Global HR Services Manager

Aberdeen; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

40 days annual leave

Pension 16%

Discretionary bonus

Private healthcare

Flexible benefits

Gym discounts

Season ticket loans

Employee discount portal

Job summary

Aberdeen plc is seeking a Global HR Services Manager to lead day-to-day HR services across multiple locations from Edinburgh, UK, with a blended working approach. You will manage a global team, ensure policy compliance, and drive continuous improvements using metrics, feedback, and technology.

The role demands strong leadership, stakeholder collaboration, and experience with cloud platforms such as Workday.

Qualifications

• Experience leading HR operations/shared services teams across locations or virtual environments.
• Strong people leadership and coaching with regular feedback to build capability and accountability.
• Analytical approach using KPIs, SLAs and root-cause analysis to deliver improvements.
• Comfort with AI/HR tech to improve service delivery and automate where appropriate.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Global HR Services Advisers, setting expectations and driving capability.
• Plan capacity, knowledge sharing and cross-skilling across regions.
• Oversee SLAs/KPIs; identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure adherence to HR policies, controls, and data protection requirements.
• Champion HR technology and automation to improve quality and efficiency.

Skills

People leadership

HR operations

Stakeholder management

AI / HR technology

Workday

Tools

Workday

Job description

Job DescriptionAbout AberdeenAberdeen plc is one of Europe’s largest investment companies, and we are built on a long-standing culture of caring about the future and making a positive impact. Together we invest for a better future. We do it to make a difference to the lives of our clients and customers, our employees, society, and our shareholders. Our business is structured around three distinct areas focused on our clients' changing needs: Aberdeen Investments, Aberdeen Adviser, and interactive investor.By leading dependable, colleague-focused HR services, you will help our people perform at their best and invest in your tomorrow while supporting better outcomes for our clients.About the DepartmentLed globally by our Chief People Officer, Tracey Hahn, Aberdeen’s Human Resources function aims to make culture and talent a market differentiator. The function makes our brand meaningful for colleagues by shaping the culture, development opportunities, reward principles and organisational structures that help us attract, retain, develop and deploy an impactful, diverse and inclusive workforce. Global HR Services supports consistent, efficient and colleague-focused delivery across the hire-to-retire journey, helping our people focus on enabling our clients to be better investors.About the RoleReporting to the Head of Global HR Services, the Global HR Services Manager leads the day-to-day delivery of high-quality HR services across multiple locations and regions. This permanent Manager-level role is based in Edinburgh, UK, and follows Aberdeen’s blended working approach.You will be accountable for team capability, service quality and operational performance, ensuring HR policies and processes are delivered consistently and with appropriate controls. You will use management information, quality assurance, colleague feedback, technology and continuous improvement to strengthen the colleague and leader experience. The role offers the opportunity to invest in your tomorrow by leading a global team, shaping practical service improvements and turning emerging technology into responsible HR solutions.Key Responsibilities:Lead, coach and develop Global HR Services Advisers, setting clear expectations and using skills and quality insights to build capability, confidence, accountability and career development.Plan team capacity, knowledge sharing and cross-skilling across processes and regions to maintain resilient, responsive service delivery.Oversee performance against SLAs and KPIs, using management information and operational insight to identify trends, priorities, risks and improvement opportunities.Own proportionate quality assurance, translating recurring errors, root causes and process gaps into targeted coaching, learning and service improvements.Maintain adherence to HR policies, operational controls, risk, compliance and data protection requirements, while providing guidance on complex hire-to-retire queries and escalations.Champion HR technology, AI and digital tools, identifying well-governed opportunities to automate and simplify work while improving quality, efficiency and colleague experience.About the Candidate:Experience leading and developing HR operations or shared services teams across locations or in a virtual environment.Strong people leadership and coaching capability, with evidence of building confidence, capability and accountability through regular feedback and development.Experience establishing or operating quality assurance approaches and using findings to improve people capability, process quality and service delivery.Sound operational judgement, with the confidence to prioritise activity, manage escalations and make effective day-to-day decisions.An analytical, service-focused approach, using KPIs, SLAs, quality findings and root cause analysis to deliver practical improvements and lead operational change.Strong stakeholder communication and collaboration skills, alongside confidence using AI, HR technology and digital tools to improve service delivery.Experience using a cloud HR platform such as Workday.We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you have a disability and would like to apply to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire. One of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.We want you to be the real you throughout our recruitment process. Sharing your diversity information helps us understand the reach and impact of our hiring practices, and build a workplace where all people can thrive and belong.This information is kept separate from your application and is not visible to recruiters, hiring managers, or assessors at any stage.Our benefitsThere's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance-based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefits here.Our businessEnabling our clients to be better investors drives everything we do. Our business is structured around three distinct areas – our vectors of growth – focused on our clients’ changing needs. You can find out more about what we do here.An inclusive way of workingWhatever way you like to work, if you have the talent and commitment to join our team, we’d like to hear from you.At Aberdeen we’ve adopted a ‘blended working’ approach. This approach combines the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, coaching and connecting in our offices with the flexibility of working from home. It enables colleagues to find a balance that works for their roles, their teams, our clients and our business.An inclusive culture, where diverse perspectives drive our actions, is at the core of who we are and what we do. If you need assistance with your application, or a reasonable adjustment to your interview arrangements – for example, because you are neurodivergent, or have a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental, visible or invisible disability – please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.#aberdeenplcjobsWe’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.