HR Operations and Payroll Director

Are you ready to move your career forward and help shape our company's and customers' futures?

If you aspire to challenge yourself, work with the best in the industry and join a successful team where you can make a meaningful contribution, then we invite you to join us at Ketjen Corporation, a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Together, we can create a legacy marked by innovation, excitement, and energy.

This position can be based at our Clear Lake Corporate Headquarters in Houston, TX or at our office in Budapest, Hungary.

About Ketjen
Ketjen Corporation is a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Our company is driven by a strong set of core values: curiosity, care, collaboration, humility, accountability, and integrity. These values guide our decisions, shape our culture, and define how we work together to deliver exceptional value to our customers and communities.

About the Role
Ketjen is seeking a dynamic and experienced HR Operations and Payroll Director to join our Human Resources leadership team. Reporting directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), this critical role will lead the delivery of HR services on a global basis across a diverse employee population. The HR Operations Director will be responsible for the effective execution of payroll, HR policies, onboarding, offboarding, employee inquiries, manager support, and other core HR operational processes. This role will partner closely with HR and business leaders to ensure seamless employee experience and operational excellence.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Global HR Operations Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day HR operations across all regions, ensuring consistency and compliance with local labor laws.
• Develop and implement global HR policies, procedures, and standards.
• Lead HR process optimization initiatives to improve efficiency, scalability, and service quality.
• Structure and implement innovative HR solutions and technologies to support evolving business needs and enhance employee experience.
• Implement and manage tiered service delivery models to efficiently triage HR support requests, integrating self-service and automated solutions for common inquiries.

• Manage global payroll operations, ensuring accurate and timely processing across multiple countries.
• Drive payroll transformation initiatives to enhance scalability, efficiency, and compliance.
• Partner with finance, tax, and external vendors to ensure compliance with tax and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor payroll systems and reporting for accuracy, audit readiness, and continuous improvement.

• Maintain and enhance HRIS platforms, ensuring data integrity and robust data governance.
• Develop and manage dashboards and reports that provide actionable insights into workforce trends, payroll accuracy, and operational efficiency.
• Utilize advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and data visualization to inform workforce decisions and identify opportunities for process improvement.
• Present key HR metrics to senior leadership to support strategic decision-making.

• Ensure adherence to international labor laws, data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR), and internal policies.
• Support internal and external audits related to HR and payroll.
• Establish strong payroll quality controls and audit methodology.

• Partner with regional HR Business Partners to ensure smooth onboarding and offboarding experiences for employees globally.
• Standardize and continuously improve processes for new hire setup, orientation, and exit procedures.
• Ensure compliance with documentation, systems access, and payroll transitions during employee lifecycle changes.

• Lead and mentor the global HR operations team, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
• Collaborate with Talent and Culture, Total Rewards, HR Business Partners, IT, Legal, and external partners to deliver seamless HR services.
• Act as a key liaison between HR, IT, Legal, and external partners.

• Maximize the effectiveness of technologies and processes to drive continuous improvement and automation.
• Implement robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to optimize HR workflows and improve data integrity.
• Continuously evaluate and upgrade HR systems to ensure they meet the evolving needs of the organization and comply with regulatory changes.

• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in HR operations or shared services.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a managerial role.
• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, finance, accounting, or related field.
• Strong knowledge of HR operations, payroll, HRIS systems, and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in process improvement, project management, and HR service delivery.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal abilities, with experience supporting and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven ability to lead and develop diverse, geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong alignment with Ketjen's core values: curiosity, care, collaboration, humility, accountability, and integrity.

• Experience working in chemicals manufacturing or a similar sector.
• Experience with global HR operations and multi-country payroll.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or Payroll Certification Designation.
• Experience with HR technology implementations, process automation, and AI-driven solutions.
• Experience with Workday, ADP GlobalView, SAP, ServiceNow, Freshworks, or similar platforms.
• Strong acumen for financial controls and compliance with laws and policies.
• Experience in developing and implementing HR analytics strategies that drive business results.

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits package
• A diverse array of resources to support you professionally and personally.