HR Shared Services​/Operations Manager

Job Description

You will lead a team of HR specialists delivering high-quality, compliant HR services across EMEA & APAC. The team (4 in London, 1 in Munich) operates within a global shared services model, acting as a Tier 3 function supporting employee lifecycle activities including onboarding, offboarding, contractual changes, leave of absence, and employee relations. Your role is responsible for ensuring effective service delivery through Workday (HRIS) and Service Now (case management system), managing escalations, monitoring case risk and driving continuous improvement.

The role also leads regional HR projects, supporting process harmonisation and inclusion initiatives, system enhancements, and operational excellence.

• Leading, coaching, and developing the EMEA & APAC HR Specialist team
• Managing delivery of employee lifecycle processes: onboarding and offboarding, contractual changes, leave of absence administration and employee relations case support
• Overseeing HR service delivery within a Shared Services / HR Service Center model, ensuring alignment to tiered support (Tier 1–2)
• Managing HR cases end‑to‑end using Service Now, including escalations, SLAs and case quality
• Acting as an escalation point for complex and sensitive employee cases
• Ensuring accurate processing and data integrity in Workday
• Monitoring case volumes, trends and performance metrics, driving improvements and case deflection
• Leading and delivering HR projects and process improvements, including system enhancements and process harmonisation
• Partnering with HR Business Partners, Employee Relations, Payroll, Benefits, HRIS and other stakeholders
• Ensuring compliance with local employment requirements across EMEA and APAC
• Driving continuous improvement, standardisation and automation of HR processes

• Experience leading an HR Operations or HR Service Center team within a shared services model
• Proven experience working in a case management environment managing case lifecycle, SLAs and escalations
• Strong knowledge of HR operational processes, including onboarding, offboarding, contractual changes, leave of absence and employee relations support
• Strong working knowledge of Workday (or similar HRIS)
• Proven experience leading projects, process improvements or HR transformation initiatives
• Ability to manage high‑volume, case‑driven workloads while maintaining quality and compliance
• Strong stakeholder management skills across a matrixed, international environment
• Excellent problem‑solving, organisational and decision‑making skills
• High attention to detail, with a strong focus on data accuracy and governance

• Experience working across EMEA and/or APAC, with an understanding of multi‑country complexity
• Experience with Service Now (or similar advanced case management platforms)
• Experience supporting HR technology improvements or system integrations
• HR qualification (e.g., CIPD, SHRM)
• Experience working in financial services

Our employees work in the office at least four (4) days per week, with flexibility to work from home one (1) day per week. Some roles may require additional in‑office time or different in‑office expectations; specific requirements will be discussed during the hiring process.

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to racial or ethnic background, religion or belief, sex or gender, nationality, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity or any other basis prohibited by law. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for individuals with disabilities.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to aid your participation in the application or interview process, speak to your recruiter to discuss how we can support you.