Senior Specialist, Workforce Planning & Cost Management

The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

The Senior Specialist, Workforce Planning & Cost Management is an HR-primary role owning the end-to-end staff cost model — from individual-level data consolidation through to validated financial handoff, governance cadence, and process maturity improvement. The role sits within Total Rewards, reporting to the VP Total Rewards.

Staff cost is the organization’s single largest cost line. This role is the central coordination point across HR (Rewards & Benefits, Workforce Solutions, Payroll, HRBPs), Finance (FP&A, Accounting), and Integration & Transformation. It owns the Fully Loaded Cost File, the monthly rolling forecast, the budget model, and all HR-side SOX control documentation.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES / KEY RESULT AREAS

• Manage the Fully Loaded Cost (FLC): Consolidate all employee-related cost components (e.g., salary, incentives, social charges, benefits, long-term incentives) into a single, controlled master dataset at both employee and cost center level. Ensure data accuracy and integrity prior to sharing with Finance. 

• Own the Staff Cost Budget Model: Coordinate inputs such as compensation assumptions, headcount planning, and workforce-related cost drivers to produce a consolidated global staff cost model for financial planning and analysis. 

• Maintain the Rolling Forecast: Update and manage a 12-month rolling forecast incorporating confirmed workforce changes (e.g., hires, exits, restructuring, compensation adjustments). Provide validated inputs on a regular cadence. 

• Define Bonus Accrual Methodology: Establish and maintain the framework for bonus accruals, including eligible populations and accrual rates by role or scheme. Periodically review and document the methodology in alignment with compensation policies. 

• Calculate Workforce Restructuring Costs: Estimate employee-level costs associated with organizational changes (e.g., severance, notice periods, transition support). Prepare structured outputs for financial recording and ensure alignment with accounting requirements. 

• Deliver Workforce Cost Analysis and Insights: Provide clear analysis of variances in staff costs driven by workforce changes. Deliver actionable commentary by function or business area to support financial reporting and planning. 

• Perform Headcount Data Reconciliation: Coordinate headcount data from multiple sources and conduct regular consistency checks across systems (e.g., HR systems, payroll, internal databases). Identify and resolve discrepancies. 

• Facilitate Cross-Functional Reviews: Lead recurring reviews with key stakeholders (e.g., HR, Finance, Payroll) to validate data, align forecasts, and ensure consistency in reporting timelines and outputs. 

• Prepare Financial Input Packages: Deliver accurate and well-structured staff cost reporting packages to Finance teams on an agreed schedule, ensuring clarity, completeness, and version control. 

• Track Workforce-Related Targets: Align actual workforce movements and associated costs with defined organizational targets or initiatives, ensuring transparency and consistency in reporting. 

• Maintain Process Documentation and Controls: Develop and maintain documentation for key processes, ensuring clear ownership, defined procedures, and regular updates to support governance and compliance. 

• Support HR–Finance Collaboration Framework: Contribute to defining and maintaining clear working principles, deliverables, timelines, and expectations between HR and Finance functions. 

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 5–8 years of experience in HR Controlling, FP&A with people cost ownership, Compensation & Benefits with financial reporting exposure, or consulting equivalent.
• Demonstrable financial modelling and analysis capability: variance analysis, P&L fluency, cost centre accounting, management accounting literacy. Ability to build and maintain a consolidated multi-entity cost model in Excel.
• Familiarity with ERP systems (SAP ECC or S/4HANA preferred): GL logic, journal entry structure, LSMW or equivalent upload file generation, FAGLL03 or equivalent GL reporting.
• Understanding HR data and compensation structures: base salary, bonus and short-term incentive schemes, employer social charges by jurisdiction, LTIP mechanics, and headcount analytics.
• SOX and controls awareness: working knowledge of segregation of duties, audit evidence requirements, accrual methodology documentation, and COSO control framework principles.
• Cross-functional coordination and governance experience: track record of managing structured handoffs across HR, Finance, and Payroll functions. Comfortable enforcing deadlines and operating within a defined submission calendar.
• Process builds and automation capability: experience designing processes from scratch in environments where prior documentation was absent or informal. Proficiency in Excel (including VBA or equivalent automation). Ability to systematize what does not yet exist.
• Multi-country exposure: experience across European jurisdictions with multi-currency operations, varying employer social charge structures, and statutory benefit obligations by country.
• Degree in Finance, Business Administration, HR Management, or equivalent. CIMA, ACCA, or CIPD qualification advantageous.
• Experience in post-merger integration or transformation environments is a strong plus: comfort building structure where processes were previously informal, person-dependent, or undocumented.