HR Operations Team Lead

SUMMARY

About Ketjen
Ketjen Corporation is a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Our company is driven by a strong set of core values: curiosity, care, collaboration, humility, accountability, and integrity. These values guide our decisions, shape our culture, and define how we work together to deliver exceptional value to our customers and communities.

About the Role.

The HR Operations Team Lead is responsible for overseeing key technical and functional areas of Human Resources, including new hire onboarding, benefits administration, absence and time management, payroll, compensation, and inquiry management. In this role, you will lead and collaborate on projects, deliver training, and consistently strive for service excellence within the HR Operations framework. Based in Clear Lake and reporting to the Director of HR Operations, the successful candidate will engage with employees and leaders at all levels—both locally and globally—and serve as a primary partner in enhancing the employee experience and advancing ongoing HR transformation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership & Guidance

• Lead day‑to‑day HR Operations activities, ensuring accuracy, quality, and timely delivery of all transactions.
• Assign work, manage caseload distribution, and schedule staff to ensure full operational coverage.
• Set performance goals, monitor progress, complete reviews, and support team member development plans.
• Partner with regional talent partner to recruit, interview, select, and onboard new team members.
• Identify team training needs and ensure capability building through ongoing coaching and development.
• Build a culture of trust, open communication, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Motivate and inspire team members; recognize individual and team accomplishments.
• Address performance concerns, resolve behavioral issues, and support healthy team dynamics.

Service Delivery & Communication

• Respond to written and verbal inquiries from a variety of internal and external sources to provide information, facilitate communication, and provide direction
• Provide training on a variety of subjects to the internal team as well as to managers and employees
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing with employees, maintaining confidentiality in daily operations

Process Management & Compliance

• Perform and prioritize multiple tasks under time constraints; follow and give oral and written directions; maintain cooperative working relationships; interact with other employees in a helpful, courteous, and friendly manner
• Provide guidance on HR policies and procedures to employees
• Conduct time-sensitive audits
• Serve as a subject matter expert for HR operational processes and data standards.
• Suggest and implement improvements that elevate service effectiveness and operational consistency.

Continuous Improvement & Decision Making

• Work independently, take initiative, and make fair and consistent decisions that align with our strategy and values
• Collaborate on and lead projects within the HR Operations organization

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or equivalent field
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent people management and customer relationship skills
• Proficient computer skills, particularly with MS-Office applications, especially Excel
• Experience using HRIS tools or similar systems (Workday)
• Knowledge of HR policies, procedures, and practices as they relate to payroll, benefits, hiring, etc.
• Strong technical and analytic skills with creative problem-solving abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• 6 years of relevant work experience or 10 years of progressive experience in HR operations or shared services in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in an HR Service Center, Employee Service Center, or HR Contact Center
• Second language proficiency
• Knowledge of payroll processes
• Experience with case management systems (e.g., ServiceNow, FreshWorks)