Sr Mgr Continuous Improvement-G20031

Senior Manager Business Excellence & Product Support

Location: Netherlands (Hybrid)
Business Unit: ADP Netherlands
Reports to: Senior Director Operations / Country Leadership Team

The Opportunity

ADP Netherlands is seeking a strategic and influential Senior Manager Business Excellence & Product Support to lead operational excellence, productivity transformation, and product support governance across the business.

This role sits at the intersection of Operations, Product Management, R&D(GPT), Digital Technology, Finance and ESI leadership. The successful candidate will be responsible for defining and delivering the Netherlands productivity agenda, driving benefits realization, governing strategic transformation initiatives, and leading a team of Product Specialists who represent operational stakeholders in product development and enhancement discussions.

The role requires a unique combination of business excellence expertise, project and portfolio governance, strong financial acumen, and executive stakeholder management. Success depends on the ability to influence senior leaders, align diverse stakeholder groups, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Productivity Strategy & Operational Planning

• Lead the development of ADP Netherlands' productivity and efficiency roadmap as part of the annual Operational Planning process.
• Define detailed productivity initiatives for upcoming fiscal years while maintaining a longer-term improvement roadmap aligned to strategic business objectives.
• Partner with Service, Implementation, Finance, GPT, Digital Technology, ESI Business Excellence, and other key stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and quantify productivity opportunities.
• Develop robust business cases and benefit models, including FTE efficiencies, operational improvements, and customer experience gains (including introduction of AI opportunities).
• Ensure initiatives are sufficiently mature and validated before inclusion in operational plans, coordinating Business Process Improvement (BPI) resources and GPT engagement where required.
• Facilitate alignment among Netherlands leadership teams on productivity targets, investment priorities, risks, and expected outcomes.
• Balance ambition with execution risk while ensuring the organization maintains sufficient leverage to secure required support and resources from global stakeholders.

Productivity Governance & Benefits Realisation

• Own the governance framework for tracking productivity initiatives and ensuring delivery of committed business benefits.
• Monitor progress against annual productivity plans and proactively identify risks, delays, and dependencies.
• Lead monthly productivity reporting and governance reviews with ESI stakeholders, including Finance and Business Excellence leadership.
• Provide transparent reporting of initiative status, financial benefits, FTE impacts, and key risks.
• Ensure local stakeholders remain aligned on expected outcomes and corrective actions when required.
• Escalate and manage risks to benefit realization early, maintaining credibility with both Netherlands leadership and ESI stakeholders.
• Drive accountability for execution and ensure agreed benefits are delivered and sustained.

Business Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Lead strategic business excellence initiatives across Service, Implementation, Operations, and Customer Success functions.
• Apply Agile (Project)management, Lean Six Sigma, Business Process Improvement, and operational excellence methodologies to optimize service delivery and business performance.
• Create a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision making.
• Identify opportunities for automation, standardization, process simplification, and digital transformation.
• Establish clear KPIs and performance measures to evaluate operational effectiveness and improvement outcomes.

PMO, Project Portfolio Governance & Prioritisation

• Govern the portfolio of Business Excellence, PMO, and BPI initiatives across ADP Netherlands.
• Establish clear prioritization and decision-making frameworks for project intake, approval, and execution.
• Ensure projects are aligned with strategic objectives and supported by appropriate business sponsorship and resourcing.
• Maintain visibility of project capacity, dependencies, risks, and expected benefits.
• Drive disciplined project governance and ensure successful delivery of strategic initiatives.
• Partner with PMO and BPI teams to continuously improve project execution standards and governance practices.

Product Support Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of Product Specialists supporting ADP Netherlands products and services.
• Ensure the Product Specialist function serves as the operational voice of the business, representing the needs of Service, Implementation, and customer-facing teams.
• Develop a high-performing team capable of translating operational requirements into actionable product improvements.
• Define priorities and objectives that support both business needs and product strategy.

Product Liaison & R&D Partnership

• Act as the primary bridge between ADP Netherlands Operations and global Product Management and R&D organizations.
• Ensure customer feedback, operational requirements, compliance needs, and enhancement requests are effectively represented in product roadmaps.
• Support product development initiatives through requirements gathering, testing, validation, release readiness, and change adoption activities.
• Drive operational readiness for new product releases and enhancements.
• Advocate for Netherlands-specific requirements while balancing global product priorities.

Executive Stakeholder Management

• Build trusted partnerships with senior leaders across ADP Netherlands and ESI.
• Influence stakeholders across Operations, Finance, Product Management, Technology, and Business Excellence functions.
• Provide constructive challenge when initiatives do not create sufficient value for the Netherlands business.
• Demonstrate strong judgment and credibility when balancing local priorities with enterprise objectives.
• Create confidence among stakeholders through disciplined planning, transparent governance, and consistent delivery of results.
• Effectively navigate complex organizational dynamics while maintaining alignment across multiple stakeholder groups.

What We're Looking For

Experience

• Bachelor's or Masters degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Information Systems, Operations Management, or related field.
• 7+ years of leadership experience in Business Excellence, Operational Excellence, Transformation, PMO, Strategy Execution, or Product Support.
• Proven track record delivering large-scale productivity and transformation initiatives
• Experience defining productivity roadmaps, business cases, benefits realization plans, and operational planning inputs.
• Experience managing senior stakeholders in matrixed and multinational environments.
• Strong experience overseeing project portfolios, PMO functions, or Business Process Improvement initiatives.
• Experience working closely with Product Management, Technology, and R&D teams.
• Experience within HR Technology, Payroll, SaaS, Business Services, or a similarly complex service environment is highly desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Deep understanding of Agile (Project) Management, Lean Six Sigma, Business Process Improvement (BPI), and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Strong Project Management and Portfolio Governance expertise.
• Experience in application of (Gen)AI in a business environment
• Proven ability to quantify, track, and deliver productivity and FTE benefits.
• Excellent financial, analytical, and business case development skills.
• Strong executive presence with exceptional stakeholder management capabilities.
• Ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders constructively.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and change leadership skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in politically complex environments.
• Fluent in English.

What Success Looks Like

Within your first 12 months, you will:

• Deliver a credible multi-year productivity roadmap aligned to Netherlands and ESI objectives.
• Establish robust governance and reporting processes for productivity initiatives and benefits realization.
• Build strong partnerships across Service, Implementation, Finance, GPT, Digital Technology, Product Management, and ESI stakeholders.
• Create a disciplined and transparent approach to project portfolio management and prioritization.
• Position the Product Specialist team as a trusted business partner and key contributor to product strategy and operational readiness.
• Deliver measurable improvements in productivity, operational efficiency, customer experience, and business performance.
• Earn the confidence of both Netherlands and ESI leadership through consistent execution and delivery.