SuccessFactors Systems Specialist

Job Location: Milton Keynes, Remote/Hybrid

Closing Date: 29 April 2026, 23:59 pm

Weekly Working Hours: 37

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

Fixed Term Contract: End Date: 31 July 2027

Welsh Language: Not Applicable

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

About the Role

As a SuccessFactors Systems Specialist, you will be collaborating closely with the People Services Systems Manager, offering technical expertise for our HR system, specifically SuccessFactors Employee Central, Joule and Enterprise Service Management. Your focus will be on adopting a customer-centric approach to empower us in delivering an optimal HR system experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the People Services Systems Manager by acting as the initial point of escalation within the People Services Systems Team for issues relating to SuccessFactors, exercising judgement and using initiative in dealing with complex issues.
• Uses deep technical knowledge in SuccessFactors Employee Central, Joule and Enterprise Service Management to analyse and rectify complex system faults to provide long term solutions, by root cause analysis.
• Supports the People Services Systems Manager by being the primary contact for daily the triage calls and weekly prioritisation calls and helping to manage ticket assignment and workload.
• Work with stakeholders, and as required directly with the business, to understand and resolve service issues.
• Coach the team to ensure they are skilled to provide sound technical knowledge that is right first time, meets the needs of our customers and are explaining things in everyday language instead of technical terms.
• Ensure end to end process documentation is up to date and maintained in a process library
• Work alongside the wider People Services team to identify, define and deliver ongoing system and process improvements using technical knowledge of Employee Central, Joule and Enterprise Service Management.
• Design and scope changes, writing technical specifications and configuring changes.
• Plan, execute and evaluate bi-annual system releases and test cycles required of People Services systems including defect management and retesting as needed.
• Lead and mange projects and monitor progress against the plan.
• Participate in internal and external network events and meetings in order to pass on information promptly; keep people informed to ensure co-ordination of effort and that work is done effectively.

About You

As a SuccessFactors Systems Specialist, you will need to have experience in an operational HR Systems role, ideally in a fast paced environment where you are able to quickly understand business issues and problems and take a logical problem-solving approach to your resolution.  

Essential:

• Knowledgeable and proficient in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, including configuration capabilities.
• Proven practical computing experience in the support and maintenance of MS office based systems.
• Experience in executing and evaluating system upgrades (against current functionality and requirements) and carrying out relevant testing.
• Customer centric by designing and developing candidate and employee centric processes with the end user in mind.
• Driven to make a difference; is delivery and outcome focused
• Able to adapt and respond to a change in direction effectively
• Able to add value and make an impact despite uncertainty and ambiguity.
• Stays calm and delivery-focused despite multiple tasks, priorities, and deadlines
• Accountable and responsible, able to deliver outcomes effectively and in line with agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal (to discuss and explain analysis, requirements and solutions).
• Experience in updating and maintaining process documentation.
• Proven experience working and engaging with multiple stakeholders, seeking to understand to enable a simple and efficient solution to their problems. 
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters with a high standard of professionalism.
• Competent with Microsoft packages especially Excel and SharePoint.

Desirable:

• Knowledgeable and proficient in Joule and Enterprise Service Management.
• A keen interest and experience in HR systems and technology advancements such as robotics and process automation that enable operation service delivery
• Customer centric process design across the end-to-end employee lifecycle with a focus on automation and self service
• Understanding of HR process, procedures and legislation.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be at least once per month.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

We anticipate that the assessment process for this role will include both an interview which will be taking place online via Microsoft Teams, likely during the week commencing 11 May 2026, and a technical assessment which will likely take place during the same week.

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications has been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented. If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role please submit the following:

• CV
• Complete the additional application question within our online application form

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.