Principal People Operations Advisor

Candescent is a forward-thinking technology company transforming how financial institutions deliver Intelligent Banking experiences. We unite digital banking, account opening, and branch solutions that power and connect digital banking, account opening, and branch solutions—creating seamless engagement across digital, remote, and in-person channels.

Our Experience-Led, Intelligence-Driven approach combines human-centered design with data, automation, and cloud-based innovation. Built on an API-first architecture, our extensible ecosystem enables institutions to adapt quickly, integrate easily, and unlock new opportunities for growth—turning every customer interaction into a moment of clarity, confidence, and connection.

Job Summary

Role Purpose

We are currently seeking a Principal People Operations Advisor to join our People Operations team. This role is instrumental in driving operational excellence and execution while enhancing our HR infrastructure. This position spans the full employee lifecycle, with a strong emphasis on onboarding, HR Systems, Global Mobility, project delivery, and employee experience. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and judgment, serving as a trusted operational partner to HR leadership, Payroll, Finance, Legal, IT, and external vendors. Collaboration with the broader HR team is essential to ensure the successful execution of global initiatives.

This position plays a critical role in ensuring accurate, compliant, and employee-centric HR service delivery across multiple countries, while strengthening operational rigor, audit readiness, and scalability as the organization grows.

Success in this role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, a proactive mindset, and the ability to adapt quickly in a dynamic environment. The ideal candidate consistently delivers exceptional customer service, demonstrates a passion for process improvement, and is committed to creating a seamless employee experience. Thriving in a fast-paced, start-up style or private equity-backed environment, this professional effectively manages competing priorities, drives initiatives independently, and navigates change with confidence.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

What you will be responsible for and what you will do

· Own and execute complex HR operational processes across the global employee lifecycle, including onboarding, job changes, compensation updates, leaves, and offboarding.

· Serve as a senior escalation point for complex employee cases requiring cross-functional coordination or country-specific expertise.

· Ensure consistent, policy-aligned service delivery while adapting processes to local regulatory and payroll requirements.

· Act as a primary HR operations partner to Payroll, supporting payroll execution across the U.S., Canada, and other supported countries.

· Review and validate payroll-related inputs, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, bonuses, statutory payments, and corrections.

· Partner with Payroll and Finance to resolve discrepancies, manage off-cycle payments, and support audits and reconciliations.

· Document payroll-related processes and controls to support compliance, continuity, and knowledge transfer.

· Support and coordinate global mobility activities, including cross-border transfers, relocations, country changes, and work authorization tracking.

· Partner with Legal, Payroll, and external mobility or immigration vendors to ensure compliant execution of employee moves.

· Identify process gaps and improvement opportunities related to mobility workflows and employee experience.

· Serve as a senior operational owner of HR systems (Workday preferred), ensuring data accuracy, audit readiness, and adherence to global standards.

· Lead data validation efforts tied to payroll, benefits, and reporting cycles.

· Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation, reconciling data, and responding to findings.

· Maintain and improve HR operational documentation, SOPs, and knowledge base content.

· Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve controls, and enhance employee experience across regions.

· Lead or contribute to global HR initiatives, system enhancements, and integration efforts.

· Act as a subject-matter resource and mentor to less experienced HR operations team members.

Qualifications and Experience

Demonstrated skills, competencies, and required experiences

· Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business, Human Resources, or related area.

· 7-10 years of experience working in Human Resources, Global Mobility, Project Management or related field.

· Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a customer-focused mindset.

· Innately collaborative and deadline driven, even while under pressure in a fast-paced, change- infused environment.

· Enthusiasm for the potential of AI and a proactive approach to leveraging AI tools to improve efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience.

· Highly proficient in Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

· Previous experience with SharePoint and ServiceNow is a plus.

· Strong working knowledge of HR systems (Workday strongly preferred) and HR data governance principles.

· General knowledge of all areas of Human Resources.

· Proven ability to operate independently, manage complexity, and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.

· Exceptional attention to detail and a critical eye for process optimization.

Preferred Distinctions

Additional Accomplishments

· Hands-on ownership of global mobility programs, including relocations, cross-border transfers, or immigration coordination.

· Experience within the software industry or in a private equity-backed company.

· Certification in Human Resources

Statement to Third Party Agencies
To ALL recruitment agencies: Candescent only accepts resumes from agencies on the preferred supplier list. Please do not forward resumes to our applicant tracking system, Candescent employees, or any Candescent facility. Candescent is not responsible for any fees or charges associated with unsolicited resumes.