People & Culture Operational Excellence Lead

The P&C Operational Excellence Lead is globally accountable for designing, driving and implementing roadmap and portfolio of key initiatives to enhance operational efficiency withing the People & Culture function - by optimizing and harmonizing Hire-to-retire processes and ensuring value realization of HR technology.

The role sits in between strategy and execution with a strong focus on continuous improvement, and balancing employee experience with efficiency, compliance and cost. In collaboration and alignment with various internal and external stakeholders, the role also ensures that HR technology effectively enables global HR processes, delivers positive user experience, and supports business and People & Culture priorities and roadmap. Ahlstrom P&C is actively looking at AI adoption in parallel, and this role will also be a partner in that work.

The role reports directly to Ahlstrom Chief People Officer. It's a Hybrid role that requires some office presence in one of the Ahlstrom main hubs; either at the Headquarter in Espoo Finland, in Mathi Turin Italy or in Central Office in Kaukauna, Wisconsin U.S.

Key Responsibilities

P&C operational excellence roadmap

• Drive the P&C OpEx roadmap and annual priorities, with SAP SuccessFactors as the core enabling technology, ensuring alignment with People & Culture strategy, business priorities, and annual HR cycles.
• Translate business and P&C needs into clear, prioritized initiatives, balancing innovation, stability, cost, and risk. Ensure stakeholder alignment on focus areas
• Lead annual SAP SuccessFactors solution planning, considering organizational events, regulatory requirements, release cycles and annual P&C cycle (especially Performance & Rewards).

Process excellence

• Design, optimize, and document end-to-end People & Culture processes (hire to retire) in defined focus areas
• Drive global standardization and scalability where possible, with clear local flexibility
• Define process ownership, RACI, and governance models
• Identify and eliminate duplication, manual work, and inefficiencies
• Own core HR admin and master data governance processes in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

SAP SuccessFactors - service delivery and partner management

• Lead the strategic partnership with external vendor responsible for application maintenance, development, and support & advisory services for SAP SuccessFactors
• Ensure stable day to day operation of the system through effective service management and escalation handling.
• Ensure clear Statements of Work (SoWs), transparent demand management, and value for money delivery for development initiatives and P&C annual cycle activities
• Actively manage dependencies and risks related to outsourced services.
• Own cost control, invoicing validation, and budget adherence for HRIT services.

Group Level Oversight of Payroll & Time & Attendance (T&A)

• Provide group level steering (oversight rather than operational involvement) of Payroll and T&A projects, initiatives, system changes, and optimization efforts
• In partnership with IT, ensure Payroll and T&A developments are aligned with the global HRIT architecture, data model, SuccessFactors roadmap and global scalability efforts.

Compliance and Data quality and privacy

• Ensure adherence to security, data privacy (incl GDPR), internal controls, and audit requirements related to global HR systems.
• Support audits and risk assessments related to P&C Operations and technology
• Improve data quality, ownership, and accountability

Change and Stakeholder Management

• Serve as an interface between People & Culture, IT, and external partners on P&C operations and technology topics
• Facilitate alignment with global HR process owners, HRBPs, CoEs, and senior stakeholders.
• Prepare and contribute to SteerCo and leadership discussions on P&C Opex priorities, progress, risks, and investment decisions.
• Proactively manage expectations and ensure transparent communication on roadmap, tradeoffs, and delivery timelines.
• Design and implement effective management strategies related to operational improvements

Needed experience & competencies

• 10 years, strong experience in various HR roles, ideally in HR operations/services and/or HRIS management
• Understanding long-term and short-term business needs’ translation into HR priorities and roadmaps
• Strong project management experience and transformation skillset
• Proven track record in steering and leading development of core people processes, systems and tools
• Strong subject matter experience with HRIS, namely with SAP SuccessFactors (especially in Employee Central and Platform) – familiarity of ADP is an advantage
• Proven experience in managing external service providers/partnership
• Understanding of data privacy requirements (incl. GDPR) in people operations/systems
• Ability to collaborate, build trust and influence effectively in global, matrixed environment with different stakeholders
• Ability to balance strategy with operational reality
• Proactive, positive approach for problem solving
• Continuous improvement mindset with change agility
• Pragmatic, hands-on approach
• Fluent English, both written and spoken

With this role, we will offer an opportunity to

• Build the future, not just optimize the present – play a central role in shaping the next wave of how P&C operates worldwide, incl AI as part of the processes & workflows
• Be trusted at the heart of decision‑making – report directly to and work closely with the Chief People Officer and senior leaders, with a real voice in priorities, investments, and the future HR operating model
• Be part of truly global company with flexible setup – Be part of truly international company and network of P&C professionals that spans across 13 different countries, with flexibility on where you work
• Grow with purpose – take on a role that balances strategy and hands‑on impact, in a company that values growth mindset, pragmatism, and care

Interested?

In case you are interested in the role as your next career step, please submit your application by May 4th at the latest. Please note that we will be reviewing applications during the application period.

Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. Our Filtration and Life Sciences, Food and Consumer Packaging, and Protective Materials segments, along with the Performance Materials Cluster, address global trends with safe and sustainable solutions. Our net sales in 2025 amounted to EUR 2.9 billion and we employ some 7,000 people. Read more at www.ahlstrom.com.