Sr Director, HR Technology & Operations

Panera Bread; St. Louis (MO); Hybrid; USD 215,000 - 301,000; Full time

Job summary

Panera Bread in Saint Louis is seeking a Sr. Director, HR Technology & Operations to lead the HR tech ecosystem and deliver scalable employee services.

This senior role drives the HR technology roadmap, governance, and execution to optimize processes, automate workflows, and improve data quality. The position partners with HR, IT, payroll, and business leaders to enable operational excellence and an outstanding employee experience across the organization, including centralizing Tier 1 support

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, IS, Business or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive HR technology/HR operations experience.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience.
• Deep experience with enterprise HRIS platforms, preferably Workday.
• Experience leading HR digital transformation and process optimization initiatives.
• Strong understanding of HR operations, service delivery models, and shared services environments.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional projects and enterprise-level implementations.
• Proven ability to translate business requirements into scalable technology and operational solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with experience leveraging workforce data and reporting to drive decisions.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year HR Technology strategy and roadmap aligned with business priorities.
• Serve as the senior business owner for Workday and the broader HR technology ecosystem.
• Partner with HR, IT, Security, Payroll, Benefits, Compensation, Talent, and external vendors to deliver technology solutions that improve efficiency and employee experience.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, automation tools, AI-enabled solutions, and workforce technologies to improve HR effectiveness and scalability.
• Establish governance processes for technology investments, prioritization, release management, testing, and user adoption.
• Lead vendor selection, contract management, and ongoing vendor performance reviews.
• Lead the HR Service Center organization responsible for employee, manager, and HR support.
• Design and implement a scalable operating model that delivers high-quality service while reducing complexity for employees and HR partners.
• Establish service delivery standards, metrics, SLAs, escalation processes, and continuous improvement practices.
• Evaluate opportunities to centralize Tier 1 support and expand self-service capabilities.
• Drive operational excellence through process redesign, automation, knowledge management, and service optimization initiatives.
• Lead enterprise HR process improvement initiatives across the employee lifecycle.
• Identify and eliminate manual, redundant, and inefficient processes through workflow redesign and technology enablement.
• Develop standardized, scalable processes that improve accuracy, compliance, and employee experience.
• Implement continuous improvement methodologies to increase efficiency and agility.
• Establish governance with data privacy and security controls.
• Lead HR data governance and workforce analytics development.

Skills

HRIS expertise

Leadership

Analytics

Executive communication

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, IS, Business

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Workday

Power BI

Job description

Sr Director, HR Technology & Operations

Position Summary

The Sr. Director, HR Technology & Operations is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing the organization’s HR technology ecosystem and employee support operations. This leader will drive the strategy, governance, and execution of HR technology initiatives while ensuring efficient, scalable, and employee-centric HR service delivery.

The role is accountable for developing and executing the HR Technology roadmap, optimizing HR processes, leveraging automation and self-service capabilities, enhancing data governance and analytics, and delivering exceptional employee and manager experiences. Working closely with HR Business Partners, Centers of Excellence, IT, Finance, Payroll, and business leaders, the Sr. Director, HR Technology & Operations will enable operational excellence and support the organization’s broader people strategy. This role directly supports efforts to streamline HR processes, centralize and optimize Tier 1 employee support, improve data quality, and leverage technology to drive workforce effectiveness.

Location: St. Louis, MO (hybrid)

Key Responsibilities

HR Technology Strategy & Governance

• Develop and execute a multi-year HR Technology strategy and roadmap aligned with business and people priorities.
• Serve as the senior business owner for Workday and the broader HR technology ecosystem.
• Partner with HR, IT, Security, Payroll, Benefits, Compensation, Talent, and external vendors to deliver technology solutions that improve efficiency, compliance, and employee experience.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, automation tools, AI-enabled solutions, and workforce technologies to improve HR effectiveness and scalability.
• Establish governance processes for technology investments, prioritization, release management, testing, and user adoption.
• Lead vendor selection, contract management, and ongoing vendor performance reviews.

HR Service Center Leadership

• Lead the HR Service Center organization responsible for employee, manager, and HR support.

• Design and implement a scalable operating model that delivers consistent, high-quality service while reducing complexity for employees and HR Business Partners.

• Establish service delivery standards, metrics, SLAs, escalation processes, and continuous improvement practices.

• Evaluate opportunities to centralize and streamline Tier 1 support activities while expanding self-service capabilities for employees and managers.

• Drive operational excellence through process redesign, automation, knowledge management, and service optimization initiatives.

• Lead enterprise HR process improvement initiatives across the employee lifecycle.

• Identify and eliminate manual, redundant, and inefficient processes through workflow redesign and technology enablement.

• Develop standardized, scalable processes that improve accuracy, compliance, and employee experience.

• Implement continuous improvement methodologies to increase efficiency and organizational agility.

• Establish strong operational controls and governance frameworks to support sustainable growth and operational excellence.

• Lead HR data governance efforts to improve data quality, integrity, security, and compliance.

• Partner with HR and business leaders to support development of people analytics, dashboards, and actionable workforce insights.

• Advance the organization’s HR reporting capabilities through Workday, Power BI, and related technologies.

• Establish metrics and reporting frameworks that support workforce planning, operational performance, and strategic decision-making.

• Ensure compliance with data privacy requirements and maintain appropriate system security controls.

Employee & Manager Experience

• Champion a seamless digital employee experience across HR systems, processes, and service delivery channels.
• Expand employee and manager self-service capabilities to increase accessibility and reduce administrative burden.
• Drive adoption of HR technology solutions through effective communication, change management, and training strategies.
• Measure and continuously improve employee satisfaction with HR services and technology platforms.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing HR Technology and HR Service Center teams.
• Build organizational capabilities in HR systems, process design, service delivery, automation, analytics, and continuous improvement.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, customer service, and operational excellence.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Information Systems, Business Administration, Technology, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in HR Technology, HR Operations, Shared Services, HRIS, or related functions.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience managing teams and leaders.
• Deep experience with enterprise HRIS platforms, preferably Workday.
• Demonstrated experience leading HR digital transformation and process optimization initiatives.
• Strong understanding of HR operations, service delivery models, and shared services environments.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional projects and enterprise-level implementations.
• Proven ability to translate business requirements into scalable technology and operational solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with experience leveraging workforce data and reporting to drive decisions.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Information Systems, or related field.
• Workday certifications or advanced Workday experience.
• Experience implementing HR automation, AI-enabled technologies, and self-service solutions.
• Experience building HR analytics and reporting capabilities using platforms such as Power BI.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, PMP, or similar process improvement/project management certifications.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Customer & Employee Focus
• Operational Excellence
• Digital & Technology Leadership
• Change Leadership
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Executive Presence & Influence
• Talent Development & Team Leadership

Equal Opportunity Employer: Disabled/Veterans

Competitive Pay $215,276 - $301,386 annually

The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate's relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

Saint Louis Support Center