HR Director

Who are we?

DataOne designs, develops, and operates sustainable AI Factories, combining energy, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence at industrial scale.

We operate large-scale digital and energy infrastructures internationally, delivering concrete projects measured in hundreds of megawatts and designed for long-term operational performance.

At DataOne, we are builders and operators. We prioritize real-world execution, operational excellence, and measurable impact.

Job Purpose:

The Human Resources Director - US leads the Human Resources function for DataOne's US operations, with primary responsibility for New Jersey and support for employees and operations across other US states. The role serves as a strategic HR partner to senior leadership and is responsible for developing and executing the US HR strategy, building scalable people practices, and ensuring alignment with DataOne's global People strategy and business objectives.

This is a senior HR leadership role combining strategic direction with hands‑on execution across organizational design, workforce planning, talent strategy, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, HR operations, culture, and the continued development of the US HR function. The role operates in a workforce environment that includes exempt and non‑exempt employees, hourly workers, construction and site‑based personnel, and mission‑critical data center operations.

The HR Director works closely with management and the Legal Department on sensitive or complex employment matters. Matters requiring legal interpretation, legal risk assessment, formal legal review, or external legal support are coordinated through the Legal Department, with the HR Director providing the relevant HR context, documentation, and operational support.

Key Responsibilities

A. HR Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute the HR strategy for DataOne's US operations in alignment with the Company's global business and People priorities.

• Act as a strategic HR advisor to senior leadership on workforce, organizational, talent, and people‑management matters.

• Translate business objectives into practical HR and workforce initiatives.

• Develop scalable HR processes, procedures, governance, and operating models to support DataOne's US growth.

• Identify workforce and organizational challenges and provide HR recommendations to management.

• Establish priorities, service standards, and KPIs for the US HR function.

• Ensure significant HR initiatives remain aligned with Company governance, management direction, and applicable internal approval processes.

B. Organizational Design & Workforce Planning

• Partner with management to develop organizational structures supporting current operations and future growth.

• Lead workforce planning, headcount planning, manpower planning, and HR budgeting for the US organization.

• Support management in defining roles, reporting structures, and workforce capability requirements.

• Identify critical positions, succession needs, and capability gaps.

• Develop appropriate recruitment, retention, development, and succession initiatives.

• Support business expansion, restructuring, and organizational transformation from an HR perspective.

• Coordinate with management and the Legal Department on restructurings, reductions in force, significant organizational changes, or other matters requiring legal review before implementation.

C. Management & Leadership Support

• Serve as a senior HR partner to executives, managers, and functional leaders.

• Support managers in employee management, performance management, engagement, organizational effectiveness, and leadership matters.

• Provide practical HR guidance regarding employee development, feedback, objectives, and team effectiveness.

• Support implementation of organizational and workforce decisions approved by management.

• Maintain effective working relationships across US and international management teams.

• Work with management and the Legal Department on sensitive employee matters where legal review or broader risk assessment is appropriate.

D. Talent Acquisition & Recruitment

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and management to establish US hiring priorities and workforce plans.

• Oversee recruitment strategy for key positions and participate in senior‑level recruitment as appropriate.

• Ensure recruitment processes are structured, timely, measurable, and aligned with DataOne's requirements.

• Ensure offers, compensation proposals, and employment documentation follow applicable Company approval processes.

• Develop effective onboarding and integration programs.

• Monitor recruitment performance and recommend improvements.

E. Performance, Talent & Succession Management

• Lead the US performance‑management process.

• Support management in identifying high‑performing and high‑potential employees.

• Develop talent‑review and succession‑planning processes for key positions.

• Support managers in addressing performance deficiencies and developing appropriate performance‑improvement measures.

• Coordinate performance‑management actions with the Legal Department where the circumstances require legal review or broader risk assessment.

• Identify leadership‑development and employee‑development needs.

• Promote consistent documentation and application of performance‑management processes.

F. Employee Relations & HR Governance

• Ensure employee relations matters are handled consistently, professionally, confidentially, and with appropriate documentation.

• Support fact‑finding and internal HR reviews and ensure that matters requiring additional review are escalated through the appropriate internal channels.

• Work closely with management and the Legal Department on complex or sensitive employee matters, investigations, disciplinary actions, and terminations where legal review or additional risk assessment is appropriate.

• Implement agreed HR actions and recommendations following the applicable management and Legal review process.

• Maintain clear escalation and decision‑making processes within the HR function.

• Lead and support employee relations matters, including grievances, performance concerns, disciplinary processes, workplace complaints, and employee‑management issues.

G. HR Compliance & Governance

• Ensure HR practices, processes, and employee documentation are administered consistently with Company policies and applicable requirements.

• Oversee the development and implementation of US HR policies and procedures in coordination with the relevant internal functions.

• Maintain appropriate HR governance, documentation, controls, and audit readiness.

• Stay informed of developments affecting HR practices and coordinate with the Legal Department where legal interpretation or formal legal review is required.

• Work collaboratively with Legal Counsel on employment‑related matters requiring legal input or review.

• Support the implementation of legal guidance and agreed actions within the HR function.

• Any engagement or communication with external legal counsel on employment‑related matters will be coordinated through the Legal Department.

H. Compensation, Benefits & Reward

• Partner with management to develop competitive and sustainable US compensation and benefits practices.

• Provide market and internal compensation information to support recruitment, retention, and workforce planning.

• Coordinate annual compensation and salary‑review processes.

• Administer US benefits programs and manage day‑to‑day relationships with benefits providers, brokers, PEOs, and HR service providers.

• Support development and administration of incentive and reward programs.

• Ensure compensation changes and offers follow the applicable Company approval process.

• Coordinate with Finance, Payroll, and Legal where appropriate.

I. HR Operations & HRIS Governance

• Lead US HR operations.

• Ensure effective administration of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment coordination, onboarding, employee changes, leave administration, payroll inputs, benefits administration, employment documentation, and offboarding.

• Establish clear HR workflows, responsibilities, service standards, and approval processes.

• Ensure accurate and timely HR information within Odoo, TriNet, and other applicable HR systems.

• Drive process improvements and appropriate automation.

• Maintain complete and accurate personnel files and HR records.

• Ensure HR actions requiring management, Finance, or Legal approval are not implemented before such approval is obtained.

J. People Analytics & HR KPIs

• Establish and monitor HR metrics and dashboards for the US organization.

• Report on headcount, recruitment, turnover, retention, absenteeism, workforce costs, and other relevant HR metrics.

• Analyze workforce trends and make recommendations to management.

• Support budgeting, forecasting, and workforce planning with accurate people data.

• Ensure HR reporting is accurate, timely, and appropriately confidential.

K. Culture & Employee Engagement

• Support development of a strong, professional, and accountable DataOne culture.

• Develop initiatives supporting engagement, communication, collaboration, and retention.

• Promote Company values and expected behaviors throughout the employee lifecycle.

• Partner with management and Communications on internal employee communications and organizational‑change initiatives.

• Maintain a visible and accessible HR presence.

• Develop employee‑wellbeing and engagement initiatives in coordination with management.

L. HR Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the US HR team.

• Establish clear responsibilities and reporting lines within HR.

• Set objectives and performance expectations for HR team members.

• Promote accountability, responsiveness, discretion, confidentiality, and operational excellence.

• Establish effective working relationships between HR, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Operations, Legal, and other functions.

• Ensure members of the HR team understand and follow applicable escalation and internal approval processes.

Decision-Making & Escalation

• Manage day‑to‑day HR operations and make recommendations within the scope of the HR function and applicable Company policies.

• Coordinate matters requiring broader business, legal, financial, or executive review through the appropriate internal function and management process.

• Escalate complex or sensitive employee relations matters, significant disciplinary matters, terminations presenting heightened risk, threatened claims, regulatory inquiries, whistleblower matters, significant investigations, and other matters requiring legal review to the Legal Department and appropriate management.

• Provide timely HR documentation, factual background, and operational support to management and Legal Counsel as required.

• External legal counsel on employment‑related matters is engaged and coordinated through the Legal Department.

M. US / New Jersey Workforce, Safety & Site HR

• Serve as the senior HR lead for US operations, with particular familiarity with New Jersey employment practices while maintaining sufficient knowledge of employment requirements applicable in other states where DataOne operates or employs personnel.

• Support HR matters involving exempt and non‑exempt employees, including hourly workforces, timekeeping, attendance, overtime, shift structures, wage‑and‑hour practices, and related HR administration.

• Understand the HR requirements of construction, industrial, engineering, and site‑based workforces, including onboarding, site access, workforce documentation, training coordination, and employee relations in operational environments.

• Maintain practical familiarity with workers' compensation administration, workplace injury reporting, return‑to‑work coordination, leave interaction, and coordination with insurers, brokers, managers, and relevant internal functions.

• Work closely with Operations, Health & Safety, site leadership, and Legal on employee matters arising from workplace safety incidents, injuries, investigations, or other site‑related concerns.

• Maintain practical familiarity with OSHA requirements relevant to HR administration and workforce practices, while coordinating technical safety compliance matters with the Company's Health & Safety function and legal matters with the Legal Department.

• Understand the operational demands of mission‑critical data center environments, including 24/7 operations, shift‑based staffing, technical and construction personnel, access‑control requirements, emergency‑response coordination, and the need for workforce continuity.

• Support workforce planning and HR processes for rapid‑growth data center and construction environments, including high‑volume hiring, contractor interfaces, shift coverage, retention, and site mobilization.

• Ensure HR processes are adapted appropriately to the different workforce populations within DataOne's US operations while maintaining consistent Company standards and governance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related discipline; Master's degree is advantageous.

• Typically 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant HR leadership responsibility.

• Demonstrated experience operating as an HR Director, Head of HR, Senior HR Business Partner, or equivalent senior HR leader.

• Strong experience supporting US-based organizations and senior leadership teams.

• Demonstrated experience building, scaling, or transforming HR functions in growing organizations.

• Strong experience across employee relations, organizational design, workforce planning, performance management, compensation, benefits, HR operations, and talent management.

• Experience in data centers, infrastructure, energy, technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing, industrial operations, or another mission‑critical environment is highly valuable.

• Experience operating within an international or multinational organization is strongly preferred.

• Strong experience supporting New Jersey-based workforces and practical familiarity with employment requirements in other US states.

• Experience supporting hourly and non‑exempt employee populations, preferably in construction, industrial, engineering, facilities, or other operational environments.

• Practical experience with workers' compensation processes, workplace injury administration, and return‑to‑work coordination.

• Experience in data centers, critical infrastructure, construction, energy, engineering, manufacturing or another 24/7 mission‑critical operating environment is strongly preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of US HR practices and practical familiarity with federal and state employment requirements relevant to HR administration.

• Sound judgment in distinguishing routine HR matters from issues requiring management or Legal involvement.

• Strong strategic HR and business‑partnering capabilities.

• Ability to advise and influence senior leaders within the scope of the HR function.

• Strong organizational-design and workforce‑planning capabilities.

• Excellent employee‑relations judgment.

• Commercial and business-oriented approach to HR.

• Strong analytical capabilities and confidence working with HR metrics and workforce data.

• Ability to build structure and processes in a fast‑growing environment.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder‑management skills.

• High level of integrity, discretion, and confidentiality.

• Ability to work effectively across HR, Legal, Finance, Operations, and other functions while respecting applicable responsibilities and approval processes.

• Comfortable moving between senior leadership discussions and hands‑on operational execution.

• Proactive, pragmatic, accountable, and solution‑oriented mindset.

• Strong working knowledge of New Jersey HR practices and the ability to identify when state‑specific requirements in other US jurisdictions require additional review.

• Sound understanding of wage‑and‑hour administration for hourly and non‑exempt employees, including timekeeping, overtime, attendance, and shift‑based workforces.

• Practical familiarity with workers' compensation, workplace injury administration, OSHA‑related HR responsibilities, and coordination with Health & Safety and Operations teams.

• Strong understanding of construction and data center workforce environments, including site‑based employees, technical teams, shift operations, contractor interaction, and workforce continuity requirements.

The Profile We Are Looking For

We are looking for an experienced HR leader and builder who can help scale and professionalize the US HR function as DataOne grows, with strong familiarity with New Jersey and the ability to support a multi‑state US workforce.

The ideal candidate will have experience working closely with senior leadership while remaining connected to operational realities. They should be comfortable supporting a mixed workforce of salaried, hourly, construction, technical, and site‑based employees in a fast‑moving, safety‑conscious, mission‑critical environment, including data center operations.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong judgment, operate effectively within established governance and approval processes, and work collaboratively with management, Legal, Finance, Operations, and other functions where broader review or specialist input is required.