HR Lifecycle Operations Lead, TikTok USDS JV (New York)

Join our TikTok USDS JV HR team as the Lifecycle Operations Lead. In this leadership role, you will drive operational excellence, scale HR infrastructure, and manage a dedicated team of HR Operations Specialists supporting our USDS employee lifecycle. Partnering closely with business leaders, HR Business Partners (HRBPs), Legal, Talent Acquisition, Payroll, and Global Centers of Excellence (COEs), you will design, optimize, and execute compliant, high-touch people operations in a dynamic, highly regulated environment.

Responsibilities

• Operational Strategy & Execution: Oversee the end-to-end employee lifecycle operations for USDS JV, including high-volume onboarding, background checks, job status changes, and offboarding, ensuring 100% data integrity and compliance.
• Process Scaling & Continuous Improvement: Architect scalable, standardized HR workflows by identifying operational gaps, automating manual touchpoints, and driving lean continuous improvement initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner cross-functionally with HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Payroll, Employee Relations, and Employment Legal to eliminate bottlenecks and streamline cross-functional workflows
• HR Helpdesk Support: Oversee HR helpdesk operations, ticketing systems, and knowledge base frameworks to deliver timely, empathetic employee support
• HRIS Governance & Data Analytics: Oversee system data integrity across Workday, Equifax, Sterling, HR tools, and internal databases. Build executive-level reporting frameworks, audit workflows, and leverage data analytics to identify trends and operational risks.
• Escalation & Compliance Management: Serve as the senior point of contact for complex operational issues, policy interpretations, compliance audits, and sensitive employee inquiries.
• Project and Change Management: Lead strategic HR Operations initiatives, technology implementations, change management programs, and policy updates across the USDS ecosystem.
• Vendor & Partner Governance: Manage relationships, performance SLAs, and contractual compliance for third-party HR vendors (background screening, verification).
• People Leadership & Team Management: Lead, mentor, and build a high-performing team of HR Operations Specialists/Coordinators. Establish operational SLAs and KPIs, balance bandwidth, drive accountability, and foster continuous professional development within the team.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in HR Operations, People Operations, or HR Service Delivery within a fast-paced or hyper-growth environment.
• 3+ years of direct people management experience leading and developing HR Operations professionals or specialists.
• Proven experience working with enterprise HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors) and integration tools (e.g., Sterling, Equifax, Service-Now, Jira).
• In-depth understanding of US employment laws, HR compliance requirements, and regulatory audit frameworks.
• Strong analytical skills with a track record of using data to drive operational decisions, build dashboards, and establish operational SLAs/KPIs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating within a highly regulated environment, joint venture (JV), or complex global tech matrix organization.
• Demonstrated track record of scaling HR processes, implementing ticketing/helpdesk solutions, and driving process automation.
• Exceptional project management skills (PMP or Agile/Lean certification is a plus).
• Superior communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and handle high-sensitivity escalations with discretion.