Vice President, Global People Operations & Transformation

Turnitin is seeking a forward-thinking global HR executive to lead People Operations and its continued transformation. Reporting to the Chief People Experience Officer, this role oversees Global People Shared Services, Benefits, HR Systems and Analytics, and Employee Relations operations, including our external ER partnership. The role will also lead the planned integration of global Payroll operations from Finance.

We are looking for a leader who can design organizations, build capability and create leverage through effective structures, systems, technology and people. This includes challenging legacy ways of working, testing hypotheses, making fact-based investment decisions and using AI and automation to simplify work and improve productivity.

Our environment is global, remote-first and evolving. Success requires someone who can lead through ambiguity, constructively challenge assumptions, make decisions with imperfect information and translate complex problems into practical solutions.

This leader must bring deep operational expertise, sound employee relations judgment, proven HR technology transformation experience and the ability to develop a strong leadership bench. The expectation is not simply to maintain operations, but to build a more scalable, resilient and accountable People Experience function. This leader will also serve as a trusted adviser to the CPXO and senior leadership, bringing independent judgment, sound business acumen and practical solutions to complex operational, organizational and employee matters. They will anticipate risks, offer constructive challenge and help translate business priorities into effective People practices.

What You Will Do

Global People Shared Services & Operational Excellence

• Lead global People Shared Services across employee lifecycle operations, onboarding, offboarding, leaves, immigration coordination and employee support.
• Lead the design and continuous improvement of the People Shared Services (PSS) delivery model, establishing clear ownership, decision rights, escalation protocols and accountability within PSS, while partnering with PBPs, COEs and external providers to ensure effective handoffs, coordination and service delivery.
• Evaluate organizational structure, staffing, spans of control and work allocation to improve service effectiveness, productivity and management capacity.
• Build scalable operations through standardization, self-service, documented procedures, cross-training and succession coverage.
• Establish performance measures that identify service gaps, recurring issues, operational risk and opportunities to redirect work to more effective delivery channels.

Employee Relations, Governance & Risk

• Lead the global Employee Relations operating model, including governance, quality and performance of external ER partners.
• Bring strong judgment and practical expertise to complex employee matters, including investigations, performance, restructuring, separations and employment risk.
• Establish clear decision rights, case ownership, service standards and escalation protocols in partnership with Legal and People Business Partners.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and economics of the ER delivery model, building internal expertise and alternatives to external providers where appropriate.
• Anticipate emerging employee risks and operational vulnerabilities, ensuring appropriate intervention before matters escalate unnecessarily.
• Establish effective ER case management, tracking and reporting, including case volumes, themes, resolution timelines, outcomes and recurring risks to inform continuous improvement.
• Strengthen the operational management of employee separations and HR offboarding, ensuring clear ownership, timely coordination, consistent documentation and effective partnership across PSS, PBPs, Legal and external providers.

HR Technology, AI & Digital Transformation

• Lead HRIS modernization, including strategy, selection, implementation, integration, adoption and ongoing optimization.
• Reimagine the People service model using AI, automation and integrated systems to reduce administrative work, improve self-service and create capacity for higher-value activities.
• Expand AI-enabled employee and manager support, knowledge management, case routing, workflow automation and workforce analytics.
• Establish reliable People data, reporting and governance, including appropriate security, privacy and responsible AI controls.
• Develop fact-based business cases, test hypotheses through pilots and measure productivity, adoption, service improvements and return on investment.
• Challenge technology investments that automate inefficient processes without first addressing underlying organizational or workflow issues.

Global Benefits & Payroll Transformation

• Lead global Benefits operations, including administration, enrollment, vendor performance, financial stewardship and employee experience.
• Design and implement an integration plan for global Payroll operations from Finance, including organizational structure, resourcing, systems, controls and transition readiness.
• Partner with Finance, Legal and IT to strengthen Payroll governance, compliance, accuracy and integration with People systems.
• Evaluate opportunities to standardize, simplify and automate Benefits and Payroll processes while protecting service continuity and financial controls.
• Build sustainable functional leadership and operational coverage across both areas.

People Leadership, Organizational Design & Enterprise Partnership

• Assess capabilities and capacity against future operating requirements, making evidence-based recommendations to build, buy, automate, or redesign work.
• Lead effectively in a Remote-First environment, establishing strong operating rhythms, communication, collaboration and accountability across countries and time zones.
• Partner with the CPXO, PXLT, Finance, Legal and IT on business-critical decisions, operational risks and transformation priorities.
• Bring forward well-supported recommendations, welcome constructive challenge and adapt plans when new evidence warrants a different approach.
• Maintain operational performance while implementing organizational change, balancing speed, employee experience, risk and financial discipline.