HR Director - People Operations & Performance | Hybrid - LATAM

Location: Panama City, Panama; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Mexico City, Mexico; Bogotá, Colombia; Asunción, Paraguay We are looking for a hands-on HR Director to lead our international People Operations function and build a transparent, performance-driven HR system. The HR Director will be responsible for the complete employee lifecycle after hiring: contracts, HR policies, performance management, compensation coordination, employee relations, professional growth, retention, disciplinary matters and offboarding. This is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the CEO. Work format This is a hybrid / remote position . The successful candidate may work: from our office in Panama; in a hybrid format; or fully remotely from another Latin American country. Regardless of location, full daily availability during Panama business hours (9am to 6pm) is mandatory. Occasional business travel may be required. Key responsibilities Lead the international People Operations and HR governance function. Develop HR strategy and support organizational design. Manage employee and contractor agreements, renewals and HR documentation. Maintain employee files, contract trackers and probation records. Develop and enforce HR policies and internal procedures. Manage performance reviews, KPIs and performance improvement plans. Handle employee relations, complaints, conflicts and disciplinary matters. Coordinate compensation, bonuses, benefits and payroll information. Build promotion, career-development and succession processes. Improve employee engagement and retention. Manage terminations, exit interviews and offboarding. Lead and develop the HR Generalist and future People Operations team. Maintain HR dashboards and provide regular reports to the CEO. Cooperate with the Global Talent Acquisition Director on workforce planning, hiring quality and probation success. Scope clarification The HR Director owns: People Operations; contracts and HR documentation; performance management; compensation and benefits; employee relations; policies and compliance; employee development; retention and offboarding. Daily sourcing, candidate acquisition and management of Recruiters are owned by the separate Global Talent Acquisition Director while that function is active. The HR Director remains responsible for business continuity and may temporarily assume recruitment governance if the Global Talent Acquisition position becomes vacant. Requirements Requirements At least 5 years of experience as an HR Director, Head of HR or senior HR leader. A university degree is a must, or a master's degree is preferred. Strong experience managing the full employee lifecycle. Proven experience with performance management, employee relations and terminations. Experience developing and enforcing HR policies. Experience managing remote or international teams. Strong knowledge of HR operations, contracts and compensation processes. Experience managing an HR team. English at C1 level or equivalent. Spanish at C1 level or native proficiency. Strong judgment, confidentiality and decision-making ability. Ability to work independently and communicate directly with the CEO. Availability during Panama business hours (9am to 6pm Panama time) Candidates based in Latin America are strongly preferred. Benefits What we offer MONTHLY Salary range from: USD $3.500 to 5.000 according to experience. Director-level position with direct access to the CEO. International scope across Europe and the Americas. Hybrid or fully remote work format. Opportunity to build and improve the HR function. Real decision-making authority within the approved scope. Long-term cooperation. Fixed monthly compensation plus performance-based incentives. Contract format based on the candidate’s country of residence.