Vice President, Finance & People Systems and Strategy

Cushman & Wakefield · Chicago · $212,500–$250,000 (stated in the posting)

Job Title

Job Description Summary

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking an accomplished technology executive to serve as Vice President, Finance & People Systems and Strategy — a global leadership role with enterprise-wide responsibility for the strategy, systems operations, data, and innovation agenda spanning both the Finance and People (HR) technology landscapes. Reporting to the SVP & CIO, Enterprise Technology, this leader will act as the primary technology partner to both the CFO and CHRO organizations, unifying what have historically been two adjacent domains into a single, cohesive technology and data strategy. This mandate requires a commercially minded, transformation-oriented leader who can operate with credibility in senior Finance, HR, and C-suite forums while translating enterprise priorities into scalable, resilient technology solutions across two of the company's most complex application portfolios (a combined ~95+ applications). The successful candidate will bring the strategic range to define a multi-year, cross-functional roadmap, the delivery discipline to execute complex programs in parallel across both domains, and the executive presence to influence across a highly matrixed global organization. Critical to this role is a sustained focus on four pillars: Systems Operations (reliability, governance, and service excellence across the Finance and People technology estates), Data (a unified, trusted data foundation feeding both functions and the enterprise Data Lake), Strategy (a coherent, multi-year roadmap connecting Finance and People technology to enterprise architecture and business outcomes), and Innovation (responsible, high-impact AI and automation adoption). The VP will partner closely with the Senior Director, Enterprise AI to define and deliver the AI roadmap for the Finance and People team, ensuring AI investment is coordinated, governed, and jointly owned across both functions rather than developed in silos.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Finance & People Technology Vision & Planning

Develop and maintain multi-year Finance & People Systems roadmaps that aligns to Cushman's enterprise architecture, ERP and HCM modernization programs, and corporate AI strategy
Lead investment prioritization across the combined ~95+ application Finance and People portfolio — balancing innovation, risk reduction, compliance, employee experience, and operational continuity in a globally complex environment
Partner with Enterprise Data, Governance & Risk functions to ensure Finance and People technology decisions align to Cushman's broader platform strategy, data governance standards, and privacy requirements
Drive rationalization and consolidation of the Finance and People systems portfolios with a bias toward capability, scalability, and cost efficiency — including particular focus on the multi-payroll landscape (30+ payroll systems globally)
Ensure data model alignment and seamless, well-governed integration between Workday Financials and Workday HCM, eliminating the historical seams between Finance and People technology decision-making

Systems Operations, Data & Delivery Governance

Own end-to-end systems operations across the combined Finance and People technology estates, ensuring system reliability, data integrity, and operational continuity for a global user base of approximately 50,000 employees across 60+ countries
Establish a unified data foundation spanning Finance and People — overseeing the Finance and People Data Lake buildout on Databricks in partnership with our Internal Data Team, ensuring structured, trusted data readiness for analytics and AI use cases
Maintain SOX compliance and Finance security model integrity, and ensure data privacy, security, and compliance across People systems (including GDPR and regional data residency requirements); serve as Technology's primary liaison to Internal Audit on financial controls and access governance
Oversee program delivery across all Finance and People technology initiatives — from ERP and HCM enhancements to payroll technology programs and AI use case launches — ensuring governance, risk management, and milestone discipline
Define and achieve Service Level Agreements and Key Performance Indicators across all Finance and People technology platforms; drive continuous service improvement proactively
Manage Finance and People technology vendor relationships for key vendors like Workday, OneStream, GEM, Alteryx, plus the broader combined vendor portfolio (+30) -negotiating value, driving accountability, and ensuring contractual performance

Strategy & Innovation — AI Leadership

Serve as a thought partner to Finance and HR leadership on how AI reshapes their respective operating models — advancing how each function operates, not merely adding tools
Partner closely with the Senior Director, Enterprise AI to jointly define and deliver the AI roadmap for the Finance and People team, ensuring a coordinated intake process, shared governance standards, and a single view of AI investment across both functions
Lead identification, validation, and delivery of AI and intelligent automation use cases across Finance (FP&A forecasting agents, variance analysis automation, close management intelligence, spend analytics) and People (workforce analytics, talent acquisition intelligence, attrition modeling, skills mapping, HR service delivery automation, manager insights)
Drive embedded AI capability within core Finance platforms (Workday Financials, OneStream EPM) and People platforms (Workday HCM, ServiceNow HR), governed through appropriate intake and risk frameworks in partnership with the Senior Director, Enterprise AI
Champion responsible, governance-aligned AI adoption in partnership with the Enterprise AI Governance Council and Cushman's AI ethics and compliance framework
Maintain ongoing partnerships with Finance and HR leaders to drive continuous improvement across the entire combined ecosystem

C-Suite & Senior Stakeholder Engagement

Serve as the primary technology relationship owner for the CFO, CHRO, Divisional CFOs, Global Controller, Global FP&A leadership, HR Leadership Team, and regional HR Operations — operating as a trusted advisor and peer, not a service provider
Present a unified Finance technology strategy, investment cases, and program status in clear, business-framed narratives that reflect cross-functional dependencies and wholistic enterprise outcomes for CFO and other C-suite forums
Present a unified People technology strategy, investment cases, and program status in clear, business-framed narratives that reflect cross-functional dependencies and wholistic enterprise outcomes for CPO and other C-suite forums
Drive consensus across competing Finance and HR functional priorities with directness and transparency, ensuring technology resources are allocated to highest-impact work across both domains
Represent Enterprise Technology in Finance- and HR-led governance forums, steering committees, and the Finance and People AI Council meetings
Build stakeholder trust through consistent delivery credibility, proactive communication, and genuine understanding of both Finance and HR business objectives

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

Lead, develop, and scale a high-performing global team spanning business analysis, platform management, delivery, Workday configuration (Financials and HCM), payroll technology, and AI strategy across both Finance and People domains
Operate within a bimodal organizational model — maintaining and developing delivery capability while simultaneously building strategic and innovation capacity within the team
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning — setting high performance expectations while investing in team growth and AI literacy across both functions
Build and maintain a talent pipeline for critical Finance and People technology roles; invest in succession planning and upskilling across Workday, payroll technology, and AI domains

Financial Management

Own the combined Finance & People Systems technology budget — opex and capex — ensuring disciplined financial governance and maximum return on investment
Develop annual budget plans and multi-year financial forecasts in partnership with the CIO, CFO, and CHRO, clearly articulating investment cases and expected outcomes across both portfolios
Drive cost optimization through vendor consolidation, license and payroll platform rationalization, and operating model efficiency across the combined technology portfolio

Required Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field; Master's degree or MBA preferred
15+ years of progressive technology leadership experience with a minimum of 5 years in senior Finance and/or HR technology leadership roles at global enterprise scale; experience spanning both domains strongly preferred
Demonstrated experience owning Finance technology platforms (Workday Financials, JDE, OneStream, Hyperion, Essbase, or equivalent) and People technology platforms (Workday HCM — Core HR, Recruiting, Talent, Payroll, Absence, Learning) across multiple geographies
Proven track record delivering complex, multi-stakeholder technology transformation programs on time and within budget across a global, geographically distributed organization
Demonstrated ability to manage and influence CFO-level, CPO-level, and broader C-suite stakeholders with credibility, gravitas, and commercial acumen
Experience driving AI adoption within Finance and/or HR functions — including familiarity with AI use case development, governance frameworks, and responsible AI practices; experience partnering with a dedicated Enterprise AI function is a plus
Strong understanding of financial close, consolidation, planning, and reporting processes, and/or HR processes across the employee lifecycle; ability to speak the language of both Finance and HR leadership
Experience managing SOX compliance and financial controls, and/or HR data privacy requirements (GDPR, regional data residency); working knowledge of Internal Audit requirements for in-scope systems
Strong financial acumen with experience managing multi-million-dollar technology budgets across opex and capex

Key Competencies & Leadership Attributes

Executive Presence

Commands respect and confidence in CFO-level, CHRO-level, and C-suite forums; communicates with clarity, authority, and authentic credibility across both technology, Finance, and People contexts

Strategic Thinking

Connects Finance and People technology decisions to business and workforce outcomes; sees the multi-year roadmap while managing near-term complexity across a large, combined system portfolio

Influence Without Authority

Builds genuine trust and drives alignment across Finance, HR, and Technology boundaries without relying solely on positional power

AI Leadership

Champions AI adoption with practical judgment — identifying high-value use cases across Finance and People, governing risk appropriately, and partnering closely with the Senior Director, Enterprise AI to bring both functions on the journey

Delivery Discipline

Combines strategic vision with a relentless focus on execution, pace, and outcomes across a complex global Finance and People technology portfolio

Commercial Acumen

Makes sound investment decisions, drives value realization, and holds vendors and partners to commercial accountability

People Champion

Develops talent, builds bimodal teams with delivery and strategy capability, and creates environments where technology professionals thrive

Change Leadership

Champions transformation with energy and resilience; guides teams and stakeholders through significant platform transitions and AI adoption journeys across two functions

Collaborative Partnership

Leads through co-creation and shared accountability; partners with Finance and HR leadership, and the Senior Director, Enterprise AI, as a peer rather than directing from above

Intellectual Curiosity

Stays ahead of Finance, HR, and AI technology trends; continuously challenges the status quo to find better ways of working

Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.
The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications.
The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role.
The compensation for the position is: $ 212,500.00 - $250,000.00Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email Accommodations@cushwake.com. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”

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