How to apply for Director of Global HR Compliance and Operations

About Vital Strategies

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization that partners with governments to design and implement evidence-based policies reducing disease and premature death. It operates seven offices and uses thirteen EOR arrangements, so HR work directly supports health programs in multiple countries.

About the role

This role leads global HR operations, compliance, and employee services across a multi-country public health organization. You will standardize policies, manage compensation and benefits, ensure labor law compliance, handle employee relations, and oversee HRIS and data governance. The work directly supports the organization's ability to deliver public health programs in diverse jurisdictions.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing HR compliance across multiple countries, coordinating with local vendors on benefits renewals, and addressing employee relations matters in different time zones. You could also work on HRIS data governance, update global policies, and prepare for audits or spot checks on employee files. Travel up to 10% internationally may be required for office visits or meetings.

Who Vital Strategies is looking for

• 15+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant global operations and compliance work, preferably in nonprofit or international development sectors.
• Experience managing HR across multiple countries, including EOR arrangements and direct offices, with knowledge of local labor laws and regulatory reporting.
• Strong background in global compensation and benefits administration, including salary benchmarking, plan design, vendor coordination, and annual renewals.
• HRIS administration and data governance skills; UKG experience strongly preferred. Ability to work across multiple time zones and travel up to 10% internationally.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific experience with EOR arrangements and multi-country HR operations, since the role manages thirteen EOR arrangements and seven offices.
• Quantify your global compliance work: number of countries, types of labor laws, audit outcomes, and regulatory reporting you have handled.
• If you have UKG experience, state it clearly in your resume and cover letter, as it is strongly preferred.
• Show how you have balanced global standards with local legal and cultural requirements when developing HR policies.
• Mention any nonprofit or international development sector experience, even if not in public health, because the job prefers that background.

What to cover in your cover letter

Emphasize your experience managing HR operations across multiple countries, including EOR arrangements. Describe how you have developed standardized global HR policies while adapting to local laws and cultures. Detail your global compensation and benefits work, including benchmarking and vendor management. Explain your approach to HR compliance, audits, and employee relations in a multi-country setting, and note any UKG or similar HRIS experience.

Research before applying

• Review Vital Strategies' website to understand their public health programs, office locations, and how they partner with governments.
• Research the countries where Vital Strategies has offices and EOR arrangements to understand the labor law environments you would manage.
• Look into UKG HRIS capabilities and how they apply to global HR operations, compliance, and analytics.
• Find any public reports or audits related to nonprofit HR compliance to understand common regulatory requirements in the sector.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you have managed HR compliance across multiple jurisdictions, including EOR arrangements and direct offices.
• Your approach to developing global HR policies that balance organizational standards with local legal and cultural requirements.
• Specific examples of global compensation and benefits administration, including salary benchmarking and vendor coordination.
• How you have used HRIS and workforce analytics to improve HR operations and support decision-making, especially with UKG.
• Your experience handling complex employee relations matters, investigations, and HR help desk coordination across time zones.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on domestic HR experience without demonstrating global or multi-country operations and compliance work.
• Ignoring the EOR aspect of the role; failing to mention any experience with Employer of Record arrangements.
• Using generic HR language without specific examples of how you have handled global policy standardization, compensation, or compliance across jurisdictions.