EMEA HR Operations Analyst

Sonoco; Parma; On-site; EUR 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonoco is seeking an EMEA HR Operations Analyst to ensure accurate execution and governance of HR processes across the region. The role acts as a Workday and HR Operations SME, delivering data integrity, reporting and workforce administration for HR Business Partners and local teams.

The position supports annual HR programs, compliance with GDPR and cross-functional collaboration with Payroll, Time & Attendance, Compensation and Benefits, and other IT teams to optimize service delivery.

Qualifications

• Experience with Workday HCM and HR transactions.
• Knowledge of HR data governance and reporting processes.
• Familiarity with annual HR programs (merit, bonuses, performance).
• Understanding of GDPR/compliance in HR operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage HR requests through SIMON/ServiceNow in line with SLAs.
• Provide operational support to HR stakeholders across EMEA.
• Serve as a first-line expert for Workday processes and HR transactions.
• Troubleshoot process issues and routing challenges.
• Monitor compliance with HR policies and governance standards.
• Deliver HR reporting, workforce analytics and insights.
• Support workforce planning and data reconciliation.

Skills

Workday HCM

HR Operations

Data governance

HR reporting

Workforce administration

Analytical thinking

Advanced Excel

Tools

ServiceNow

Excel

Job description

Position Purpose

The EMEA HR Operations Analyst supports the delivery of standardized, efficient and compliant HR Operations services across EMEA. Acting as a Workday and HR Operations subject matter expert, the role ensures high-quality execution of HR processes, data governance, reporting, workforce administration and operational support for HR Business Partners, Local HR teams and HR Centers of Excellence. The position plays a key role in maintaining workforce data integrity, supporting annual HR programs, monitoring process compliance and driving operational excellence across the employee lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

HR Operations Service Delivery

• Manage HR requests through SIMON/ServiceNow in line with service level agreements.
• Provide operational support to HR stakeholders across EMEA.
• Ensure accurate case management, documentation and issue resolution.

Workday & Process Governance

• Serve as a first-line expert for Workday processes and HR transactions.
• Troubleshoot process issues, workflow errors and approval routing challenges.
• Monitor compliance with established HR policies, controls and governance standards.

Data Quality, Reporting & Analytics

• Maintain workforce data integrity through audits, validations and corrective actions.
• Deliver HR reporting, workforce analytics and organizational insights.
• Support workforce planning and data reconciliation activities.

Workforce Administration & Organizational Support

• Support organizational changes, restructures, acquisitions, workforce migrations and large‑scale employee data updates.
• Execute approved workforce transactions while ensuring governance and compliance requirements are met.

Annual HR Programs

• Partner with Compensation, Talent and HR teams to support annual processes, including merit reviews, bonus cycles, performance management and workforce planning activities.
• Ensure data readiness, validation and process execution throughout annual HR cycles.

Recruitment & Employee Lifecycle Support

• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to support hiring, onboarding and workforce administration activities.
• Monitor data quality and process effectiveness across the recruitment‑to‑hire lifecycle.

Compliance & Cross‑Functional Partnership

• Support audit, GDPR and regulatory compliance activities.
• Work closely with Payroll, Time & Attendance, Compensation & Benefits, Technology and ServiceNow teams to ensure accurate and efficient HR operations.

Continuous Improvement & HR Capability Building

• Maintain process documentation and standard operating procedures.
• Support HR user training and Workday adoption initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, controls and service delivery.
• Develop and deliver training, guidance materials and knowledge‑sharing sessions for HR teams to ensure consistent and accurate completion of HR transactions in Workday and ServiceNow.

Key Competencies

Technical

• Workday HCM
• HR Operations & Workforce Administration
• HR Reporting & Analytics
• Data Governance & Compliance
• ServiceNow / Case Management
• Advanced Excel and reporting tools

Behavioral

• Customer Focus
• Analytical Thinking
• Attention to Detail
• Collaboration
• Accountability
• Continuous Improvement

Success Measures

• Service level achievement.
• Workforce data accuracy and integrity.
• Compliance and audit results.
• Quality of HR process execution.
• Stakeholder satisfaction.
• Effectiveness of reporting, problem resolution and continuous improvement initiatives.

Summary

The EMEA HR Operations Analyst is responsible for ensuring the accurate execution, governance and continuous improvement of HR processes, workforce data and reporting across EMEA. The role serves as a critical link between HR Operations, HR Centers of Excellence, HR Business Partners and business stakeholders, enabling a scalable, compliant and data‑driven HR service delivery model.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.