Global Leave & Absence Specialist

About the team: You will be part of Rambolls Global HR Operations team which provides HR operations services to various countries across Ramboll using global HR applications (e.g. Workday).

As the Global Leave & Absence Specialist you will be the specialist resource for leave and absence management within Global HR Operations. You will own the accuracy consistency and continuous improvement of leave and absence processes across the countries serviced acting as the point of expertise for complex cases process design and Workday absence configuration while also contributing to wider HR Operations service delivery linked to the employee lifecycle.

Main Role Responsibilities

• Leave & Absence Process Expertise: Act as the subject matter expert for leave and absence processes globally including maternity/parental leave sick leave statutory and company-specific leave types disability/medical leave and other absence categories across multiple countries.
• Complex Case Resolution: Own and resolve complex or non-standard leave cases (e.g. extended medical leave intermittent leave leave-pay interactions return-to-work scenarios) acting as the escalation point for the wider HR Operations team.
• Process Design & Standardization: Design document and continuously improve global leave and absence processes identifying opportunities for standardization and automation across countries.
• Workday Absence Configuration: Partner with the HRIS/Workday team on absence plan configuration testing and troubleshooting; identify and raise system gaps or defects affecting leave processing and support enhancement projects.
• Statutory & Policy Currency: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of statutory leave entitlements and regulatory changes across countries serviced and translate these into updated processes guides and system configurations.
• Payroll Interface: Ensure leave data flows accurately into payroll working closely with Global Payroll and in-country teams to coordinate statutory pay unpaid-leave deductions and return-to-work pay changes; validate absence data ahead of payroll cut-off dates and investigate and resolve leave-related payroll discrepancies.
• General HR Operations & Workday Support: Provide broader HR Operations process and Workday system support (service requests data updates change requests) as part of the teams day-to-day delivery.
• Query & Ticket Resolution: Handle and resolve leave and absence-related tickets and queries from employees managers and in-country HR teams ensuring adherence to defined SLAs and turnaround times.
• Documentation & Training: Own the creation and maintenance of leave and absence SOPs quick guides step-by-step guides and training materials for the wider HR Operations team to reference.
• Knowledge Sharing & Coaching: Act as the go-to resource for leave and absence questions across the HR Operations team coaching colleagues on process nuances and edge cases.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Participate in weekly/monthly update calls with countries and the Global HR Operations team representing leave and absence topics and providing status updates on ongoing initiatives.
• Benefits Coordination: Liaise with global and local benefits teams insurers and providers to ensure correct handling of benefits (e.g. income protection disability statutory entitlements) during leave and keep employees informed of the benefit implications of their leave.
• Global Policy & Data Compliance: Support the harmonization of global and local leave and absence policies with People Advisory legal and payroll teams and ensure all leave-related activities comply with data privacy and confidentiality requirements (including GDPR and local equivalents); support internal and external audits as needed.
• Vendor & Provider Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact for external vendors involved in leave administration including payroll providers benefit providers insurers and occupational health providers coordinating on claims certificates and return-to-work arrangements.
• Reporting & Analytics: Prepare regular and ad hoc reporting on leave trends absence utilization and payroll-impacting leave; analyze the data to flag risks and provide insights that support workforce planning policy review and wellbeing initiatives.

Qualifications :

• HR Operations experience gained in an international multi-cultural organization.
• 5-7 years of experience in Global HR Operations with demonstrated depth in leave and absence management across multiple countries.
• Hands-on experience administering and/or configuring leave/absence processes in an HRIS tool (Workday strongly preferred; PeopleSoft Oracle SAP or similar also considered).
• Working knowledge of how statutory leave entitlements and practices vary across jurisdictions; exposure to multiple countries/regions preferred.
• Service-minded with a strong understanding of good customer service in a shared-services/global environment.
• Experience working in a complex matrixed organization.
• Systematic and structured working style with strong attention to detail given the compliance sensitivity of leave data.
• Strong self-starter comfortable operating as an individual contributor and subject matter resource without formal line management responsibility.
• Excellent communication and coordination skills; fluent in English both verbal and written.
• Innovative and problem-solving approach particularly for ambiguous or non-standard cases.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with a sense of urgency.
• Preferred Education & Certification: Bachelors degree in Human Resources Business Administration Employment Law or a related field; a professional HR payroll or benefits certification is an advantage.
• Regional Breadth: Experience supporting countries across Europe the Americas the Middle East and Asia-Pacific is highly advantageous.

 Personal Qualities

• Strong communicator open transparent and takes initiative.
• Excellent interpersonal and active listening skills.
• Strong critical thinking able to balance case-level detail with the bigger picture.
• Sound judgement and decision-making; takes ownership and accountability for the accuracy and compliance of leave and absence outcomes.
• Well-structured organized way of working.
• Good negotiation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Applies an EDI (Equality Diversity and Inclusiveness) mindset.
• Strong intercultural communication skills comfortable working closely with different nationalities cultures and client groups.

Success Measures

• Accurate compliant and timely administration of leave and absence processes across all countries serviced.
• Reduction in payroll errors and discrepancies related to leave and absence.
• Improved employee and manager experience during leave processes.
• Reliable absence reporting and actionable insights delivered to HR leadership.
• Strong stakeholder satisfaction across HR payroll benefits and business teams.

Additional Information :

What we can offer you

Investment in your development

Leaders you can count on guided by our Leadership Principles

Be valued for the unique person you are.

Never be short of inspiration from colleagues clients and projects.

The long-term thinking of a foundation-owned company

Work at the heart of sustainable change

Ramboll is a global architecture engineering and consultancy company. We believe that the purpose of sustainable change is to create a thriving world for both nature and people. So thats where we start and how we work. At Ramboll our core strength is our people and our history is rooted in a clear vision of how a responsible company should act. Being open and curious is a cornerstone of our culture. We embrace an inclusive mindset that looks for fresh diverse and innovative perspectives. We respect embrace and invite diversity in all forms to actively cultivate an environment where everyone can flourish and realize their full potential.

Equality diversity and inclusion are at the heart of what we do

We believe in the strength of diversity and know that unique experiences and perspectives are vital for creating truly sustainable societies. Therefore we are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive work environment where everyone can flourish and reach their potential. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and encourage you to contact our recruitment team to discuss any accommodations you need during the application process.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.  

Ready to join us

Please submit your application. Be sure to include all relevant documents including your CV cover letter etc.

Thank you for taking the time to apply! We look forward to receiving your application.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time