Available for Global Remote Leadership & People Ops

People Operations & Talent Acquisition Lead

Zen Patriarca

Scaling global remote-first teams through high-impact talent acquisition, streamlined HR operations, and automated people systems. Proven track record supporting 80+ distributed team members across tech and creative scale-ups.

15+

Years in People & Talent

80+

Remote Team Supported

300+

Global Scale Hires

75%

Faster Payroll Prep

Executive Overview

Zen Patriarca

Manila, Philippines · Remote Global

ZP
Current Role HR Ops & TA Manager (Chargeflow)
Global English Score C2 Proficient (SmallTalk 2025)
Core Focus US & APAC Remote Tech / Contractors
Verified Social Proof 11 Recommendations (CEOs & Leads)

Proven Impact & Case Studies

Selected Work: Systems, Strategy & Sourcing

Concrete evidence of how I architect people systems and scale talent pipelines for growing distributed organizations.

Case Study 01 HR Operations & People Systems

Distributed HRIS & Workforce Automation Engine

Chargeflow, Inc. · Supporting 80+ Remote Team Members across US & APAC

Role & Scope System Architect & Operations Lead

The Operational Challenge

A high-velocity distributed contractor workforce relied on fragmented spreadsheets, isolated messaging threads, and manual time sheets. With no unified system of record, attendance and shift scheduling caused frequent confusion, overtime and payroll calculations took 3+ business days to audit, and routine requests created major administrative bottlenecks for HR.

The Operational Solution

Architected and deployed a centralized cloud-based HRIS integrating time tracking, leave management, weekly shift scheduling, structured approvals, and executive payroll reporting. Designed role-based permissions, automated approval routing, and self-service dashboards to eliminate HR dependency and ensure audit-ready compliance.

Core Architecture: Six Connected Functional Modules

Click a module to inspect functionality
Central Dashboard & Executive Visibility Provides real-time visibility into active on-duty remote team members, pending time/leave approvals, schedule conflicts, and payroll preparation status for executive stakeholders.

75% Faster

Payroll Cycle Reduction

Reduced manual reconciliation from 3 business days to under 4 hours.

90% Less

Routine Admin Tickets

Self-service time, leave, and shift swap workflows eliminated HR inbox delays.

100% On-Time

Discrepancy-Free Payroll

Zero payroll calculation errors across 12 consecutive monthly cycles for 80+ staff.

Tech Stack & Methodology: Cloud Database Platform · API-driven Time Logging · Automated CSV Payroll Export Pipeline · Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC) · Shift Swapping Logic.
Case Study 02 Global Talent Acquisition

High-Velocity Global Recruiting Engine & Candidate Experience

55 KNOTS & Bluestone Servicing · Scaling Creative & Engineering Headcount

Role & Scope Talent Acquisition Lead

The Sourcing & Hiring Challenge

The agency and technical teams faced rapid client growth requiring immediate headcount expansion across specialized creative roles (multimedia designers, UI/UX creatives) and technical talent (QA leads, developers). Sourcing was ad-hoc, interview loops were unstructured, and prolonged hiring cycles caused candidate drop-off in a competitive market.

The Structured Sourcing Solution

Built ongoing passive talent pipelines via targeted multi-channel sourcing, standardized ATS interview stages (Ashby/Greenhouse), and introduced objective role-based scorecards to align hiring managers. Implemented a rigorous 48-hour feedback SLA to maintain positive candidate engagement from initial reachout to written offer.

24 Days

Average Time-to-Hire

Reduced candidate cycle time from 45 days while maintaining rigorous hiring standards.

94%

Offer Acceptance Rate

High close rate achieved through transparent compensation alignment and swift turnaround.

88%

1-Year Retention Rate

High quality-of-hire verified through strong post-placement performance evaluations.

Recruiting Tech & Workflow: ATS Optimization (Ashby / Greenhouse) · LinkedIn Recruiter · Structured Behavioral Interviews · Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) · Talent Pipelining.
Case Study 03 Remote People Operations

30-60-90 Day Remote Onboarding & Contractor Lifecycle

Standardizing Cross-Border Workflows for Global Distributed Staff

Role & Scope People Operations Lead

The Onboarding Friction

Newly contracted remote employees experienced delays in tool provisioning, inconsistent orientation agendas, and prolonged ramp-up periods to full productivity, leading to early frustration and administrative overhead for managers.

The Systematic Solution

Created a standardized 30-60-90 day onboarding framework built into Notion and automated Slack workflows. Integrated automated identity compliance, equipment readiness checklists, orientation buddy pairing, and scheduled 30-day feedback check-ins.

100%

Day-One Tool Readiness

Automated provisioning ensured zero first-week downtime for remote new hires.

96%

Onboarding eNPS

High satisfaction scores recorded in 30-day post-onboarding employee pulse surveys.

Zero

Compliance Discrepancies

Standardized contractor agreements and tax filings across all active global jurisdictions.

Systems & Infrastructure

Mastered Tech Stack & Tooling

Platforms and tools I leverage daily to run modern remote recruiting funnels and people operations.

TA

Talent Acquisition & Sourcing

  • ATS: Ashby, Greenhouse, Lever
  • Sourcing: LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean Search, GitHub
  • Pipeline: Structured Candidate CRM & Nurturing
  • Evaluation: Role-Based Rubrics & Scorecards
HR

HRIS, Payroll & Global EOR

  • EOR & Payroll: Deel, Rippling, Remote, Gusto
  • HRIS: BambooHR, Custom Cloud Systems
  • Time & Leave: API Time Tracking, Accrual Engines
  • Compliance: Cross-Border Contractor Documentation
OPS

Workplace Ops & Automation

  • Workspaces: Notion Wiki, Google Workspace
  • Automation: Slack Workflows, Airtable, Zapier
  • Analytics: People Metrics, Headcount Forecasting
  • Lifecycle: 30-60-90 Day Performance Frameworks

Chronological Track Record

Professional Experience: From Execution to Leadership

15 years of continuous, progressively senior experience across high-growth startups and global enterprise institutions.

HR Operations & Talent Acquisition Manager

2025 – Present

Chargeflow, Inc. · Remote Global

  • Lead end-to-end people operations and talent acquisition for an 80+ member global remote workforce spanning the US, APAC, and EMEA.
  • Architected and implemented a custom cloud HRIS connecting daily attendance, leave approvals, shift scheduling, and payroll export routines.
  • Partner directly with executive leadership on workforce planning, compensation benchmarking, performance management, and employee retention strategies.

Talent Acquisition Lead

2023 – 2025

55 KNOTS · Global Creative & Technical Teams

  • Owned full-lifecycle recruitment across high-volume creative, marketing, and technical positions, maintaining a 24-day time-to-fill.
  • Built predictable candidate pipelines and structured screening loops in the ATS, improving offer acceptance to 94%.
  • Collaborated with hiring managers to standardize technical evaluations and enhance candidate experience across all touchpoints.

Talent Partner

2018 – 2023

Bluestone Servicing · Professional Services

  • Managed high-volume recruiting operations and candidate onboarding across shared services and operations business units.
  • Optimized the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), standardized structured interview rubrics, and reduced candidate drop-off.
  • Analyzed hiring metrics and talent market trends to guide executive hiring forecasts and salary range benchmarking.

HR Specialist

2010 – 2017

JPMorgan Chase & Co. · Global Financial Services

  • Built foundational HR capabilities across recruitment operations, employee onboarding, employee relations, and performance appraisal cycles.
  • Delivered orientation and engagement programs for large cohorts of corporate hires, maintaining strict adherence to enterprise compliance standards.
  • Supported business unit heads with employee engagement initiatives, internal mobility processing, and HR policy guidance.

Social Proof & Peer Endorsements

Trusted by Founders, Hiring Managers & Teams

11 verified recommendations from colleagues, executives, and candidates reflecting my work ethic, sourcing rigor, and collaborative leadership.

“Zen has been exceptional in managing all our hiring and HR needs. He is consistently efficient and proactive in sourcing talent that aligns perfectly with our requirements, and he plays a critical role in overseeing the talent he brings in.”

Aamir Manasawala

CEO, JAD Holdings Pte Ltd

“I hired Zen as a Talent Acquisition Partner and, hand on heart, this has been the best decision I have made. His intrinsic motivation, initiative, grit, growth mindset, and results set him apart.”

Maria Shevelev

Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant

“Zen filled our existing creative vacancies and built an ongoing pool of candidates. He is helpful, ready to improve, and genuinely cares about candidates as well as targets.”

Lia Carvalho

Business Operations Director

“Zen is a true standout in Talent Acquisition. His ability to spot and attract top-tier candidates, understand organizational needs, and collaborate with hiring managers made an undeniable impact.”

Kurt Thomas Gorriceta Himatay

Country Head & People Leader

“Zen is very dedicated and easy to work with. He goes over and beyond his role to make the hiring process easier for hiring managers. I highly recommend Zen for Talent Acquisition roles.”

Hari Kumar Subramanyam

Testing & QA Leader

“Zen demonstrates perseverance and makes sure to meet his deliverables on time. He is open to feedback, has an eye to be an HR practitioner, and will excel in his chosen field.”

Charmaine Ual, CPHR

HR Operations & Business Partnering

“His exceptional ability to identify and engage top-tier talent, strategic approach to recruitment, communication skills, and commitment to positive candidate experiences make him a valuable asset.”

Michelle Labustro

Marketing Project Manager & Content Creator

“Zen's transition to a lead role allowed him to unlock his complete potential, showcasing exceptional creative and analytical talents. I'm genuinely delighted by his achievements.”

Janice Byl Peque

Team Lead

“I worked with Zen at 55 Knots, and he was exceptionally approachable and friendly, making the recruitment process smooth and pleasant.”

Mharlee Mae Cabalquinto

Creative Multimedia Designer

“Zen is a wonder to work with. He guided me when I was new with the company and was exceptionally kind with how he handled situations. He's very approachable and has an excellent work ethic.”

Isabel T-1 Mecaeller

Marketing & Advertising Creative

“I highly recommend Zen for his approachable nature, exceptional work ethic, insightful guidance, consistent updates, and kind demeanor. He fosters a positive and collaborative atmosphere.”

Jennifer Tingson, MBA, RCA, CB

Accountant / Internal Audit Officer

Philosophy & Background

People, Processes & Trust

Hiring Manager Context

Career Timeline Note: I began my career in foundational corporate HR and high-volume recruiting at JPMorgan Chase (2010–2017) and Bluestone (2018–2023). While actively managing people operations, I deliberately formalized my academic qualifications in Business Administration (BSBA, San Sebastian College, 2021–2025) and completed specialized HRCI credentials to deepen my strategic business management capabilities.

I bridge the critical gap between attracting top-tier global talent and architecting the operational infrastructure required to retain, develop, and coordinate them.

Over the past 15 years, I have navigated both enterprise environments and rapid-growth remote startups. At JPMorgan Chase, I learned the discipline of compliance, structured onboarding, and large-scale employee engagement. In fast-paced scale-ups like 55 KNOTS and Chargeflow, I translated that rigor into agile, lightweight people systems—building candidate pipelines that fill roles in 24 days and deploying custom HRIS workflows that eliminate 90% of manual admin.

My approach is fundamentally pragmatic: understand the core operational bottleneck, make expectations crystal clear through structured workflows, and equip distributed team members and hiring managers with self-service tools so they can operate autonomously.

Distributed Culture

Advocate for asynchronous documentation, radical clarity in expectations, and transparent feedback loops across US, APAC, and European time zones.

Continuous Development

Committed to regular upskilling in labor compliance, international contractor regulations, total rewards, and modern HR tech automation.

Verified Credentials & Assessments

Academic Background & Specialized Certifications

Formal education, global language benchmarks, and professional HRCI lifecycle credentials.

Formal Education

BS Business Administration

Business Management · 2021 – 2025

San Sebastian College - Recoletos de Manila

BA Fashion Design & Marketing

2016 – 2020

SoFA Design Institute

Global Communication

SmallTalk English Test

C2 Proficient

Verified near-native fluency in professional business English (Issued Feb 2025).

View Certificate ↗

IELTS Academic Test

International English Language Testing System benchmark.

View Score Report ↗
Leadership Dynamics

DISC Profile Assessment

Evaluated communication style, stakeholder management, and cross-functional team dynamics.

View Assessment Report ↗
Balances Steadiness (empathetic team listening) with Conscientiousness (precise operational data).

Professional HR Certifications & Specializations

HRCI and Coursera verified credentials covering the complete employee lifecycle.

HRCI Certified

Human Resource Associate Specialization

Credential ID: 4VR7426LGUUZ (Jun 2024)

Lifecycle Module

Compensation and Benefits

Credential ID: 5EM5R8MM8W4Z (Jun 2024)

Lifecycle Module

Talent Acquisition & Sourcing

Credential ID: TWMPKNCLJ4TF (Jun 2024)

Ready to Connect

Building a high-growth remote team that requires clarity?

Let’s discuss your current hiring priorities, cross-border contractor operations, or how to eliminate manual bottlenecks with custom HR workflows.

Manila, Philippines · Open to Worldwide Distributed Opportunities · © 2026 Zen Patriarca