John O'Keeffe
Vancouver,BC
Summary
Full (2 Year) IEC Work Permit holder with Immediate Availability.
Enthusiastic and solutions-driven Irish HR professional with a strong track record supporting global HR operations across the Pharmaceutical, Technology, and Financial Services sectors in North America and Europe. Trusted HR partner known for clear, engaging communication and a deep commitment to process compliance, inclusion, and service excellence. Adept at streamlining complex HR processes, managing high-volume transactional queries, and driving continuous improvement through HR systems, including Workday, Zendesk, and Microsoft 365. Passionate about creating meaningful employee experiences, strengthening collaboration and expanding my strategic impact in the organization.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Associate - Global HR Effectiveness
Eli Lilly and Company
03.2023 - 05.2025
- International Life Cycle HR policy expert Americas (Canada, USA, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil) and Europe (Ireland, UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy)
- Global Process and Technical Expert in Talent Acquisition and Onboarding, Employee Communications and Engagement, Compensation and Benefits Administration, Voluntary and Involuntary Separations, Employee Relations Resolutions in unionized industries, and Core HR tasks.
- Key HR advisor during Mergers and Acquisitions, new sites development and Corporate Leadership Hire Expert.
- Global HR Operations Automation and AI Expert - designed / implemented 'Anita AI', a frontline HR Service Chat Bot.
- Global Employee Communications Expert - successfully launched global HR communication rebranding and marketing initiatives. Employee Content Creator/Editor for Career, Learning, Pay, Benefits and HR policy content.
- Created guidance documentation for high-volume HRBP queries ensuring policy compliance and 75% error reduction.
- Led Global HR documentation and knowledge base updates.
- Delivered HR training to Executive level colleagues in multiple locations.
- Supported implementation and technical testing for many system upgrades in Workday, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Contentful and more.
- Created Power BI performance dashboards for team efficiency.
- LGBTQ+ Ally Programme Coach and Learning & Knowledge Sharing Committee member.
Associate, Global HR
Eli Lilly and Company
03.2022 - 03.2023
HR Functional Specialist (Americas)
Eli Lilly and Company
12.2019 - 03.2022
EMEA Sales Recruiter
Cloudera
05.2019 - 10.2019
- Managed end-to-end recruitment for EMEA Commercial Sales Reps across Germany, UK, Spain, France, Nordics, and the Middle East. 10 Placements.
- Partnered with HR Operations for new hire onboarding and relocation support.
- Sourced candidates through events, Boolean search, LinkedIn, and other platforms.
- Delivered frequent cadence, market insights and recruitment reports to hiring managers.
- Lead Employer Branding social media campaigns to drive engagement with Cloudera.
Inside Sales Account Manager
Quest Software
04.2018 - 04.2019
- Managed sales pipeline for enterprise software across data protection and endpoint management.
- Worked closely with partners and resellers to grow business opportunities.
Recruitment Business Partner
Morgan McKinley Group
01.2016 - 03.2018
- Recruited for permanent, temporary, and contract roles across high-volume requisitions.
- Managed graduate hiring (200+ candidates), assessments, and onboarding.
- Maintained SLAs, delivered forecasting, and candidate engagement strategies.
- Launched and led Charity initiative MMKMillion for Cork region.
- Supported recruitment for Amazon, Google, Microsoft, eBay, PayPal, J&J, KBC and PTSB Banks, and other financial services organisations.
Recruitment Admin Coordinator
Morgan McKinley Group
08.2015 - 12.2015
- Scheduled high volume interviews, managed candidate documentation, and recruitment logistics.
- Generated recruitment metrics and ensured policy compliance.
Assistant Store Manager
Jack & Jones
11.2014 - 08.2015
- Drove sales performance, visual merchandising, and team development.
- Managed store operations, staffing, and customer service delivery.
Customer Service Manager
Argos (J Sainsbury Plc)
11.2007 - 11.2014
- Managed stock levels, team performance, and sales forecasting.
- Conducted employee training, reviews, and customer service initiatives.
- Led performance analysis and implemented operational improvements.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Human Resource Management
Muster Technological University
Cork, Ireland06-2022
Diploma in Supervisory Management -
Cork College of Commerce
06-2014
Customer Service Management -
Argos (J Sainsbury Plc)
01.2013
Skills
- HR Operations
- Recruiting
- Onboarding
- Compliance
- Documentation
- Query Resolution
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Training Delivery
- Policy Advising
- High-Volume Sourcing
- Screening
- Global Talent Support
- Project Management
- Problem-Solving
- Time Management
- Adaptability
- Relationship-Building
- HR Systems & Technology
- Workday
- Zendesk
- Contentful
- Microsoft Power Automate
- SharePoint
- Training and mentoring
- Team leadership
- Oral communication
- Cross-functional teamwork
- Issue resolution
- Management support
- Strategy development
- Work Planning and Prioritization
Websites
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Irish
Professional Working
French
Limited Working
Italian
Limited Working
Spanish
Limited Working
Certification
- CIPD Professional
Timeline
Senior Associate - Global HR Effectiveness
Eli Lilly and Company
03.2023 - 05.2025
Associate, Global HR
Eli Lilly and Company
03.2022 - 03.2023
HR Functional Specialist (Americas)
Eli Lilly and Company
12.2019 - 03.2022
EMEA Sales Recruiter
Cloudera
05.2019 - 10.2019
Inside Sales Account Manager
Quest Software
04.2018 - 04.2019
Recruitment Business Partner
Morgan McKinley Group
01.2016 - 03.2018
Recruitment Admin Coordinator
Morgan McKinley Group
08.2015 - 12.2015
Assistant Store Manager
Jack & Jones
11.2014 - 08.2015
Customer Service Manager
Argos (J Sainsbury Plc)
11.2007 - 11.2014
Customer Service Management -
Argos (J Sainsbury Plc)
Bachelor of Arts - Human Resource Management
Muster Technological University
Diploma in Supervisory Management -
Cork College of Commerce
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