Deputy Director, People Global Operations

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 234,000 - 363,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage (

No premiums

Paid time off

Paid family leave

Retirement contributions by the-found?

Job summary

The Gates Foundation is seeking a Deputy Director, People Global Operations, to lead the delivery and continuous improvement of core People operations across the foundation’s global workforce. You will ensure HR processes, systems, and services are efficient, compliant, and responsive while guiding a team responsible for lifecycle processes, HRIS, compensation, recruiting, and service delivery.

You will partner with People leadership, IT, Legal, and regional partners to strengthen operational

Qualifications

• 10+ years leading HR operations or enterprise functions.
• Experience with HRIS and service management platforms.
• Able to partner with senior leaders to evaluate options, communicate risks and tradeoffs.
• Experience evaluating AI use cases and responsible adoption.
• Must have unrestricted work authorization in the United States.
• Global or multi-location experience strongly valued.

Responsibilities

• Lead global People operations across employee lifecycle transactions and HRIS administration.
• Establish service standards, SLAs, KPIs, and continuous improvement practices.
• Ensure policies and documentation remain current and are implemented consistently with Legal and regional experts.
• Oversee recruiting operations processes and enabling technology.
• Set priorities for People operations modernization, including AI-enabled solutions.
• Partner with IT, security, privacy, and governance to evaluate technologies and responsible AI usage.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives across global locations, balancing standards with local needs.
• Advise leaders on operational risks, resources, and decisions; anticipate downstream effects.
• Lead, develop, and coach the team; manage capacity and foster collaboration and accountability.
• Oversee adoption of improvements and monitor results to sustain impact.

Skills

HR operations leadership

Global operations

Change management

Data-driven decision making

AI-enabled HR

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Workday

Zendesk

HRIS

Service management platforms

Job description

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world.

Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives.

We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve.

• We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities.

As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

In the People function, we are inspired by our mission and are compelled by the opportunity to make an impact. Along with our partners, we take on complex challenges, continually test new approaches, and embrace change where it will facilitate the best outcome. We are on a mission to evolve how we work by pushing for greater transparency so people have access to information they need to make decisions, creating energy to support a thriving workforce, and showing respect so everyone can bring their best, authentic self to work every day.

This position will be based out of Seattle, Washington.

Your Role:

As Deputy Director, People Global Operations, you will lead the delivery and continuous improvement of core People operations and services across the foundation’s global workforce. You will be accountable for ensuring that HR processes, systems, and services are efficient, consistent, compliant, and responsive to employee and organizational needs. You will lead a team responsible for critical People operations, including employee lifecycle processes, HR systems administration, compensation operations, recruiting operations, and service delivery. Working with People leadership, IT, Legal, and regional partners, you will strengthen operational effectiveness, clarify accountability, and deliver a high-quality employee experience. You will also lead the modernization of People operations by simplifying processes, strengthening system, and responsibly leveraging automation and emerging technologies, including AI. Through data-informed decisions and effective change management, you will build a scalable, sustainable operating model that supports the foundation’s global mission. In a fast-changing environment where priorities and needs will continue to evolve, you will bring agility and adaptability to help your team navigate ambiguity and change.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead global People operations across employee lifecycle transactions, HRIS administration, compensation operations, recruiting operations, and related services, ensuring quality, timeliness, and clear accountability.
• Establish service standards, service-level agreements, performance indicators, and continuous improvement practices; use operational insights and employee feedback to improve service delivery.
• Ensure People policies, procedures, controls, and operational documentation remain current and are implemented consistently, in partnership with Legal and relevant regional and functional experts.
• Oversee recruiting operations processes and enabling technology, including consistent workflows, platform enhancements, and vendor relationships.
• Set priorities for People operations modernization, identifying and implementing process improvements, automation, and appropriate AI-enabled solutions with measurable outcomes.
• Partner with IT, security, privacy, and governance stakeholders to evaluate technologies and ensure responsible use of AI and employee data.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and change management across global locations, balancing common standards with local regulatory and operational needs.
• Advise People and organizational leaders on operational risks, tradeoffs, resources, and decisions; anticipate downstream effects across interconnected People processes.
• Lead, develop, and coach the team; set expectations, manage capacity, address escalated issues, and foster inclusive collaboration and accountability.
• Oversee implementation and adoption of improvements, monitoring results and adjusting approaches to sustain service quality and organizational impact.

Your Experience:

• 10+ years of relevant professional experience, including leading teams and delivering complex operational improvements or large-scale change; global or multi-location experience strongly valued.
• Demonstrated leadership of HR operations, shared services, HR technology-enabled service delivery, or related enterprise functions.
• Experience working with senior leaders to evaluate options, communicate risks and tradeoffs, and support consequential decisions.
• Experience overseeing HRIS and service management platforms; familiarity with Workday and Zendesk or comparable enterprise systems preferred.
• Demonstrated success improving processes and implementing technology-enabled solutions, including automation; experience evaluating AI use cases and responsible adoption valued.
• Strong understanding of HR operations, compliance considerations, and how systems, policies, and employee experiences intersect across geographies.
• Excellent strategic problem-solving, analytical, program leadership, and change management skills, with the ability to prioritize resources and measure results.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and lead effectively across functions, cultures, and organizational levels.
• Demonstrated adaptability and versatility in fast-changing environments; ability to guide a team through ambiguity, reset priorities when needed, and keep people energized and focused on outcomes.
• Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located.
• The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. This includes direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (eg: H-1B, O-1, L-1, E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).
• The salary range for this role is $212,800 - $329,800 We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $234,000 - $362,800. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

#LK-AK1 Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. If you have a disability or medical condition and need an accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process—such as an ASL interpreter, alternative interview format, or physical accessibility support,we’re happy to help. Please contact [e-mail] with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices. All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity. Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.