General Manager, HR Data & Reporting
Nazarbayev University · Astana
Company Description
About the Role
Nazarbayev University is seeking an experienced professional to lead its HR Records, Reporting & Data Quality function. The General Manager will ensure the accuracy, integrity, and consistency of workforce data, oversee HR reporting and standard analytics, and serve as the primary HR business owner for HR information systems (HRIS) and the automation of HR processes.
Working closely with HR functional teams, HR Business Partners, IT, and other university stakeholders, the role will translate business needs into effective digital solutions, strengthen data governance, and drive the continuous improvement of HR systems, reporting capabilities, and data management practices across the University.
Job Description
- HR Data Management & Data Quality: Oversee the maintenance and accuracy of workforce records, employee registers, HR master data, and staffing records in HRIS/1C. Establish data quality standards, validation procedures, and regular reconciliations between HR systems, employment documentation, and approved staffing structures. Identify root causes of data inconsistencies and coordinate corrective actions.
- HR Reporting & Analytics: Lead the preparation of statutory, statistical, operational, and management HR reports, dashboards, and standard analytics. Establish consistent definitions, calculation methodologies, and authoritative data sources for key HR metrics, including workforce size, employee movements, turnover, vacancies, workforce structure, and employment contract timelines. Provide reliable workforce data to university leadership, HR teams, Finance, and Strategic Planning.
- HRIS Strategy & Digital Transformation: Develop and maintain the HRIS vision and HR process automation roadmap in collaboration with the Director of HR Operations & Employee Relations and relevant HR functions. Consolidate and prioritize business requirements for HR systems, reporting, integrations, and digital solutions, ensuring alignment with the University’s HR priorities and operational needs.
- Business Requirements & System Implementation: Represent HR as the functional business owner in the selection, implementation, enhancement, and ongoing development of HRIS and other HR technologies. Translate HR needs into business processes, user scenarios, functional specifications, data requirements, reporting requirements, and access rules. Coordinate with IT teams and external vendors to ensure solutions meet business needs.
- Data Migration, Testing & System Acceptance: Lead HR-side preparation, validation, cleansing, mapping, and reconciliation of data during system migrations. Coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT), functional reviews, defect prioritization, and resolution tracking. Ensure HR functionality is properly validated before implementation and support user training, documentation, communications, and change adoption.
- Data Governance, Access & Audit Readiness: Establish and maintain data ownership principles, data definitions, reference data, classification standards, and quality controls. Define business requirements for role-based access to HR data and support access reviews in accordance with the principle of least privilege. Ensure data confidentiality, personal data protection, and audit readiness, and coordinate the resolution of findings related to HR data, reporting, and system controls.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with HR functional teams, HR Business Partners, Organizational Design, IT, Finance, and other stakeholders to ensure consistent workforce data, effective reporting, and alignment of HR systems with business processes. Coordinate with Organizational Design on approved staffing structures, positions, and grades, ensuring accurate reflection in HR systems while maintaining clear accountability for staffing structure ownership.
- Team Leadership & Continuous Improvement: Lead and develop the HR data and reporting team, set priorities and performance expectations, and ensure timely, high-quality delivery. Document key processes, reporting methodologies, business rules, and system requirements. Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce manual operations, improve data reliability, and strengthen the efficiency and sustainability of HR services.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Information Systems, Business Analytics, Economics, Finance, Statistics, Management, or a related field. Relevant professional certifications in HRIS, HR analytics, data management, business analysis, project management, or HR are an advantage.
- At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in HR data management, HRIS, HR reporting, HR analytics, HR administration, business process automation, or a related field, including experience leading a functional area, team, or major information system implementation project.
- Practical experience working with HRIS/1C and large workforce datasets, developing management reports, and establishing data quality and validation controls.
- Experience translating business needs into functional and technical requirements, participating in HR system implementation or major enhancements, and coordinating data migration, reconciliation, and user acceptance testing.
- Knowledge of HR data governance, reporting standards, dashboard development, system access management, and personal data protection requirements.
- Experience working with BI tools, external technology vendors, and cross-functional project teams is an advantage.
- Strong analytical and systems thinking, attention to detail, problem-solving, and project coordination skills, with the ability to translate HR needs into clear system requirements and practical solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage competing priorities, coordinate stakeholders, and drive process improvement and organizational change.
- Fluency in Kazakh, Russian, and English, with the ability to prepare professional reports, business requirements, and functional documentation in all three languages.
Experience in a large, international, academic, or research organization will be considered an advantage.
Additional Information
Recruitment and selection process
Recruitment and selection at Nazarbayev University include the following process: preliminary selection based on experience and qualifications, assessments (e.g. technical skills/capabilities, aptitude, personality, work samples, in-basket exercises, and informal interviews), and motivation.
Formal interviews form the final stage of the selection process.
They are typically based on organizational values and behaviors and conducted in English.
You are encouraged to share your views and values to identify how they fit into Nazarbayev University core values