support end-to-end U.S. employee lifecycle administration (Talent Acquisition), Onboarding, changes, Offboarding), in close collaboration with TriNet and People Operations in Denmark 
• Ensure employment-related documentation is complete, accurate, and properly stored in line with internal standards and requirements 
• Maintain and validate employee master data in Workday and TriNet, identifying and resolving inconsistencies in coordination with People Operations 
• Support U.S. payroll, benefits, and compliance administration (execution only), including I-9 coordination and document retention; guide employees to the correct TriNet resources and escalate as needed 

Contribute to continuous improvement, documentation, and standardization of People Operations workflows, including opportunities for automation and use of AI-enabled tools

Your profile

The ideal candidate is service-minded, detail-oriented, and thrives in an execution-focused operational role. Success in the position requires clear communication, strong follow-through, and comfort working with standards, checklists, and documented processes. 

The role works effectively across cultures and time zones, takes ownership within a defined scope, and escalates proactively when needed.

• 5-7 years of experience in People Operations, HR administration, or HR coordination
• Hands-on experience with TriNet and/or Workday (experience with AI-enabled tools is a plus) to support structured processes, documentation, and compliance-related administrative activities 
• Design and implement US-specific P&O policies, programs, and practices that reflect local regulatory requirements while remaining aligned with global Zealand Pharma principles
• Drive employee onboarding, engagement, and retention initiatives that support a high-performance, inclusive culture in the US office
• Partner with Denmark-based P&O colleagues to localize global people programs — including performance management, compensation cycles, and Learning &Development — for the US context
• Manage US P&O including benefits administration, leave programs, payroll coordination, and compliance with federal and state employment regulations
• Provide guidance and coaching to US/DK people managers on employee relations matters, performance issues, and organizational change
• Support headcount planning and workforce analytics in collaboration with Finance and Talent Acquisition to enable informed build decisions as the US organization scales
• Act as a cultural ambassador, helping to bridge between Denmark and US offices through thoughtful communication, shared practices, and relationship-building across geographies
• Support team with end-to-end Talent Acquisition
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills; able to manage multiple parallel requests reliably 
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication skills in English 
• Experience working in a global life sciences/biotech environment is desirable
• Working as part of an international team, reporting to leader located in Denmark

Your new team 

You will join the People & Organization function and work closely with People Operations colleagues in Denmark and key U.S. stakeholders. The team supports leaders and colleagues across the employee lifecycle and plays a key role in enabling smooth day-to-day operations through clear processes, high-quality data, and reliable documentation. In addition to ongoing administration and support, the team contributes to projects and continuous improvements, often driven by the many great questions and needs coming from colleagues across the organization.

Let's bond and be bold 

We have a unique culture, characterized by excellent teamwork and st