Onboarding Excellence Lead - Associate Director
About the job
- Strong understanding of global onboarding operating models, end-to-end processes and regional adoption dynamics.
- Ability to influence without authority while balancing strategic intent with operational realities.
- Experience partnering across process, technology, change and communications workstreams in complex projects.
- Ability to work in matrixed, cross-functional delivery models with multiple stakeholders.
- Ability to define key performance indicators, interpret experience and operational data, identify root causes and convert insights into practical improvement actions.
- Ability to communicate complex or difficult decisions clearly and engage senior stakeholders.
- Demonstrated change leadership and agility, including articulating benefits, removing barriers and maintaining composure under pressure.
- Strong influencing and partnering skills, including proposing credible options, reaching resolution and maintaining trust through transparency.
- Continuous improvement and innovation capability focused on efficiency, risk reduction and resource optimization.
- Quality and risk management capability, including ensuring appropriate controls, compliance and high-quality outcomes within agreed timelines.
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
- Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to different audiences and cultures.
- Willingness to work across time zones as required.
- Willingness to travel occasionally.
- Provide global functional governance for the Onboarding Excellence project, ensuring alignment with onboarding strategy, standards, processes, operating model and broader Talent priorities.
- Translate strategic direction into design principles, priorities and decision frameworks that enable timely decision-making, delivery and adoption.
- Act as project functional co-lead and senior decision partner, consolidating input from onboarding subject matter experts and regions into actionable recommendations and functional sign-off where required.
- Validate solution designs for scalability, compliance and operational viability across regions before deployment.
- Represent onboarding as a consolidated function voice within project leadership forums and governance bodies.
- Collaborate with and influence regional stakeholders to align with global onboarding processes, tools and ways of working while balancing standardization with local regulatory and practical needs.
- Serve as a senior escalation point for onboarding-related risks, dependencies, change impacts and adoption barriers, driving resolution and risk mitigation.
- Champion simplification, consistency, operational excellence and experience improvement in onboarding transformation.
- Lead and coordinate the work of two Onboarding Excellence Subject Matter Representatives assigned to the project, providing direction, prioritization and support.
- Exposure to global Talent platforms supporting onboarding processes.
- Experience working with Target Operating Models and/or process optimization.
- Experience applying automation, digital solutions and artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities to improve process efficiency and user experience.
About the company
EY (Ernst & Young) is a global professional services firm that provides consulting, assurance, tax, and transaction advisory services across industries such as energy, healthcare, financial services, and real estate. Its work centers on helping clients solve critical business challenges by offering high-value advisory support in areas like supply chain, cybersecurity, sustainability, and digital transformation; revenue comes from fees for consulting, audit, and advisory services. What sets EY apart is its breadth of services across multiple disciplines, deep industry knowledge, and emphasis on thought leadership and research to inform clients’ strategic decisions. The firm aims to help organizations improve operational efficiency, navigate regulatory environments, and stay ahead of market trends by delivering practical, evidence-based guidance and execution support.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Founded
1991
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- EY.ai Agentic for Sales launched March 2, 2026 with Snowflake and Canva.
- EY uses client-zero deployments, scaling Copilot across 400,000 people by May 2026.
- EY’s 2026 AI assurance push monetizes client demand for governance, controls, and risk reviews.
What critics are saying
- Sabah filed RM2.4 billion audit-negligence claims against EY on July 30, 2026.
- EY set aside £188 million in March 2026 after NMC, Shell, and Made.com scrutiny.
- Repeated audit failures can destroy trust, trigger client defections, and shrink the franchise permanently.
What makes Ernst & Young unique
- EY Canvas processes 1.4 trillion journal-entry lines across 160,000 global audits.
- EY-Microsoft invested US$1b+ in May 2026 to industrialize enterprise AI delivery.
- EY launched agentic audit AI on April 7, 2026, spanning Assurance and AI assurance.
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Benefits
Professional Development Budget
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Company News
An Ernst & Young study found US oil and gas producers reached record production in 2025 while becoming more selective with investments. The analysis of 30 major exploration and production companies, representing 43% of US oil and gas output, showed oil production hit a study-period high, yet reserve additions from extensions and discoveries declined 11% year over year and failed to fully replace production volumes for the first time since 2021. Total capital expenditures fell 49% year over year, whilst M&A spending declined 70%. Exploration spending dropped 11% to $4.8 billion, representing only 3% of total capital expenditures. Natural gas showed stronger fundamentals, with production rising 18%, reserves increasing 14%, and discoveries up 21%.
Ernst & Young's US division is allocating $100 million this fiscal year to bonus payments rewarding employees who demonstrate adaptability, innovation, and judgement. Individual spot awards reach $500, whilst employees or teams making significant contributions can receive between $10,000 and $25,000, five times the previous programme's ceiling. The initiative also covers AI experimentation. "What we recognise signals what we value," said Ginnie Carlier, chief talent and culture officer for EY Americas. The bonuses form part of a broader strategy to reshape employee development across all career levels. Other professional services firms are pursuing similar approaches. KPMG restructured its audit internship this summer to emphasise critical thinking, whilst PwC US introduced training combining AI proficiency with human qualities like empathy. EY reported AI-related revenue grew 30% year-over-year in 2025.
EY-Parthenon has acquired SparkOptimus, a Dutch digital strategy consultancy founded in 2010. The Amsterdam-based firm employs around 50 consultants and specialises in AI transformation, digital business model redesign and technology-driven transformation. SparkOptimus founders Alexandra Jankovich and Tom Voskes, both former McKinsey consultants, said joining EY-Parthenon will create significant value for clients and staff whilst providing access to broader capabilities. The acquisition marks EY-Parthenon's first European deal since 2021. EY-Parthenon, established in 2014, is EY's strategy consulting and transactions advisory business with around 25,000 professionals globally. Mark Reich, Partner at EY-Parthenon Netherlands, said SparkOptimus' expertise will complement existing capabilities in the Dutch market. The deal closes on 1 September 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The UK Government has awarded a contract worth up to £456 million to KPMG and EY to train civil servants, the Financial Times reported, citing government procurement tracker Tussell. Under the arrangement, the firms will train officials across various skills areas, including AI, between 2026 and 2028. KPMG's share is capped at £319 million, representing almost a quarter of its total UK advisory net sales from last year. EY's portion is worth £137 million, equivalent to around 13% of its UK consulting revenue. The deal is the largest single contract awarded to Big Four companies since Tussell started tracking records in 2012. The previous record was a £322 million deal between the Foreign Office and PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2012.
EY has introduced an "invisible" AI router to manage internal AI spending, helping cut token consumption by up to 60% since its April rollout. The router sits behind specialised AI tools and directs employee queries to the most appropriate model for each task, rather than defaulting to the most powerful option. Token costs have become a growing concern as AI providers increasingly charge based on usage. EY's AI Pulse survey found that 82% of senior leaders at companies investing in AI were worried about token usage. The router has been deployed on department-specific platforms, including tax and risk functions, though not on the general Microsoft Copilot chatbot available to all staff. EY has also implemented token budgets based on employees' roles and departments. The firm's global consulting AI leader Dan Diasio said companies should focus AI investment on areas with the deepest impact rather than spreading resources thinly.