Head of Workplace (m/f/x)

As the European market leader in the laboratory diagnostics sector, the SYNLAB group has been operating within a strong inter­national network of laboratory doctors and specialists since 2010. Approximately 24.000 employees in 22 countries dedicate their efforts in laboratory diagnostics to human medicine. Responsibilities: 1. Leadership & Team Management - Lead, manage, and develop a global Workplace team of 11 employees across different countries and time zones. - Define clear roles, responsibilities, objectives, and performance expectations within the team. - Drive team transformation, including capability building, upskilling, accountability, and operational ownership. - Establish a strong culture of ownership, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. - Foster a strong “one team” mindset across the Workplace and Infrastructure departments. - Act as an escalation point for critical workplace, identity, endpoint, access management, and collaboration-related topics. - Support change management and guide the team through organizational, technical, and process-related transformation. 2. Workplace Architecture & Technical Ownership Provide technical leadership and architectural direction for core workplace technologies, including: - Active Directory Architecture:Domain/forest design, GPO strategy, OU structure, delegation, replication, security hardening, and privileged access concepts. - Microsoft Entra ID / Hybrid Identity: Hybrid identity, synchronization, Conditional Access, MFA, identity protection, enterprise applications, and integration between on-premises and cloud identity platforms. - PKI Infrastructure: Certificate authority architecture, certificate lifecycle management, templates, renewal, revocation, governance, and integration with workplace and security services. - Remote Desktop Services / Terminal Server Environments: Architecture, operation, performance, licensing, access control, session security, and modernization of remote desktop environments. - Microsoft 365 Services: Governance and administration of Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, collaboration services, retention, security, and user enablement. - Microsoft Intune / Endpoint Management: Endpoint strategy, device enrollment, compliance policies, configuration profiles, application deployment, patching, endpoint security, and automation. - Identity & Access Management: Joiner/mover/leaver processes, role-based access, least privilege, privileged access concepts, access reviews, approval workflows, and account governance. 3. Operations & Service Delivery - Ensure reliable day-to-day operation of workplace services with a strong focus on availability, performance, security, and user satisfaction. - Establish and continuously improve key operational processes, including incident, request, change, problem, access, and knowledge management. - Define and monitor KPIs, SLAs, OLAs, service quality metrics, and operational dashboards. - Ensure proper documentation of systems, standards, work instructions, and operational procedures. - Drive automation and continuous improvement to increase efficiency, reduce manual effort, and improve service quality. - Ensure consistent service delivery across countries while respecting local operational requirements. - Improve transparency on workload, priorities, risks, service quality, and operational performance. 4. Security, Compliance & Governance - Ensure workplace services comply with internal security policies, audit requirements, and industry best practices. - Work closely with Information Security on identity protection, endpoint security, conditional access, privileged access, and compliance topics. - Support ISO 27001-aligned operational controls, documentation, and evidence collection where applicable. - Ensure secure configuration and lifecycle management of workplace platforms. - Manage risks related to legacy technologies, technical debt, misconfigurations, unsupported systems, and process gaps. - Strengthen the security posture of identity, endpoint, collaboration, and access management services while ensuring auditability, traceability, and regulatory readiness. 5. Transformation & Process Improvement - Lead the transformation of the Workplace function from reactive operations toward proactive, standardized, secure, and service-oriented delivery. - Improve process maturity across global teams and ensure consistent execution. - Standardize workplace services, tools, policies, operational models, and support processes across countries. - Drive automation, self-service, and modern endpoint management practices. - Support the transition from legacy workplace infrastructure to modern cloud-based and hybrid workplace solutions. - Identify service gaps, technical debt, process weaknesses, and improvement opportunities. - Establish clear ownership models for platforms, services, processes, and operational tasks. - Promote knowledge sharing, documentation discipline, and cross-training within the team. 6. Business Enablement, Stakeholder & Vendor Management - Act as an enabling function for different business units and countries, ensuring workplace services support business operations, local requirements, and global standards. - Collaborate closely with business stakeholders, country IT teams, local management, and relevant IT functions to understand requirements and translate them into scalable workplace solutions. - Balance global standardization with country-specific operational, regulatory, and business needs. - Build trusted relationships with stakeholders and ensure clear communication on priorities, risks, roadmap items, service status, and improvement initiatives. - Manage vendors, service providers, and technology partners related to workplace services. - Participate in global infrastructure, workplace, security, and transformation projects. - Provide technical input for budgeting, licensing, sourcing, roadmap planning, and investment decisions. - Ensure workplace services contribute to business productivity, operational resilience, and employee experience. Qualifications: Required Experience - Several years of experience in Workplace, Infrastructure, Identity, Endpoint Management, or similar IT leadership roles. - Proven experience leading international or distributed technical teams. - Experience managing teams across different countries, cultures, and time zones. - Strong background in team transformation, operational process improvement, service management, and organizational change. - Hands-on technical knowledge in: - Active Directory - Microsoft Entra ID, formerly Azure AD - PKI - Remote Desktop Services / Terminal Server environments - Microsoft 365 - Microsoft Intune - Identity and Access Management - Experience with hybrid Microsoft environments and modern workplace architectures. - Strong understanding of ITIL-based processes such as incident, change, problem, request, and access management. - Experience in security hardening, compliance, risk management, and audit support. - Proven ability to manage technical roadmaps, operational risks, technical debt, and transformation initiatives. - Experience working with business units, country organizations, and local IT teams in a global operating model. Required Skills & Competencies Technical Skills - Strong architectural understanding of Microsoft workplace, identity, endpoint, and collaboration technologies. - Ability to assess complex environments and define practical target architectures. - Strong knowledge of hybrid identity, endpoint security, authentication, access control, and compliance management. - Ability to translate technical requirements into scalable, secure, and supportable workplace solutions. - Strong troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and escalation management capabilities. - Experience with automation, standardization, monitoring, and operational optimization. - Good understanding of security-by-design, least privilege, lifecycle management, and governance principles. Leadership Skills - Ability to lead, coach, and develop technical teams. - Strong decision-making and prioritization skills. - Experience driving cultural, technical, and operational change. - Ability to build accountability, transparency, and ownership within the team. - Ability to manage conflicts, align stakeholders, and drive decisions. - Strong focus on performance management, capability development, and team maturity. - Ability to operate effectively in a global and matrixed organization. Communication & Stakeholder Skills - Clear, structured, and professional communication style. - Ability to explain complex technical topics to management, business stakeholders, and non-technical audiences. - Strong documentation and presentation skills. - Ability to work effectively with business units, countries, local IT teams, security teams, vendors, and senior management. - Strong service mindset with the ability to balance business needs, security requirements, standardization, and operational feasibility. - Fluent English; additional languages are an advantage. Key Success Factors - Stabilize and mature global workplace operations. - Build a high-performing, accountable, and collaborative global Workplace team. - Improve process discipline, service transparency, and operational quality. - Define and execute a modern workplace technology roadmap. - Strengthen identity, endpoint, collaboration, and access management security. - Reduce operational complexity through standardization, automation, and documentation. - Improve cooperation with business units, countries, and local IT organizations. - Act as a trusted technical and managerial leader for workplace services. - Enable the business with secure, reliable, and scalable workplace solutions. We offer: - Flexible hybrid working model - 2 days per week in the office, with flexibility and work-life balance. - International exposure across Europe and Latin America, collaborating with diverse teams and stakeholders. - The opportunity to shape and grow within an evolving contract management function where your contributions make a real impact. - Private medical insurance, with 50% of the premium covered by the company for employees and children under 18 years old. - Flexible Compensation Program (Coverflex) including Meal Vouchers, Transport, and Childcare benefits. - Unlimited access to Udemy, supporting your continuous learning and professional development. - Corporate Benefits platform, offering exclusive discounts on travel, technology, retail, wellness, entertainment, sports memberships, and more. - Collaborative and international work environment that values teamwork, innovation, and knowledge sharing. - Meaningful work with purpose, supporting supplier agreements that help deliver healthcare services across multiple countries. - Career development opportunities within a fast-growing international healthcare organization. - Employee Referral Program, giving you the opportunity to help grow our team by referring talented professionals and receiving a bonus for successful hires.