Chief Operating Officer

COO at Parakar

Requirements

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

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.

About Parakar

Parakar is rapidly expanding as an international HR partner on a mission to make global employment effortless. Founded over twenty 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 in ten European countries with a growing team of more than sixty HR specialists and was recently ranked the second-fastest-growing company in the Netherlands.

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 - enabling clients to focus on their people, not paperwork.

Now led by a new generation of leadership following CEO Pleun Opperman's succession from her father in 2022, Parakar is a young, ambitious organization driven by a clear mission: to shape the future of work and create a world where professionals and organizations collaborate seamlessly, wherever they are. With further European expansion on the horizon, the company is focused on building the structure, leadership, and delivery capacity required to support its next phase of growth.

Vacancy: Chief Operations Officer

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 member of the leadership team, the COO will work closely with the CEO and take full ownership of the business's operational core. Overseeing three teams - each responsible for service delivery across ten countries - the COO plays a central role in guiding, coaching, and developing emerging leaders. With a strong focus on leadership development, this position will help shape the next layer of management while driving scalable processes and ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery.

From day one, this role becomes the engine behind delivery - translating strategy into structured, actionable plans and driving their execution across departments. Whether building scalable processes and systems or overseeing compliance and quality in delivery, the focus is on ensuring operational alignment with Parakar's commercial and service goals. Quarterly planning, KPI-driven execution, and a culture of clarity, accountability, and continuous improvement all fall within the scope of the COO. Compliance-savvy, especially across international markets, this professional brings a strong process-oriented mindset, a hands-on leadership style, and the ability to coach teams, foster structure, and maintain 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

At this company, big ambitions go hand in hand with a down-to-earth, people-first culture. The COO will join an open and collaborative environment, working closely 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 characterized by high energy and ambition. It suits an experienced operational leader who thrives on building from within and aims to help scale services, strengthen teams, and drive growth across Europe.

Interested?

Parakar is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.