Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) - 65580647749

Location: Remote, South Africa

Employment Type: Full-Time, ICA

Schedule: U.S. Business Hours overlap required (Est. 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST or PST)

Compensation: Depending on experience (highly negotiable)

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer & Executive Board

Our client is an established, high-growth offshore professional services and legal organization focused on connecting North American law firms with top-tier international talent.

The organization combines specialized legal solutions with modern operational frameworks to support continued global expansion, client satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

They are looking for a highly strategic, hands-on Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) who can independently design, execute, and lead global people strategy, international compliance, performance management, employee retention, and organizational development.

This is an execution-heavy executive role for someone who enjoys being close to the work, building scalable HR infrastructure, establishing performance culture, and navigating global remote workforce dynamics.

This is not a traditional corporate administrative HR position. The successful candidate will be expected to oversee the full global people lifecycle across international hubs (South Africa, LATAM, Philippines), from contractor compliance and performance appraisal frameworks through employee engagement, leadership coaching, and HR operations.

The CHRO will take full ownership of the global people and culture function across distributed international teams.

Approximately 75–80% of the role will focus on direct HR leadership, compliance execution, performance management, and policy implementation, with approximately 20–25% focused on executive reporting, HR metrics analysis, and administrative oversight.

The ideal candidate can evaluate the organization’s remote workforce needs and independently deploy scalable HR programs that reduce churn, elevate performance, and ensure compliance.

This includes:

• Designing global HR roadmaps for international contractor and employee hubs

• Establishing quarterly performance appraisal and KPI frameworks

• Building culture, retention, and employee engagement initiatives

• Managing global contractor compliance, international agreements, and HR risk

• Coaching department leads on management practices, PIPs, and team structuring

• Maintaining HR documentation, handbooks, and standard operating procedures

The successful candidate should be comfortable working independently, setting executive HR strategy, managing sensitive personnel matters, and driving culture without needing continuous prompting.

• Design and execute a scalable global HR strategy aligned with the company’s international growth targets.

• Oversee HR operations across international contractor hubs in South Africa, LATAM, and the Philippines.

• Align organizational design, team structures, and compensation benchmarks with market rates and company goals.

• Build, implement, and maintain structured quarterly appraisal systems and performance review cycles.

• Work with department leads to define clear KPIs, performance targets, and growth pathways for internal staff.

• Develop retention strategies, engagement initiatives, and cultural programs tailored to a distributed remote team.

• Establish, audit, and maintain global contractor handbooks, international agreements, and compliance standards.

• Manage HR escalations, employee grievances, offboarding, and performance improvement plans (PIPs).

• Maintain accurate HR records, workforce trackers, and documentation in full compliance with international standards.

• 8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, with at least 3+ years at a Director, VP, or CHRO level.

• Proven experience managing HR operations for distributed, global remote teams across multiple international jurisdictions.

• Demonstrated experience in agency, outsourcing, or B2B professional services environments.

• Deep knowledge of global contractor compliance, international agreement structures, and HR risk management.

• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Experience with some combination of:

• Deel, Rippling, or comparable global HR/payroll platforms

• BambooHR, Gusto, or modern HRIS platforms

• Google Workspace & Microsoft Excel

• Slack, Zoom, and remote collaboration suites

• High emotional intelligence and discreet judgment

• Strong leadership, coaching, and conflict-resolution abilities

• Exceptional organizational skills and detail orientation

• Solutions-oriented mindset with strong problem-solving skills

• Adaptable and resilient in fast-paced, high-growth environments

The ideal candidate is a strategic, human-centered HR executive who understands how to build high-performance culture across international borders. You combine deep knowledge of global compliance and contractor management with the empathy and leadership required to engage remote talent.

You do not rely on rigid corporate bureaucracy; instead, you build lean, practical HR systems that elevate performance, reduce turnover, and foster a transparent, high-accountability remote culture.

As a distributed organization operating across multiple continents, the company's greatest asset is its global workforce. The CHRO underpins organizational stability by establishing fair compliance frameworks, career progression pathways, and performance standards that protect the business while empowering top international talent to stay, perform, and grow.