Head of Workplace (m/f/x)

SYNLAB International; Barcelona; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

International exposure across Europe &

Private medical insurance

Meal vouchers/Transport/Childcare

Udemy access

Corporate benefits program

Referral program

Job summary

SYNLAB International is seeking a senior leader to drive Workplace Architecture, technical ownership, and operations across a multi-country landscape. You will define team scopes, lead transformation, and ensure secure, scalable workplace services.

You will oversee Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, PKI, remote desktop environments, and Microsoft 365 governance, while advancing automation and service quality in a hybrid cloud setting.

Qualifications

• Several years in Workplace/Infrastructure leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a global Workplace team of 11 across countries and time zones.
• Define roles, objectives and performance expectations.
• Drive transformation, upskilling and ownership of operations.
• Foster ownership, collaboration, transparency and continuous improvement.
• Oversee identity, endpoint, access management and collaboration topics.
• Support change management through organizational and process transformation.
• Ensure reliable, secure, and high-quality workplace services across countries.

Skills

Team leadership

Global teamwork

IT governance

Identity & access management

Cloud & hybrid identity

Security hardening

Automation & optimization

Vendor management

Communication & stakeholder mgmt

Project leadership

Tools

Active Directory

Microsoft 365

Intune / Endpoint management

PKI infrastructure

Job description

As the European market leader in the laboratory diagnostics sector, the SYNLAB group has been operating within a strong international network of laboratory doctors and specialists since 2010. Approximately 24.000 employees in 22 countries dedicate their efforts in laboratory diagnostics to human medicine.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage, and develop a global Workplace team of 11 employees across different countries and time zones.
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, objectives, and performance expectations within the team.
• Drive team transformation, including capability building, upskilling, accountability, and operational ownership.
• Establish a strong culture of ownership, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Foster a strong “one team” mindset across the Workplace and Infrastructure departments.
• Act as an escalation point for critical workplace, identity, endpoint, access management, and collaboration-related topics.
• Support change management and guide the team through organizational, technical, and process-related transformation.

2. Workplace Architecture & Technical Ownership

Provide technical leadership and architectural direction for core workplace technologies, including:

• Active Directory Architecture:Domain/forest design, GPO strategy, OU structure, delegation, replication, security hardening, and privileged access concepts.
• Microsoft Entra ID / Hybrid Identity:Hybrid identity, synchronization, Conditional Access, MFA, identity protection, enterprise applications, and integration between on-premises and cloud identity platforms.
• PKI Infrastructure:Certificate authority architecture, certificate lifecycle management, templates, renewal, revocation, governance, and integration with workplace and security services.
• Remote Desktop Services / Terminal Server Environments:Architecture, operation, performance, licensing, access control, session security, and modernization of remote desktop environments.
• Microsoft 365 Services:Governance and administration of Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, collaboration services, retention, security, and user enablement.
• Microsoft Intune / Endpoint Management:Endpoint strategy, device enrollment, compliance policies, configuration profiles, application deployment, patching, endpoint security, and automation.
• Identity & Access Management:Joiner/mover/leaver processes, role-based access, least privilege, privileged access concepts, access reviews, approval workflows, and account governance.

3. Operations & Service Delivery

• Ensure reliable day-to-day operation of workplace services with a strong focus on availability, performance, security, and user satisfaction.
• Establish and continuously improve key operational processes, including incident, request, change, problem, access, and knowledge management.
• Define and monitor KPIs, SLAs, OLAs, service quality metrics, and operational dashboards.
• Ensure proper documentation of systems, standards, work instructions, and operational procedures.
• Drive automation and continuous improvement to increase efficiency, reduce manual effort, and improve service quality.
• Ensure consistent service delivery across countries while respecting local operational requirements.
• Improve transparency on workload, priorities, risks, service quality, and operational performance.

4. Security, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure workplace services comply with internal security policies, audit requirements, and industry best practices.
• Work closely with Information Security on identity protection, endpoint security, conditional access, privileged access, and compliance topics.
• Support ISO 27001-aligned operational controls, documentation, and evidence collection where applicable.
• Ensure secure configuration and lifecycle management of workplace platforms.
• Manage risks related to legacy technologies, technical debt, misconfigurations, unsupported systems, and process gaps.
• Strengthen the security posture of identity, endpoint, collaboration, and access management services while ensuring auditability, traceability, and regulatory readiness.

5. Transformation & Process Improvement

• Lead the transformation of the Workplace function from reactive operations toward proactive, standardized, secure, and service-oriented delivery.
• Improve process maturity across global teams and ensure consistent execution.
• Standardize workplace services, tools, policies, operational models, and support processes across countries.
• Drive automation, self-service, and modern endpoint management practices.
• Support the transition from legacy workplace infrastructure to modern cloud-based and hybrid workplace solutions.
• Identify service gaps, technical debt, process weaknesses, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish clear ownership models for platforms, services, processes, and operational tasks.
• Promote knowledge sharing, documentation discipline, and cross-training within the team.

6. Business Enablement, Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Act as an enabling function for different business units and countries, ensuring workplace services support business operations, local requirements, and global standards.
• Collaborate closely with business stakeholders, country IT teams, local management, and relevant IT functions to understand requirements and translate them into scalable workplace solutions.
• Balance global standardization with country-specific operational, regulatory, and business needs.
• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders and ensure clear communication on priorities, risks, roadmap items, service status, and improvement initiatives.
• Manage vendors, service providers, and technology partners related to workplace services.
• Participate in global infrastructure, workplace, security, and transformation projects.
• Provide technical input for budgeting, licensing, sourcing, roadmap planning, and investment decisions.
• Ensure workplace services contribute to business productivity, operational resilience, and employee experience.

Qualifications:

Required Experience

• Several years of experience in Workplace, Infrastructure, Identity, Endpoint Management, or similar IT leadership roles.
• Proven experience leading international or distributed technical teams.
• Experience managing teams across different countries, cultures, and time zones.
• Strong background in team transformation, operational process improvement, service management, and organizational change.
• Hands-on technical knowledge in:
• Active Directory
• PKI
• Microsoft 365
• Identity and Access Management
• Experience with hybrid Microsoft environments and modern workplace architectures.
• Strong understanding of ITIL-based processes such as incident, change, problem, request, and access management.
• Experience in security hardening, compliance, risk management, and audit support.
• Proven ability to manage technical roadmaps, operational risks, technical debt, and transformation initiatives.
• Experience working with business units, country organizations, and local IT teams in a global operating model.

Technical Skills

• Strong architectural understanding of Microsoft workplace, identity, endpoint, and collaboration technologies.
• Ability to assess complex environments and define practical target architectures.
• Strong knowledge of hybrid identity, endpoint security, authentication, access control, and compliance management.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into scalable, secure, and supportable workplace solutions.
• Strong troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and escalation management capabilities.
• Experience with automation, standardization, monitoring, and operational optimization.
• Good understanding of security-by-design, least privilege, lifecycle management, and governance principles.

Leadership Skills

• Ability to lead, coach, and develop technical teams.
• Strong decision-making and prioritization skills.
• Experience driving cultural, technical, and operational change.
• Ability to build accountability, transparency, and ownership within the team.
• Ability to manage conflicts, align stakeholders, and drive decisions.
• Strong focus on performance management, capability development, and team maturity.
• Ability to operate effectively in a global and matrixed organization.

Communication & Stakeholder Skills

• Clear, structured, and professional communication style.
• Ability to explain complex technical topics to management, business stakeholders, and non-technical audiences.
• Strong documentation and presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively with business units, countries, local IT teams, security teams, vendors, and senior management.
• Strong service mindset with the ability to balance business needs, security requirements, standardization, and operational feasibility.
• Fluent English; additional languages are an advantage.

Key Success Factors

• Stabilize and mature global workplace operations.
• Build a high-performing, accountable, and collaborative global Workplace team.
• Improve process discipline, service transparency, and operational quality.
• Define and execute a modern workplace technology roadmap.
• Strengthen identity, endpoint, collaboration, and access management security.
• Reduce operational complexity through standardization, automation, and documentation.
• Improve cooperation with business units, countries, and local IT organizations.
• Act as a trusted technical and managerial leader for workplace services.
• Enable the business with secure, reliable, and scalable workplace solutions.

We offer:

• Flexible hybrid working model - 2 days per week in the office, with flexibility and work-life balance.
• International exposure across Europe and Latin America, collaborating with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• The opportunity to shape and grow within an evolving contract management function where your contributions make a real impact.
• Private medical insurance, with 50% of the premium covered by the company for employees and children under 18 years old.
• Flexible Compensation Program (Coverflex) including Meal Vouchers, Transport, and Childcare benefits.
• Unlimited access to Udemy, supporting your continuous learning and professional development.
• Corporate Benefits platform, offering exclusive discounts on travel, technology, retail, wellness, entertainment, sports memberships, and more.
• Collaborative and international work environment that values teamwork, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
• Meaningful work with purpose, supporting supplier agreements that help deliver healthcare services across multiple countries.
• Career development opportunities within a fast-growing international healthcare organization.
• Employee Referral Program, giving you the opportunity to help grow our team by referring talented professionals and receiving a bonus for successful hires.