HR AI & Automation Operations Lead

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a HR AI & Automation Operations Lead based in Spain. As HR AI & Automation Operations Lead, you will help transform global HR operations through intelligent automation, AI, and scalable process design. You will work at the intersection of HR operations, technology, data, and process excellence, solving complex operational challenges at scale. The role combines strategic ownership with hands-on execution, from identifying opportunities and redesigning workflows to deploying and optimizing automated solutions. You will partner with teams across Operations, Product, Engineering, Design, and IT to turn operational needs into effective technology solutions. A strong focus on data privacy, compliance, governance, and responsible AI will be essential when working with sensitive employment information. You will also help establish best practices, enable teams to adopt new solutions, and drive continuous improvement across a globally distributed organization. Accountabilities • Own the strategy and delivery of AI and automation initiatives across HR Operations, using customer and employee feedback, operational data, and business insights to identify opportunities for improvement. • Act as the directly responsible individual for multi-phase initiatives, taking projects from discovery and process redesign through prototyping, launch, optimization, and sustainable delivery. • Translate operational pain points into scalable automation and intelligent solutions in collaboration with Product, Engineering, Design, and IT teams. • Map end-to-end operational processes, identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and design workflows that improve speed, accuracy, consistency, and scalability. • Build and maintain integrations and data flows across HRIS, case management, payroll, and other operational platforms using native connectors, APIs, event triggers, and related technologies. • Develop rapid automation solutions using low-code/no-code platforms such as Zapier, Make, Retool, n8n, or comparable tools. • Deploy, manage, and govern AI tools and agents for use cases such as document processing, query triage, policy guidance, data auditing, and operational support. • Design multi-agent workflows, including routing and maker/checker patterns, with appropriate retries, fallbacks, guardrails, and human oversight for employment-related processes. • Establish automation observability and governance practices, including logging, tracing, agent-run evaluation, role-based access controls, and auditability appropriate for sensitive HR data. • Ensure regulatory, statutory, privacy, and compliance requirements are embedded into automation and system design decisions. • Develop operational data models that support reporting, audits, compliance, data integrity, and performance management. • Build and maintain HR Operations dashboards and reports using SQL and business intelligence tools such as Tableau, Sigma, or equivalent platforms. • Monitor operational performance and use data-driven insights to identify trends, measure outcomes, and prioritize continuous improvement. • Lead change management, training, adoption, and continuous improvement initiatives related to AI and automation solutions. • Serve as a technical subject-matter lead for AI and automation within Operations, helping establish scalable best practices and ways of working. • Mentor and support junior team members while contributing to greater technical and operational maturity across the organization. • Manage complex stakeholder conversations independently, resolving conflicts constructively and building alignment across teams. Requirements: • Progressive experience in automation, business process optimization, systems integration, operations technology, or a related discipline. • Experience translating operational challenges into automated or intelligent solutions in collaboration with technical and cross-functional teams. • Experience in HR Operations, Shared Services, or comparable operational environments is strongly preferred. • Demonstrated understanding of user experience, operational efficiency, process design, and scalable service delivery. • Experience building automation in regulated or compliance-sensitive environments such as hiring, employment, payroll, or other HR processes. • Strong understanding of sensitive personal data, privacy obligations, data lifecycle risks, access controls, auditability, and their impact on system and automation design. • Extensive hands-on experience with low-code/no-code workflow platforms such as Zapier, Make, Retool, n8n, or similar technologies. • Practical experience using light scripting languages such as Python, TypeScript, or JavaScript to build integrations, custom agents, webhooks, message queues, or supporting services. • Experience working with APIs and integrating multiple business systems to create reliable cross-platform workflows. • Familiarity with AI agents, multi-agent architectures, AI-assisted workflows, and responsible AI governance. • Experience with data analytics, SQL, operational data models, and business intelligence tools such as Tableau or Sigma. • Strong project management skills and the ability to take initiatives from early exploration through scalable implementation. • Proven ability to work autonomously, take ownership, set direction, and deliver outcomes in a fast-moving environment. • Strong influencing, negotiation, conflict-management, and stakeholder communication skills. • Excellent written and verbal English communication skills. • Proactive, curious, analytical, and solutions-oriented mindset with a strong appetite for continuous improvement. • Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on technical and operational execution. • Experience working with distributed or remote teams is an advantage. • Basic