Director of Shared Services

Job Functions:

Skill:

Strategic Leadership & Governance:

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Shared Services Centre, ensuring the alignment of all support functions (HR, IT, Finance, Office Management, Marketing, etc.) with business goals.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for the SSC, including service delivery models, governance frameworks, and performance metrics.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with business leaders to ensure that shared services meet the needs of each functional area while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Oversee global and regional service delivery, ensuring consistency, quality, and compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Provide strategic direction on process optimization, automation, and innovation to enhance the efficiency and scalability of the SSC.

Customer Service Excellence:

• Ensure that the shared services team consistently delivers high-quality, efficient, and customer-centric service to internal customers.
• Streamline processes, improve response times, and reduce service bottlenecks and also design and implement best practices to deliver consistent service quality across various service lines.
• Lead efforts to capture, analyze, and act on customer and employee feedback to refine the SSC’s service offerings. This can include regular surveys, feedback loops, and direct customer interviews to ensure the team is meeting or exceeding service expectations.

Operational Management:

• Oversee the end-to-end service delivery for multiple business functions, ensuring that agreed-upon service levels (SLAs) are met and continually improved.
• Lead cross-functional teams to implement standard processes and systems across support services, ensuring consistency in service delivery and optimizing resource utilization.
• Ensure the effective management of key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) for all shared services functions.
• Manage vendor relationships and third-party service providers where relevant, ensuring performance meets the organization’s standards and expectations.

Compliance & Risk Management:

• Ensure that the SSC complies with all relevant local, regional, and global regulations, as well as corporate policies and best practices.
• Develop and enforce standardized policies and procedures across all shared service functions to mitigate risk and ensure consistent, compliant practices.
• Manage risk assessments for SSC activities, ensuring that potential risks (e.g., data security, financial mismanagement) are identified and appropriately mitigated.

Process Improvement & Change Management:

• Champion continuous process improvement initiatives across all service functions, utilizing methodologies like Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile to drive operational efficiencies.
• Identify and implement automation solutions (e.g., RPA, AI) to streamline repetitive tasks and improve service delivery.
• Work with business units to gather feedback and continuously refine processes and systems to meet evolving business needs.
• Lead change management efforts as the SSC evolves, ensuring smooth transitions during system upgrades, process reengineering, or organizational restructuring.
• Drive a culture of agility within the SSC, ensuring the team remains responsive to changes in business needs, technological advancements, and market conditions.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead, motivate, and develop a diverse, global team of SSC professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for team members across all service lines.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to senior managers and staff, ensuring the development of talent and succession planning within the SSC.
• Promote knowledge sharing and best practices across the SSC, encouraging a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Stakeholder Management & Communication:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for senior executives, department heads, and key stakeholders on all SSC-related matters.
• Provide regular reporting to executive leadership on SSC performance, service delivery, and key initiatives.
• Communicate the value proposition of shared services to the organization, ensuring that internal stakeholders understand the benefits and contributions of the SSC.

Required Competencies:

• Customer-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering exceptional service to internal stakeholders.
• Results-oriented, with a track record of achieving measurable business outcomes in a shared services environment.
• Demonstrates flexibility and an ability to maintain a positive attitude in the face of uncertainty or shifting priorities. Able to quickly pivot and adjust plans or strategies when facing new challenges or changes in the business
• Handles setbacks or failures constructively. Views challenges as opportunities for growth, learning from mistakes, and applying those lessons to future endeavors
• Breaks down complex issues into manageable components to assess the underlying causes. Identifies patterns and connections to understand the problem from multiple angles
• Takes responsibility for solving problems, ensuring that issues are resolved thoroughly and efficiently. Shows initiative in leading the solution process and driving results
• Critically examines the current assumptions, systems, or processes that may be contributing to problems. Challenges the status quo and looks for hidden or overlooked factors that may be causing issues

Required Skills:

• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to align shared services with the company’s broader goals.
• In-depth knowledge of shared services best practices, service delivery models, and process improvement methodologies.
• Expertise in financial management, budgeting, and cost control.
• Ability to drive technology adoption and process automation (e.g., RPA, AI, ERP systems) within a shared services environment.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management / Administration, Finance, Information Technology or equivalent
• Certifications in relevant domains (e.g. PMP, Six Sigma, Lean or equivalent) would be advantageous
• Minimum of 12 years of professional work experience in actively managing and leading shared services covering human resources, finance and/or technology and similar support functions with a leading firm, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
• Experience working in the Big4, professional services, large consulting firms or multi-nationals is an advantage