Director, People Operations

Harness is the AI Software Delivery Platform company, led by technologist and entrepreneur Jyoti Bansal (founder of AppDynamics, acquired by Cisco for $3.7B). Harness has raised approximately $570M in funding and is valued at $5.5B, backed by leading investors including Goldman Sachs, Menlo Ventures, IVP, Unusual Ventures, Citi Ventures, and more. As AI accelerates code creation, the real bottleneck has shifted to everything after the code – testing, deployments, application security, reliability, compliance, and cost optimization. Harness brings AI and automation to this “outer loop,” helping teams ship software faster while maintaining security and governance throughout the entire software delivery lifecycle. Powered by Harness AI and the Software Delivery Knowledge Graph, the Harness Platform applies deep context and intelligent automation across the software delivery lifecycle with governance and policy-driven controls embedded throughout the platform. Over the past year, Harness powered over 185M deployments, 82M builds, 18T flag evaluations, 8M security scans, 9.1B optimized tests, 3T protected API calls, and helped manage $2.8B in cloud spend — enabling customers like United Airlines, Morningstar, and Choice Hotels to accelerate releases by up to 75%, reduce cloud costs by up to 60%, and achieve 10x DevOps efficiency. With a global team across 26 offices and 25 countries, Harness is shaping the future of AI software delivery — and we’re looking for exceptional talent to help us move even faster. Position Summary We are seeking a Director, People Operations to lead and scale our Global People Operations function during a critical phase of growth. This leader will be responsible for building a world-class, efficient, and employee-centric operations engine that supports our employees across all regions. Reporting to the VP, People Operations & Talent Management, this role will drive operational excellence across the full employee lifecycle, ensuring our systems, processes, and programs are scalable, compliant, and aligned with business objectives. You will partner closely with leaders across People, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and IT to deliver a seamless and high-quality employee experience globally. About the role Lead Global People Operations Strategy Define and execute a forward-looking People Operations strategy aligned to company growth and global expansion Build scalable, repeatable processes that enable speed, consistency, and quality across regions Drive continuous improvement and operational excellence across all People programs Core Operations Oversee onboarding, internal mobility, and off-boarding processes globally Lead global immigration programs ensuring local compliance while delivering a high level of service Establish clear documentation, policies, and frameworks are built and operationalized Ensure accurate and efficient employee data management and documentation Standardize and optimize lifecycle processes across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC Scale HR Systems & Infrastructure Own and evolve the global HR technology ecosystem (e.g., HRIS, case management, integrations) Lead system implementations, enhancements, and automation initiatives Ensure data integrity, governance, and reporting capabilities Drive Global Compliance & Risk Management Ensure compliance with labor laws and regulations across all operating countries Develop scalable frameworks that balance global consistency with regional requirements Partner with Legal and Finance on audits, risk mitigation, and governance frameworks Own and maintain global policies, controls, and documentation Build a High-Impact Shared Services Model Build and lead a People Shared Services model to support People Partners, along with employees and managers globally Establish SLAs, intake models, and case management processes Drive a shift toward self-service and manager enablement , reducing reliance on manual support Leverage People Data & Analytics Develop dashboards and reporting to provide actionable insights to leadership Track and improve key operational metrics (e.g., SLAs, data accuracy, employee experience) Use data to proactively identify risks and opportunities Lead & Develop a Global Team Build and lead a high-performing, globally distributed People Operations team Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and career paths Foster a culture of accountability, service excellence, and continuous improvement About you Experience 10+ years of experience in HR or People Operations, including global scope 5+ years in leadership roles managing distributed teams Experience in high-growth, global tech companies (pre-IPO or public preferred) Deep expertise in HR operations, compliance, and HR systems Experience with implementing ERPs such as Workday, UKG and SAP Proven success scaling processes, systems, and teams Experience building or scaling shared services organizations Skills Strategic thinker with strong operational execution Data-driven decision maker with strong analytical skills Expertise in HRIS and systems (e.g., Workday or similar platforms) Strong understanding of global employment laws and compliance Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skill Work Location Ideal location for this role is San Francisco or New York City but we will consider remote from within the US. What you will have at Harness Competitive salary Comprehensive healthcare benefits Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Flexible work schedule Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Flexible Time Off and Parental Leave Monthly, quarterly, and annual social and team building events Monthly internet reimbursement The anticipated base salary range for this position is between $210,000 and $245,000 annually. Salary is determined by a combination of factors including location, level, relevant experience , and skills. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. The compensation package for this position may also include equity, and benefits. More details about our company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.harness.io/company/careers. Pay transparency $210,000 — $240,000 USD Harness in the news: Accelerating Our Mission to Bring AI to Everything After Code Goldman Sachs leads investment in software delivery startup Harness at $5.5 billion valuation How Harness runs 16 “startups within a startup” at scale | Jyoti Bansal Harness Research Shows AI Visibility Crisis Fueling Security Nightmare Harness has been named to the Inc. Power Partner list for software delivery success All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Note on Fraudulent Recruiting/Offers We have become aware that there may be fraudulent recruiting attempts being made by people posing as representatives of Harness. These scams may involve fake job postings, unsolicited emails, or messages claiming to be from our recruiters or hiring managers. Please note, we do not ask for sensitive or financial information via chat, text, or social media, and any email communications will come from the domain @harness.io. Additionally, Harness will never ask for any payment, fee to be paid, or purchases to be made by a job applicant. All applicants are encouraged to apply directly to our open jobs via our website. Interviews are generally conducted via Zoom video conference unless the candidate requests other accommodations. If you believe that you have been the target of an interview/offer scam by someone posing as a representative of Harness, please do not provide any personal or financial information and contact us immediately at [email protected] . You can also find additional information about this type of scam and report any fraudulent employment offers via the Federal Trade Commission’s website ( https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams) , or you can contact your local law enforcement agency.