About the role
Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization
The Team Leader GBS HR Services - Hiring Operations will be responsible for the day-to-day operational leadership and delivery of Hiring and Transfer Operations services within the GBS HR Services organization, supporting Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and France.
Reporting to the Manager GBS HR Services, this role ensures the high-quality, compliance, and timely execution of all hiring and employee transfer processes across the supported countries, while fostering a strong performance culture within the team.
The role plays a critical part in delivering a seamless candidate and employee experience through the effective management of hiring, onboarding, internal mobility, and employee transfer activities. Acting as a key partner to Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, Payroll, Business Leaders, Legal and Global Process Owners, the Team Leader ensures operational excellence, process compliance, and continuous improvement across all supported services.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Delivery & Case Management
- Ensure end-to-end delivery of Hiring Operations and Employee Transfer services for Germany, Netherlands, and Portugal in line with global standards, local legislation, SLAs, and operational objectives.
- Oversee the accurate and timely execution of all hiring and workforce movement transactions, including external hires, internal hires, promotions, transfers, contract amendments, organizational changes, international transfers, reorganizations, and other employee lifecycle events.
- Monitor service quality, workload distribution, transaction queues, resource allocation, and operational priorities to ensure stable and predictable service delivery.
- Act as the first level escalation point for complex hiring and employee movement cases requiring operational guidance or resolution.
- Ensure all transactions are completed accurately within established timelines while maintaining compliance with company policies and local labor regulations.
- Drive timely resolution of process exceptions, data discrepancies, and operational challenges while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
- Ensure accurate case management, process documentation, knowledge management, and adherence to established operating procedures.
- Prepare and communicate operational performance updates, service metrics, productivity insights, and improvement plans to leadership and stakeholders.
- Monitor hiring and transfer volumes, service levels, backlog management, and operational risks to proactively address potential delivery challenges.
People Leadership & Team Management
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Specialists and Senior Specialists, promoting employee engagement, accountability, well-being, and inclusion within the team.
- Foster a quality-first, customer-centric, and continuous improvement mindset within the team.
- Set clear performance goals, priorities and KPIs aligned with HR Services objectives.
- Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching conversations, and development planning sessions.
- Drive onboarding, cross-training, and knowledge-sharing initiatives to enhance operational resilience and flexibility.
- Support workforce planning, recruitment, and succession planning activities.
Stakeholder & Business Partnership
- Act as the primary operational interface for Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, HR Services, Legal, Payroll, and business stakeholders across Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and France.
- Serve as a trusted advisor and escalation point for hiring, and employee transfer operational topics.
- Support organizational changes, business growth initiatives, workforce planning activities, and transformation projects requiring hiring or transfer operational support.
- Collaborate closely with Talent Acquisition teams to ensure seamless transition from recruitment to onboarding and employee setup processes.
- Foster strong stakeholder relationships and proactively address business needs and operational challenges.
Compliance, Risk & Audit Readiness
- Ensure all hiring and employee movement activities are executed in compliance with company policies, governance frameworks, local Labor laws, data privacy requirements, and internal controls.
- Maintain high standards of employee master data accuracy, documentation completeness, and process compliance.
- Monitor transaction quality and adherence to established controls and approval processes.
- Identify operational risks, control gaps, and data quality issues, implementing corrective and preventive actions where required.
- Support internal and external audits by ensuring documentation readiness, audit compliance, and timely responses.
- Ensure compliance with country-specific regulatory requirements related to employment contracts, employee transfers, and workforce administration activities.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify and drive process improvements, standardization opportunities, simplification initiatives, and automation opportunities within Hiring Operations.
- Drive the implementation and sustainability of Lean methodologies, including Daily Management and Structured Problem Solving.
- Support the adoption of digital HR solutions, workflow automation, AI-enabled capabilities, and employee self-service tools to enhance operational efficiency and user experience.
- Analyze performance trends, service metrics, transaction volumes, and customer feedback to identify continuous improvement opportunities.
- Leverage operational data and reporting to support workforce planning, capacity management, and strategic decision-making.
- Contribute to global transformation initiatives and process harmonization across countries and regions.
Key Relationships
- Talent Acquisition
- HR Services & Payroll
- HR Business Partners
- Business Leaders and Hiring Managers
- Labor Law Teams
- Global Process Owners
- HR Technology Teams
- Finance & Workforce Planning Teams
- Works Councils and Employee Relations (where applicable)
- Internal Controls & Compliance
- Delivery Excellence Teams
- External Vendors and Service Providers
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Proven people leadership, coaching, and team development capabilities in a service-driven environment.
- Strong understanding of HR Operations, Shared Services, and employee lifecycle administration processes.
- Deep knowledge of hiring, onboarding, employee transfers, and workforce administration processes.
- Experience working with HR systems, preferably SAP SuccessFactors, SAP HR, and related HR technologies.
- Strong understanding of service delivery management, SLA governance, KPI management, and operational excellence principles.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with a focus on quality and compliance.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills within a global, matrix environment.
- Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English in a business setting.
- Customer-centric and continuous improvement mindset, with experience supporting digital, automation, and transformation initiatives.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment across multiple countries, functions, and stakeholder groups while maintaining a focus on operational excellence and adidas' long-term growth objectives.
Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or a related field.
- 4+ years of progressive experience in HR Operations, Hiring Administration, Employee Lifecycle Management, Shared Services, or Business Services environments.
- Proven experience managing hiring, onboarding, employee transfer, or workforce administration processes.
- Proven people management and operational leadership experience.
- Experience supporting multiple countries and working within a global HR operating model is preferred.
- Experience driving process improvements, operational excellence initiatives, and service transformation programs is an advantage.
