Deputy Director, HRIS

Nanyang Technological University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Singapore seeks an experienced HRIS leader to drive strategic and operational excellence in their HR technology systems. You will provide leadership for Workday HCM, ensure compliance with HR policies, and optimize HR operations across the institution. A successful candidate will have over 10 years of HRIS experience with strong expertise in Workday systems, excellent stakeholder management skills, and the ability to lead a high-performance team. This role emphasizes data analytics for decision-making and process improvements.

Qualifications

• 10-12 years of progressive HRIS experience, with 5 years in leadership.
• Deep understanding of Workday modules and cloud HR systems.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and experience managing Workday projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of HRIS capabilities.
• Oversee end-to-end lifecycle management of Workday HCM modules.
• Collaborate with HR and IT for system optimizations.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Workday HCM expertise

Process improvement

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Workday HCM

HR dashboards

Job description

Reporting to Chief Human Resource Officer, this position provides strategic and operational leadership of the university’s Human Resource Information System (Workday HCM), supporting a diverse and complex workforce of 9,000 staff across faculties, schools, research institutes, and administrative departments. The role ensures the delivery of high-quality, secure, and efficient HR technology solutions that align with the university’s HR strategy, higher learning sector requirements, and digital transformation goals. The incumbent will drive system optimisation, stakeholder engagement, compliance, and data analytics to support HR operations and decision‑making at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Lead the strategic direction, development, and execution of HRIS capabilities to support the university’s complex HR operational landscape.
• Champion digital HR transformation initiatives, automation, and self‑service enhancements through Workday HCM.
• Provide expert advice to senior HR and university leadership on HR technology, process optimisation, and system roadmap planning.
• Strong partnership with IT team – NTU CITS to achieve university technological goals.
• Proactively build networks with external HRIS and Workday counterparts in industry groups.
• Participate in Workday user forums and events to stay abreast of system developments, emerging practices, and regulatory changes.

Workday HCM System Management

• Oversee end‑to‑end lifecycle management of Workday HCM modules (e.g., Core HCM, Recruitment, Advanced Compensation, Absence, Time Tracking, Talent & Performance, Learning, Adaptive Planning etc.).
• Ensure smooth system configuration, integrations, release management, user acceptance testing, and issue resolution.
• Maintain strong governance over user access, security roles, workflows, audit trails, and data compliance.

HRIS Operations & Service Management

• Oversee day‑to‑day HRIS operations including the management of incidents, service requests, and change requests from internal stakeholders.
• Ensure timely resolution of system issues in collaboration with internal HRIS team, IT support, and Workday consultants.
• Establish and maintain service level agreements (SLAs) and escalation processes for different categories of system tickets.
• Lead bi‑weekly team meetings to evaluate and prioritise incoming enhancement requests and determine implementation timelines.
• Source and manage external Application Management Services (AMS) providers to augment internal capabilities for Workday support.

Process Improvement & Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with HR Centres of Excellence (COEs) and HR Business Partners to streamline HR processes across different entities.
• Engage university leadership and HR community to gather requirements, ensure system usability, and drive adoption of Workday functionalities.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual transactions and improve operational efficiency through digital solutions.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of HRIS analysts, and functional specialists.
• Cultivate a high‑performance culture and ensure upskilling in Workday and HR technology capabilities.
• Provide guidance on best practices in HR system management and data governance.

Reporting & Analytics

• Oversee the development of HR dashboards, ad hoc reports, and statutory reporting (e.g., MOM, MOE).
• Ensure data accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality, while enabling data‑driven decision‑making for HR and management.
• Lead the design and delivery of HR analytics to support workforce planning, process improvements, and management decision making.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure HRIS operations and data management practices comply with university policies and statutory requirements (e.g., PDPA, audit standards).
• Serve as a key liaison with internal and external auditors during HRIS audits and reviews.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
• At least 10–12 years of progressive HRIS experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role with prior experience with Workday HCM.
• Deep understanding of Workday modules and functionalities, integration with other platforms (e.g., finance, research grants, payroll), and cloud‑based HR systems.
• Workday Pro HCM Certification or equivalent Workday functional certifications (e.g., Core HCM, Absence, Compensation, Talent & Performance) are highly desirable.
• Familiarity with Singapore’s HR policies, governance frameworks, and statutory reporting obligations (e.g., MOM, MOE).
• Strong stakeholder management skills and experience in managing Workday projects.
• Excellent communication skills