HR Project Portfolio Manager

Genus is seeking an HR Project Portfolio Manager to lead and manage global HR projects that support critical HR deliverables and enhance the employee experience —both within the HR function and across the broader organization. This is a newly created role designed to strengthen how HR delivers complex, cross‑functional initiatives by introducing clear structure, disciplined governance, and transparent communication.

The role requires a strong combination of project management expertise and hands‑on experience operating within a global HR function. The successful candidate will demonstrate a proven track record of designing pragmatic project plans, creating visibility across portfolios, and delivering clear, decision‑ready updates to HR Leadership and senior business leaders — ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and with sustained adoption.

In this role, you will act as both a portfolio leader and delivery partner, shaping how HR initiatives are prioritized, governed, and executed—while personally leading key programs from initiation through stabilization.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage a portfolio of global HR initiatives, ensuring delivery against agreed scope, timelines, budget, and success criteria while balancing competing priorities and organizational capacity.

• Establish and maintain portfolio visibility, creating clear project views that surface status, milestones, risks, dependencies, ownership, and decision points for HR Leadership.

• Define and apply prioritization and go / no‑go criteria, enabling effective trade‑off decisions based on value impact, readiness, resource requirements, risk, and data integrity.

• Design and execute project delivery plans, including timelines, resourcing, change management touchpoints, communications, and training strategies appropriate for global rollouts.

• Create high‑quality project documentation, including RACI charts, process flow diagrams, governance artifacts, and decision logs to support clarity, adoption, and long‑term sustainability.

• Apply governance best practices that support data quality, change control, and audit readiness—recognizing when additional rigor is required to protect upstream and downstream HR data.

• Deliver structured, executive‑ready communications, framing progress, risks, options, and decisions in a way that enables timely leadership alignment and action.

• Install approval gates for Develop / Test / Production build approaches and manage phased regional or functional rollouts, adjusting plans to reflect cultural, regulatory, or operational differences.

• Lead post‑implementation reviews, capturing lessons learned and driving continuous improvement in how HR initiatives are delivered and adopted.

• Partner closely with HR COEs, HR Business Partners, IT, Finance, and Compliance, translating between functions to ensure shared understanding, accountability, and momentum.

First‑Year Focus & Example Projects

Initial priority:

• Manage the pipeline of HR AI Agent and automation use cases, establishing intake, prioritization, governance, and delivery structure from development through testing, production, and ongoing monitoring and optimization.

• Build stakeholder update cadences, change management approaches, and communication strategies that balance innovation with readiness, risk management, and trust.

Additional projects may include:

• Supporting the HR Technology roadmap

• Payroll vendor implementations

• Preparation for compliance with new legislation (e.g., EU Pay Transparency, UK Gender Gap Reporting)

• Close partnership on initiatives across HR COEs, including Rewards, Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, and Learning & Development

What Success Looks Like

After 1 month:

• A clear, repeatable structure is in place to measure and communicate status across active HR projects, highlighting wins, risks, and blockers.

• A consistent cadence and channel for updates to HR Leadership and key stakeholders is established.

After 3 months:

• The effectiveness of the project delivery structure is evaluated and refined based on stakeholder feedback.

• Several (fewer than five) smaller‑scale initiatives have progressed through the full project lifecycle, with outcomes reviewed and insights captured.

After 1 year:

• A well‑established HR project delivery model is operating, with clear expectations, strong governance, and a predictable rhythm of portfolio reviews, leadership updates, and decision‑making.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; MBA preferred.

• Recognized project management certification (PMP, PMP‑PBA, or equivalent).

• 5+ years leading international projects; experience within HR or adjacent people‑focused functions strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple initiatives in complex, matrixed environments.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to frame issues, options, and trade‑offs for senior leaders.

Preferred

• Continuous improvement experience (Agile, Lean, or Six Sigma).

• Experience establishing or operating within a project portfolio or delivery model, not just managing individual projects.

• Familiarity with HR automation or AI‑enabled use cases, including assessing readiness, risk, and adoption—not just technical feasibility.

• Proven ability to navigate global complexity, cultural differences, and country‑specific regulatory or operational requirements.