Head – Automation and Productivity

🚨 We're Hiring: Head – Automation and Productivity (GBS)
📍 Location: Hyderabad India – Hybrid
🕒 Full-Time | Permanent Position

What you need to be successful

Automation, AI, RPA, analytics, process mining, and productivity initiatives are currently managed across multiple teams and functions. While this has created pockets of progress, the model also creates fragmentation, duplication, slower speed-to-value, inconsistent governance, and limited visibility into enterprise-wide benefits.

• Establish one accountable lead for GBS automation, AI adoption, productivity delivery, and value realization
• Convert GBS productivity targets into a qualified pipeline of automation opportunities, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes
• Create a unified demand intake, prioritization, governance, and delivery model across functions
• Improve utilization of strategic platforms such as Celonis, RPA, low-code / no-code, AI / GenAI, and SaaS solutions
• Reduce duplication, fragmented technology adoption, and multiple uncoordinated approaches to the business
• Build reusable playbooks, assets, standards, and delivery approaches that can scale across Hyderabad and other GBS locations

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy, Roadmap and Leadership

• Develop and maintain the GBS automation and productivity roadmap aligned to GBS strategy, enterprise AI priorities, and functional productivity targets.
• Identify, shape, and prioritize high-value automation, AI, process mining, and productivity opportunities across GBS functions.
• Partner with GBS leadership, functional leaders, IT, and enterprise architecture to ensure automation initiatives are business-led, scalable, secure, and aligned to technology standards.
• Position GBS as a strategic transformation enabler by creating a repeatable model for automation-led productivity and innovation.

2. Governance, Architecture and Standards

• Establish governance for automation, AI, tools, platforms, demand intake, prioritization, solution design, delivery, and benefits tracking.
• Work closely with IT and enterprise architecture to define approved technology standards, security requirements, architecture principles, and reusable design patterns.
• Create guardrails for low-code / no-code, citizen development, AI / GenAI adoption, process mining, RPA, and SaaS automation use cases.
• Ensure solutions are scalable, reusable, compliant, and aligned to enterprise technology strategy.

3. Delivery and Portfolio Management

• Act as the single delivery lead for GBS automation and productivity initiatives, coordinating across AI COE, Celonis value architects, RPA, low-code / no-code teams, SaaS application teams, and functional SMEs.
• Build and manage a transparent automation portfolio covering ideation, qualification, business case, prioritization, delivery, adoption, and benefit realization.
• Drive faster speed-to-value through standardized intake, demand management, delivery methods, reusable components, and clear ownership.
• Track initiative-level progress, risks, dependencies, financial impact, capacity release, and adoption outcomes through structured governance forums.

4. GBS Productivity Enablement and Value Realization

• Partner with each GBS function to translate annual productivity targets into automation-enabled savings, capacity release, process simplification, and efficiency programs.
• Create a consolidated productivity pipeline covering identified opportunities, validated business cases, in-flight initiatives, expected benefits, realized outcomes, and sustainment plans.
• Define consistent baseline, measurement, value-tracking, and ownership mechanisms to ensure benefits are credible, visible, and repeatable.
• Drive a continuous year-on-year productivity agenda at the GBS level through measurable delivered value, structured governance, and sustained adoption.

5. Capability Building, Adoption and Change

• Improve AI literacy, automation awareness, and technology adoption across GBS functions.
• Build capability through playbooks, use-case libraries, training, communications, communities of practice, and change management support.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and innovation opportunities, moving promising concepts from proof of concept to scalable deployment.
• Create a business-friendly engagement model that reduces noise for stakeholders and provides one clear route for automation and productivity support.

Scope of Role

All GBS functions, including Finance, HRSS, IT, Supply Chain, Commercial, Pricing, FP&A, and other shared service areas as applicable.

Capabilities.

AI / GenAI, automation, RPA, process mining, Celonis, low-code / no-code, SaaS enablement, analytics, process improvement, and value realization.

Required Experience and Capabilities

The successful candidate should bring a blend of transformation leadership, automation delivery experience, stakeholder management, technology fluency, and business value orientation.

• Strong experience in shared services, GBS, digital transformation, automation, AI adoption, process improvement, or technology-enabled productivity programs.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage enterprise-level automation portfolios, productivity pipelines, business cases, and value realization mechanisms.
• Working knowledge of automation and digital platforms such as RPA, Celonis / process mining, AI / GenAI, low-code / no-code, analytics, workflow tools, and SaaS platforms.
• Ability to work across senior business stakeholders, IT, enterprise architecture, functional leaders, and delivery teams to align priorities and remove execution barriers.
• Strong program governance, portfolio management, financial value tracking, change management, communication, and executive reporting skills.
• Strong business and commercial orientation with the ability to link automation initiatives to measurable productivity, savings, capacity release, and service quality outcomes.

Key Leadership Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline and ability to convert ambition into measurable outcomes.
• Influential collaborator who can align multiple teams without creating additional complexity for business stakeholders.
• Pragmatic innovator who can evaluate new technologies while maintaining governance, security, and scalability.
• Outcome-oriented leader focused on productivity, adoption, value realization, and continuous improvement.

Key Skills

• Celonis and process mining expertise, including value discovery, execution management, process diagnostics, and setting up a Celonis-led Centre of Excellence model.
• RPA experience across opportunity assessment, bot delivery, governance, sustainment, and integration with broader automation programs.
• Ability to build, maintain, and scale digital solutions across multiple business domains, including Finance, HRSS, Supply Chain, Commercial, Pricing, FP&A, and IT-enabled shared services.
• Experience in scaling AI COE capabilities, including use-case identification, prioritization, governance, adoption, controls, and value realization.
• Strong understanding of automation governance, demand intake, prioritization, solution architecture, delivery standards, and benefits tracking.
• SAP experience, with working knowledge of core enterprise processes and the ability to identify automation and process improvement opportunities in SAP-enabled environments.
• GBS / shared services experience, with strong understanding of service delivery models, process ownership, operational metrics, productivity levers, and cross-functional transformation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Technology, Finance, Business, Operations, or a related discipline; MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification preferred.
• Professional certifications in Celonis, process mining, RPA, Lean Six Sigma, Agile, project / program management, automation, AI, or digital transformation will be an advantage.
• Relevant leadership experience in GBS, shared services, business transformation, digital operations, automation delivery, process excellence, or enterprise technology-enabled productivity programs.
• Experience working in global, matrixed environments with senior business stakeholders, IT, enterprise architecture, functional leaders, and delivery teams.

Success Measures

• Annual automation-enabled productivity delivered across GBS, including savings, cost avoidance, and capacity release.
• Achievement of function-level productivity targets supported by automation, simplification, and technology-enabled efficiency programs.
• Size, quality, and conversion rate of the automation and productivity opportunity pipeline.
• Reduction in automation delivery cycle time and improved speed from idea to scaled implementation.
• Adoption rates for AI, automation, process mining, and reusable digital solutions across functions.
• Reuse of enterprise solutions, playbooks, components, and standards across GBS sites and functions.
• Governance compliance, architecture alignment, and improved visibility of automation ROI and benefits.

Expected Impact

The SDL / Head – Automation and Productivity (GBS) will enable Solenis GBS to move from fragmented, use-case-led automation to a governed, scalable, and value-led operating model. The role will provide one clear leadership point for automation delivery, productivity enablement, AI adoption, governance, and measurable value realization.

By anchoring the capability in Hyderabad and scaling across all GBS sites, the role will accelerate productivity, improve technology adoption, reduce duplication, strengthen governance, and create a sustainable model for continuous year-on-year efficiency improvement.

Some benefits of working with us

• Access to a huge array of internal and external training courses on our learning system (free)
• Access to self-paced language training (free)
• Birthday or wedding anniversary gift of INR 1500
• Charity work once a year, to give back to the community
• Company car, phone if required for role
• Competitive health and wellness benefit plan
• Continuous professional development with numerous opportunities for growth
• Creche facility
• Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs)
• Electric car charging stations
• Hybrid work arrangement eg. 3 days in office
• Internet allowance
• No-meeting Fridays
• Parking on site (free)
• Relocation assistance available
• Staff hangout spaces, enjoy games like carrom, chess
• Transport by cab if working the midnight – 7am shift
• Well connected to public transport, only a 10 min walk to office

We understand that candidates will not meet every single desired job requirement.  If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we’d love to learn more about you.

Solenis is constantly growing.  Come and grow your career with us.

At Solenis, we understand that our greatest asset is our people. That is why we offer competitive compensation, and numerous opportunities for professional growth and development. So, if you are interested in working for a world-class company and enjoy solving complex challenges, consider joining our team.