Global Head of People Systems

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The Head of Global People Systems will serve as the Product Owner for Workday, leading the strategic direction, management, and optimisation of the company's global HR technology landscape across multiple European locations, including but not limited to the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, and Poland. This senior-level role will be responsible for driving the overall HR technology strategy, ensuring that Workday is leveraged effectively to meet the evolving needs of the business.

**Key Responsibilities**

**Strategic Ownership of Workday**:

- Serve as the global product owner for Workday, leading the development and execution of the long-term HR technology strategy.
- Align Workday’s functionalities with the company’s strategic business goals, ensuring that it effectively supports workforce planning, talent management, payroll, employee engagement, and compliance across all regions.
- Evaluate and prioritise enhancements, upgrades, and new Workday functionalities based on business needs, technological advancements, and user feedback.

**Workday System Optimisation**:

- Lead the design, configuration, and deployment of Workday modules across all company locations, ensuring standardisation while allowing for regional customisation where necessary.
- Continuously monitor and optimise Workday performance to ensure it meets business requirements, driving efficiencies and ensuring a seamless user experience.
- Partner with functional leads and external consultants to ensure effective Workday integration with other business systems (e.g., payroll, finance)

**Leadership & Team Management**:

- Lead and manage the Workday team, providing strategic direction, coaching, and support.
- Collaborate closely with the HR leadership team to ensure Workday capabilities are fully aligned with HR operational needs and strategic goals.
- Act as the central point of contact for regional HR teams, providing leadership and oversight for local implementations, updates, and troubleshooting.

**Stakeholder Management & Collaboration**:

- Collaborate with IT, HR, and business leaders across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, and Poland to ensure Workday delivers value across the entire organisation.
- Engage with external Workday partners and vendors, including implementation, advisory, and AMS (Application Management Services) partners, to ensure that the system is properly supported, maintained, and optimised.
- Work closely with Workday’s development teams and business stakeholders to identify system gaps, propose solutions, and manage the delivery of new features or functionality.

**Governance, Risk, and Compliance**:

- Ensure that the Workday system complies with global and regional HR regulations, including GDPR and local labour laws.
- Oversee the data governance and security of Workday, ensuring proper access controls, data integrity, and audit capabilities are in place.
- Regularly review and update system documentation, workflows, and training materials to align with regulatory requirements and organisational changes.

**Change Management & Training**:

- Drive the change management strategy for Workday enhancements and upgrades, ensuring smooth transitions for all users.
- Develop and deliver training programs for HR teams and business users to ensure they are equipped to fully utilise Workday functionalities.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to enhance system adoption and user engagement.

**Project Leadership**:

- Lead the delivery of major Workday initiatives, including module implementations, system upgrades, and process automation projects.
- Oversee the entire project lifecycle, including planning, resourcing, risk management, and post-implementation support, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.
- Identify cross-functional dependencies and manage them to minimise disruption to the business.

**Qualifications & Experience**

**Experience**:

- 10+ years of experience in HRIS/People Systems leadership roles, with significant experience working as a Workday Product Owner or similar senior role.
- Proven experience leading multi-country Workday implementations, including experience across multiple modules (e.g., HCM, Payroll, Talent, Absence, Prism).
- Hands-on technical or functional knowledge of Workday is essential, with the ability to bridge the gap between strategic and operational needs.
- Strong track record of leading global teams and managing external vendors/partners.
- Experience working within multinational organisations, managing cross-border HRIS strategies.

**Skills**:

- Leadership & Strategy: Ability to develop and execute a strategic vision for global HR technology.
- Workday Expertise: Deep understanding of Workday functionalities, with the ability to translate business requirements into system solutions.
- Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to col