Group Director, People & Payroll Systems

Group Director, People & Payroll Systems

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity, and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience and potential you could bring to CHANEL.  

About the role:  

CHANEL is seeking a dynamic Group Director, People & Payroll Systems leader to drive the strategic vision, adoption, and continuous improvement of our HR, workforce management, and payroll technology platforms for the US region. This leadership position is based in New York City or Piscataway, New Jersey with a hybrid, 3-day onsite requirement. This executive will own the product roadmap, foster strong partnerships with business stakeholders, and lead a high-performing team to deliver measurable business value through technology and process excellence.  

Our ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of strategic experience and a proven track record of leading & implementing workforce management technology (e.g. labor scheduling, time tracking), payroll systems solutions, and HRIS tools in a retail organization. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to bring together diverse stakeholders and effectively influence decision-making to achieve shared business objectives. 

Tech Systems Expertise in US Retail, Luxury Goods or similar service industry required. UKG Pro WFM and Workday HRIS/ ATS highly preferred. 

What impact you can create at CHANEL:  

• Workforce Management Adoption: Champion UKG Pro WFM adoption for advanced scheduling, time tracking, and PTO management 

• Workday Integration Strategy: Define and implement the operating model for Workday integrations with US systems ensuring data consistency and a unified user experience 

• Payroll Technology: Act as the Tech partner for the US payroll team ensuring optimal system performance of UKG Pro 

• US Tech Expert: Partner with key stakeholders such as Retail Operations, Payroll, People & Organization (HR), and Global teams, ensuring product roadmaps deliver quantifiable business value 

• Data Driven Decision Making: Design KPIs & dashboards to measure technology adoption and proactively raise opportunities for improvement 

• Simplification and Continuous Improvement: Proactively identify pain points and partner with cross-functional stakeholders to simplify processes across the organization to maximize efficiency and technology adoption 

• Champion Innovation: Identify & drive pilots to test AI (e.g. UKG Forecasting) and GenAI (e.g. UKG Bryte) technology to transform retail workforce management capabilities 

• People Development: Coach and mentor the team, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, fostering a culture of accountability, and driving high performance 

• Vendor Management: Demonstrated ability to manage vendor relationships effectively, ensuring service quality, contract compliance, and alignment with organizational goals 

You are energized by:  

• Exceptional critical and creative thinking skills including evaluating risks and contingencies, developing structure in ambiguity, connecting the dots and flexibility in accepting new ideas or pivoting    

• Data-driven decision making for products and services   

• Excellent project management and communication skills   

• Connecting the dots on problems, bring a key eye for details and expert problem perception    

• Ability to translate technical jargon into simple business terms   

• People leadership, coaching and development   

• Working in a highly collaborative environment   

• Building strong partnerships across business and technology teams in a global organization 

• Coaching and developing high-performing teams 

• Championing change and fostering a culture of accountability and innovation 

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 What you will bring to the team:  

• Experience with Workforce Management Technology in a Retail Organization: Proven track record of implementing workforce management technology in a retail organization 

• Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of HRIS, payroll, and workforce management technologies, with the ability to troubleshoot complex system issues and recommend enhancements. 

• Strategic Vision: Ability to translate business objectives into actionable technology strategies, driving long-term organizational growth and innovation. 

• Change Leadership: Proven track record in leading change management initiatives, helping teams embrace new systems and processes with minimal disruption. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skilled at fostering strong partnerships across IT, HR, Payroll, and Operations, ensuring seamless project delivery and shared success. 

• Analytical Mindset: Adept at leveraging data analytics to uncover trends, diagnose issues, and recommend evidence-based solutions. 

• Process Optimization: Expertise in streamlining workflows to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce manual effort, and empower teams to focus on high-value activities. 

• Agility and Adaptability: Comfortable working in fast-paced environments, quickly adjusting strategies to meet evolving business needs and technological advancements. 

• Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, building consensus and driving alignment around technology initiatives. 

• Continuous Learning: Commitment to ongoing professional development, staying current with emerging trends in workforce management, AI, and HR technology. 

• Inclusive Leadership: Track record of cultivating diverse teams, encouraging open dialogue, and championing equity and inclusion in the workplace. 

• Communication Skills: Exceptional presentation skills with the ability to articulate complex security concepts to senior leadership and business stakeholders, driving informed decision-making.  

 Position Logistics:    

• Based in New York City or Piscataway, New Jersey office. Hybrid work model – 3 days on-site minimum 

• Minimum of 10 years' experience as a TECH expert in strategy & management of WFM HR & Payroll systems as part of an IT/Tech team; UKG+, Workday HRIS required 

• Expertise in US Retail, Luxury Goods or similar service industry required 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or similar.  A master’s degree is a plus 

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*Chanel, Inc. reserves the right to edit, change, or make exceptions on designations where circumstances where deemed appropriate.   

Compensation:  

• The anticipated base salary range for this position is $134,900-$200,000.  A base salary is one component of the total compensation for this position. Other forms of variable pay [may/will] be offered for this position. Other components [may/will] include bonus potential, benefits, and/or perks.  

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Benefits and Perks:  

• Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing (2-week August Office Closure) and a Wellbeing fund   

• Family and care giving benefits (inclusive of parental leave, fertility support, MilkStork, and Care.com Membership)  

• Generous paid time off policies to include vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days   

• 401K and other incentives   

• Robust healthcare offerings; medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE (virtual care), One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care), Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program  

• Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and Commuter Transit & Parking  

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Additional Information:  

Chanel is a private company whose values are grounded in creating conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work. We offer a unique work environment where individuals are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business, and motivations, so that together we can unlock the possibilities of growth. This is reflected in:  

 Diversity and Inclusion:  

• At CHANEL, we are intentional in promoting Diversity & Inclusion. We foster respect, empathy, and dignity for all.  We believe strongly that the diversity of our people across the full spectrum of human differences is essential to our organisation and the connections we have with each other and our clients.   

• We offer Employee Resource Groups in the US that are voluntary, open to all, employee-led groups formed around a shared identity or lived experience, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community aligned with the values and missions of the communities they support.  

 Chanel Community:  

• CHANEL Community empowers our employees to channel their passions, talents and sense of purpose to contribute to and learn from our communities.  

• Employees are encouraged to take time off annually to volunteer through the CHANEL Community. CHANEL also matches employee donations to select charitable organizations.  

Sustainability:  

• CHANEL Mission 1.5° is our climate action plan. It is focused on transforming the business in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit the average global mean temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.  

• Employees are encouraged to contribute to our US Sustainability efforts at the corporate level and within the divisions, through organized taskforces and initiatives.  

Arts and Culture:  

• We are committed to extending our legacy of cultural engagement. Global support includes the CHANEL Culture Fund, which supports a select group of leading art culture institutions across the globe, and the CHANEL Next Prize for the next generation of creative talent.  US support currently includes Annual sponsorship of the MoMA film program, Tribeca Film Festival programs and Through Her Lens, Support of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women and Sponsorship of the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center.  

Fondation Chanel:  

• Since 2011, Fondation CHANEL’s mission is for women and girls to be free to shape their own destiny.  Through multi-year partnerships with financial and technical support, Fondation CHANEL is committed to improving the safety and autonomy of women and adolescent girls around the world, impacting over a million women and girls in its first 10 years.      

• For more information, please navigate to the Fondation Chanel website here    

 Career and Leadership Development:   

• We have dedicated in-house teams focused on supporting the onboarding of employees, developing leadership skills via custom programs like Imagine Chanel People, Heart of Leadership and group and individual coaching, and blended online and live classes offered on our Bloom platform and by skilled trainers, such as Shape Your Career, to develop career building skills.  

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 *Chanel, Inc. benefits and perks are dependent on eligibility and subject to modification by Chanel at any time.