Chief Operating Officer

The organisation

Parakar is a fast-growing, international HR service provider on a mission to make global employment effortless. Founded over 20 years ago, the company has evolved from a niche provider of expat services into a trusted partner for international businesses navigating the complexities of cross-border HR, payroll, and compliance. Today, Parakar operates across ten European countries with a growing team of more than sixty HR specialists.

From employer of record (EOR) services to immigration support, HR consulting, and full-service payroll management, Parakar delivers people-first solutions tailored to the needs of modern, mobile workforces. Its strength lies in translating complex regulations into smooth, human processes, allowing clients to focus on their people, not paperwork. The company was recently ranked the second-fastest-growing company in the Netherlands.

Parakar is a young, ambitious organization now led by a new generation of leadership, following CEO Pleun Opperman’s succession from her father in 2022. The team is driven by a clear mission: to shape the future of work, creating a world where professionals and organizations can collaborate seamlessly, wherever they are in the world. As the company continues to expand across Europe with ambitious growth plans, it is focused on building the structure, leadership, and delivery capacity needed to take Parakar to the next level.

The position

Parakar is a fast-growing international HR services provider, helping companies manage payroll, compliance, and employment across Europe. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will scale operations, lead teams, and drive execution to support Parakar’s rapid growth and international ambitions.

Tasks & responsibilities

Parakar is expanding quickly, and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be a driving force behind this momentum. Focusing on structure, scale and delivery, the COO will turn vision into execution, anchoring operations, and building the systems and teams that support sustainable growth.

As a key part of the leadership team, the COO will work closely with the CEO, taking full ownership of the operational core of the business. Managing three teams, each responsible for service delivery across 10 countries, the COO plays a central role in guiding, coaching, and developing these emerging leaders. With a strong focus on building leadership capability, the candidate will help shape the next layer of management while driving scalable processes and consistent, high-quality delivery.

From day one, the COO will become the engine behind delivery. They will be responsible for translating strategy into structured, actionable plans and driving their execution across departments. From building scalable processes and systems to overseeing compliance and quality in delivery, this role will be central to ensuring operational alignment with Parakar’s commercial and service goals. The COO will lead quarterly planning, strengthen KPI-driven execution, and embed a culture of clarity, accountability, and continuous improvement. Compliance-savvy, especially across international markets, they bring a strong process-oriented mindset, a hands-on leadership style, and the ability to coach teams while fostering structure and focus.

“Parakar is a values-driven company with big plans. To achieve them we need a strong structure behind the scenes. The COO will not only bring us that structure but also the energy, clarity, and leadership to help us scale our operations and support our teams.” – Pleun Opperman, CEO of Parakar

Candidate profile*

Parakar combines big ambitions with a down-to-earth, people-first culture. The COO will step into an open and collaborative environment, working side by side with a passionate team to shape the future of international HR. Ideally, the candidate is familiar with HR, payroll, or EOR services and has experience in highly regulated, complex environments. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role within a young, international team with high energy and ambition. It is ideal for an experienced operational leader who enjoys building from within and wants to help Parakar scale its services, strengthen its teams, and grow across Europe.

Requirements*

• Over 10 years experience
• In operational leadership
• Experience in fast-growing, international environments
• Skilled in building and scaling processes
• Hands-on, pragmatic, and proactive mindset

* Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.

Interested?

You are invited to apply for this position by following the link below. Parakar is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.