HR Technology Director

About the role

The Director, HR Technology & Solutions Delivery is a senior technology leadership role responsible for the strategy, design, delivery, operation and evolution of Inizio's global HR technology ecosystem. In the near term, the role has significant accountability for Workday, leading day-to-day IT operations, functional solution design, enhancements, continuous improvement and strategic HR technology projects. Over time, the role will evolve HR Technology towards a stronger platform engineering and architecture-led model, establishing the technical strategy, engineering practices, integration architecture, governance, security and operational capabilities required to support Inizio at scale. This requires a leader who can operate across both the functional and technical dimensions of Workday – translating HR requirements into effective solutions while bringing the technical depth and engineering mindset to shape the future HR technology landscape. You will have end-to-end IT accountability for Workday and the wider HR technology ecosystem. The Workday IT Operations team will report directly to this role, which reports to the Deputy Chief Information Officer.

Responsibilities

Workday Platform, Operations & Functional Design Provide end-to-end IT ownership of Workday, covering functional design, configuration, operations, support, enhancements and continuous improvement. Partner with HR People Services and Centres of Excellence to translate business requirements into scalable, sustainable Workday solutions aligned with global standards. Provide senior oversight of Workday business processes, configuration, security, reporting, integrations and adoption of new platform capabilities. Lead the Workday IT Operations team, ensuring effective management of incidents, requests, defects, changes, enhancements and releases. Establish effective service levels, operational KPIs, demand and backlog management, root-cause analysis, testing, documentation and operational controls. Drive continuous improvement, automation and proactive platform management to improve user experience, reliability and operational efficiency. Act as the senior escalation and decision point for significant Workday functional, technical and operational matters.

HR Technology Project & Solutions Delivery HR Technology Strategy: Own end-to-end technology delivery of significant Workday and wider HR technology initiatives, from requirements and solution design through build, integration, testing, deployment, stabilisation and BAU transition. Lead Workday enhancements, module implementations, optimisation initiatives and HR transformation projects. Ensure solutions align with business outcomes, architecture principles and the longer-term HR technology roadmap. Establish delivery governance across scope, plans, dependencies, resources, risks, quality and budget. Hold systems integrators and delivery partners accountable for delivery, solution quality, knowledge transfer and sustainable support.

Architecture & Engineering Define the technology strategy, target architecture and multi-year roadmap for Inizio's global HR technology ecosystem. Establish architecture and engineering principles across platforms, integrations, APIs, data, identity, security, environments, testing, deployment, monitoring and operational resilience. Lead the progressive evolution of HR Technology towards a stronger platform engineering operating model, increasing automation, standardisation and engineering discipline. Ensure HR technology is scalable, secure, resilient, maintainable and aligned with Inizio's wider enterprise technology strategy. Manage technical debt and identify opportunities to simplify and modernise the HR technology estate. Develop internal technical capability and reduce unnecessary reliance on external partners for core platform knowledge.

Integrations, Security & Technical Governance Own technical governance across HR technology architecture, integrations, security and change. Ensure secure and reliable connectivity between Workday, HR applications, enterprise platforms, identity services, data platforms and external providers. Establish appropriate integration patterns, APIs, middleware and data standards, reducing unnecessary point-to-point connectivity. Ensure appropriate controls across cyber security, data privacy, identity and access management, privileged access, segregation of duties and change management. Embed security, risk and compliance requirements into solution design and delivery and maintain appropriate controls and audit evidence. Partner with Enterprise Architecture, Cyber Security, Data and Integration teams to ensure HR technology aligns with enterprise standards.

Vendor, Commercial & HR Partnership Act as the senior IT partner to HR leadership, translating HR strategy and operational priorities into an actionable technology roadmap. Work with HR People Services and Centres of Excellence to shape solutions and prioritise BAU enhancements, projects and strategic investments. Provide guidance on Workday capabilities and wider opportunities including automation, AI and emerging HR technologies. Manage strategic relationships with Workday, technology vendors, systems integrators and specialist partners. Hold partners accountable for technical capability, solution quality, service, delivery and commercial outcomes and provide technology leadership for vendor selection and investment decisions.

Leadership & Capability Building Build and lead a high-performing HR Technology team with the right balance of Workday functional, technical, integration, engineering and operational capabilities. Develop the technical maturity of the function through coaching, standards and strong engineering practices. Foster collaboration across HR, Enterprise Architecture, Cyber Security, Data, Integration and wider IT. Establish a culture of ownership, custome