Head of Workplace Services
Dublin, IE
Role Type & Location
- Full Time Permanent position.
- 4 days onsite based in our City Centre offices
What we offer
- The nature of this role requires the role holder to be onsite 4 days per week. There is provision for one remote working day, and we support flexible working arrangements where they can be accommodated operationally
- We offer a comprehensive benefits package including competitive salaries and bonuses, robust Learning and Development support, excellent Defined Contribution pension and comprehensive Wellbeing initiatives and support to name but a few. Further details on our benefits package can be accessed here Benefits (life-careers.com)
At Irish Life, our purpose is to help people build better futures. Our company values shape everything we do and underpin our vision of being the driving force behind Ireland’s financial, physical, and mental well-being.
We believe in doing the right thing—acting with integrity and making fair, responsible decisions. We aim high, setting ambitious goals and constantly find better ways to innovate and improve. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are dedicated to understanding their needs and exceeding their expectations. We believe that as a team we work best together, in a supportive, collaborative environment where every idea and contribution is valued.
Role Overview
In this role you will lead the strategic design, delivery, and optimisation of workplace services to support and enhance employee and customer experience, operational efficiency, and organisational culture. You will hold end-to-end accountability for ensuring services across the building are delivered in full compliance with regulatory, statutory and organisational standards.
You will have the opportunity to influence at executive levels and drive transformation initiatives that directly impact our workforce and business objectives. In addition, you will closely align with our Chief People Officers (CPOs) to engage with key business stakeholders on multi-occupier building strategy and broader People initiatives.
You will be based in our newly redeveloped Irish Life building, which accommodates almost 3,000 employees working in a hybrid arrangement across the Irish Life and Canada Life group of companies.
Team Background
- This role sits within our ILG Human Resources team and reports to our Head of People Services
- This team has responsibility for ensuring the seamless integration of workplace services to all employees and customers, including facilities management, event management, hospitality, wellbeing services, and health and safety services.
- Each of our main service teams, Facilities, Workplace Experience and Health and Safety will have a direct reporting line to the Head of Workplace Services
What you will help us to achieve
As Head of Workplace Services, you will play a pivotal role in delivering a best in class, seamless service experience for all employees and visitors, ensuring that every interaction with our workplace is connected, efficient and consistently of the highest standard
As Head of Workplace Services this role will:
- Define and own the strategic vision and roadmap for our building operations and workplace experience in conjunction with key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with company objectives and a future-forward approach to workplace operation and culture
- Ensure compliance with statutory and corporate building obligations, including assuming responsibility of Building Controller role as required under Irish legislation,
- Establish and lead a high-performing Workplace Services team, including Facilities, Workplace Experience, Health and Safety, and external partners to ensure a connected end to end best in class service is delivered to all employees and visitors
- With the Workplace Experience team introduce an event management process that will deliver exceptional service and value to employees and visitors, ensuring effective utilisation of resources for meaningful business outcomes
- Lead change management projects as well as a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, leading the identification and piloting of new workplace concepts, service models and best practices to enhance employee productivity, engagement, and wellbeing
- Establish and embed a comprehensive governance and performance framework encompassing SOPs, SLAs, KPIs and formal service reviews (including QBRs), ensuring operational rigour, consistency of experience and continuous value optimisation across all internal service providers
- Provide data driven insights, collating workplace services activity, that drive better business outcomes and maximise the utilisation of our building, in addition to the maintenance and achievement of targeted building accreditations and statutory reviews
- Robust management of the Workplace Services budget, ensuring rigorous financial management, proactive cost control and optimal allocation of resources
- Build and sustain strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including Senior Leadership across the Irish Life and Canada Life companies and external partners, to drive collaboration, influence decision making, maximise value and advance organisational objectives
- Drive effective cross-functional collaboration to ensure Workplace Services operations are in alignment with objectives, ensuring Experience and Service leads partner closely with teams such as IS, Crisis Management & Business Continuity, Sustainability, Property, Finance and HR colleagues.
What you will need to be successful in the role
The ideal candidate will have:
- 10 years’ experience in a leadership role within workplace services, hospitality or venue management, corporate change projects, facilities and services management
- Proven track record in developing and implementing workplace strategies aligned with organisational goals.
- Exceptional ability to influence, communicate, and build alignment across all levels of the company, including delivering clear, compelling communications to executive leadership
- Proven track record of directly leading and developing high performing, cross functional teams
- Demonstrated experience in the design and delivery of high-profile, complex corporate events
- Extensive experience in a corporate or commercial environment, driving operational rigour and excellence and fostering a culture of continuous innovation and improvement
- Strong capability in managing vendor relationships and contracts, including budget planning, forecasting and delivering operational efficiencies
- Proven experience in managing complex, cross functional initiatives and projects for senior stakeholders
- Solid knowledge of compliance and regulatory requirements relating to building management
About us
Irish Life is one of Ireland’s largest financial institutions with a presence across a range of financial services markets. We are one of Ireland’s leading financial services groups with over 1.5 million customers. For over 80 years, we’ve been helping people to look after their life insurance, pension and investment needs, and more recently their health insurance.
It is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco and a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies.
We are proud of our culture of developing and supporting the growth and professional development of our people. The focus has resulted in a team of top talent with high standards, positioning us at the forefront of our industry.
The company reserves the right to draw up a shortlist as part of the selection process. Where Agency assistance is required the Irish Life Recruitment Team will engage directly with suppliers. Unsolicited CVs / profiles supplied to Irish Life by Recruitment Agencies will not be accepted for this role.
Irish Life is proud to be an Equal Opportunities employer. We have created an environment of inclusion and growth to help people achieve their potential, to ensure they can bring their whole selves to work and to feel valued. We celebrate diversity of thought and perspective and want all of our employees to feel valued, respected and supported.
We have built a culture that promotes equality and inclusion for all of our current and future employees and strive to ensure that our behaviours, processes and practices are aligned to this culture.
If you require any accommodations during the recruitment process please contact lifecareers@irishlife.ie and we will be delighted to ensure you are fully supported to be your best.
ILGS supports Equal Opportunity and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.