Taking care of people is at the heart of everything we do, and we start by taking care of you, our valued colleague. A career at Sedgwick means experiencing our culture of caring. It means having flexibility and time for all the things that are important to you. It’s an opportunity to do something meaningful, each and every day. It’s having support for your mental, physical, financial and professional needs. It means sharpening your skills and growing your career. And it means working in an environment that celebrates diversity and is fair and inclusive. 

A career at Sedgwick is where passion meets purpose to make a positive impact on the world through the people and organizations we serve. If you are someone who is driven to make a difference, who enjoys a challenge and above all, if you’re someone who cares, there’s a place for you here. Join us and contribute to Sedgwick being a great place to work.

Great Place to Work®
Top 100 Most Loved Workplace® 
Forbes Best-in-State Employer

Head of Shared Services, Northern Hemisphere

Overview

The Colleague Resource (CR) Head of Shared Services will lead the CR Shared Services function for the Northern Hemisphere, ensuring the delivery of efficient, high-quality CR support across the organization. This role involves overseeing various CR administrative and operational services in predominately on-shore, in-country solutions. The role will aim to collaborate with our payroll centre of expertise, Total Reward, CR Business Partners, employee data management, and HRIS teams, to support the organization’s strategic CR objectives.

This position interacts with senior CR Leaders and Business Leadership in over 20+ countries, as well as the executive global leadership teams in the US, making it a highly visible role within the company.

Working at Sedgwick

Our company is a place where creative and caring people of all backgrounds can be challenged, grow as individuals, and feel a higher purpose in the unique value they bring and the difference they make in the lives of others. We celebrate our differences; cultivating uniqueness and belonging allows us to connect with our consumers on a personal level, understand our clients’ needs, support the communities in which we operate, and perform at our best.

We’re passionate and understanding about our colleagues – so we have built flexibility into our colleague working model. If you wish to work from home, split your working time between the home and office or change your hours so you can collect your children or care for someone in your family, we’re supportive of that. As a flexible employer, we’re happy to discuss options that take into consideration your personal needs for this position during your interview.

Responsibility

Leadership and Strategy:

Develop and implement the regional HR Shared Services strategy in partnership and alignment with the global CR organization’s goals and business objectives.

Manage & develop a high-performing regional Shared Services team, to achieve CR Shared Services goals and objectives while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Collaborate with senior CR leaders to ensure the Shared Services function supports broader CR initiatives and strategies.

Collaborate with business unit leaders to communicate any HR shared services changes to affected employees and managers

Communicate and facilitate long-term initiatives aligned with HR’s strategic agenda

Operational Management:

Oversee the delivery of CR shared services, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with policies, regulations, and service level agreements (SLAs).

Provide expert advice and coaching to stakeholders, including internal CR and colleagues when appropriate; help resolve colleagues and people leaders’ most urgent CR requests

Drive HRSS process standardization and improvements; implement best practices and innovative solutions to enhance CR service delivery, including the use of technology and automation.

Manage budgets, forecasts, and financial performance of the CR Shared Services function, ensuring cost-effective service delivery.

Work in partnership with other regional heads to design and implement strong processes in HRSS areas (e.g., workforce administration and payroll)

Stakeholder Engagement:

Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including CR business partners, department heads, and colleagues, to understand their needs and ensure service satisfaction; partner with business stakeholders to design and monitor internal service-level agreements (SLAs)

Act as the primary point of contact for CR shared services-related inquiries and issues, providing timely and effective resolution.

Proactively seek colleague feedback to understand colleague perspectives better and anticipate their needs

Process Improvement:

 Identify and execute process migration and optimization to the centralized shared services team along with automation for additional CR processes; leverage technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

Lead initiatives to standardize and simplify CR processes, reducing complexity and enhancing the colleague experience.

Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and drive continuous improvement efforts.

Compliance and Risk Management:

Ensure compliance with relevant employment laws, regulations, and internal CR policies, including data privacy and security requirements.

Develop and implement risk management strategies to mitigate potential CR issues, including conducting regular audits and assessments.

Stay informed about changes in employment laws and regulations, ensuring the CR Shared Services function remains compliant and up-to-date.

Other Duties

Other duties may be assigned from time to time depending on the strategic and operational needs of the organisation, and will be communicated to the employee in a timely mannerOther duties are an essential part of the role and require the same level of skills, knowledge, and accountability as the main duties

Person Specification

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.A Master’s degree or HR certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP, CIPD) is preferred.Proven experience in a senior HR leadership role leading shared services or a similar function, with a track record of driving operational excellence and service improvement; ideally in a global, matrixed organisationStrong understanding of HR processes, including payroll, benefits administration, employee data management, and HR systems; Service Now and Workday experience a plus.Work as a collaborative and global team member and play a key role as part of the Global SS Leader teamExcellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels of the organization.Demonstrated ability to drive change and improve operational efficiency within HR, including experience with process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).

Skills and Competencies:

Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on delivering value to the organization.Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to interpret data, recognize trends and develop recommendations based on data analysisAbility to develop clear, actionable steps in support of an overall business strategySkilled in identifying new ways and enhancing current ways for HR to support the business strategyAbility to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure, with a high level of attention to detail.Proficiency in relevant MS Office applications, HR technology platforms i.e. HCM and Case Management applications.Proven record of creative and analytical thinking as well as significant business acumen with a “roll up the sleeves” attitudeDemonstrated project leadership experience and a successful track record of leading organization change; highly organised with good communication skillsStrong inter-personal, communication and influencing skills and ability to build strong stakeholder relationshipsExcellent management skills and ability to organize and plan effectively to meet short and long term goals; adaptable and able to respond to changing demands and prioritise work accordinglyHybrid working (ideally 2 - 3 days in the office per week)

This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and level of work difficulty of the position given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of management to assign, direct and control the work of employees under supervision. The listing of duties and responsibilities shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.    

#LI-remote                          

Sedgwick is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The statements contained in this document are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by a colleague assigned to this description. They are not intended to constitute a comprehensive list of functions, duties, or local variances. Sedgwick retains the discretion to add or to change the duties of the position at any time.