Senior Product Manager, Core People Technology

Job description

## Senior Product Manager, Core People Technology **Location:** London | **Work model:** Hybrid | **Reports to:** Senior Manager, People Product ## About the team People Technology builds and runs the systems behind every hire, transfer, leave, pay change and offboard for our workforce across DoorDash, Deliveroo and Wolt. Our mission is to make the operational backbone of People Operations invisible when it works — reliable, compliant, and scalable across dozens of markets — so our people teams can focus on people, not process. This role sits on the People Product team, working alongside Business Systems Analysts, engineers and delivery leadership to bring product thinking to one of our highest-volume, highest-consequence surfaces. ## About the role Core is the Workday and HR platform surface that nearly every People Operations process runs through — pay, leave, employment status, right to work, and multi-country compliance for a global workforce. Demand structurally exceeds capacity, and requests arrive from every direction without a shared shape. You'll be the first dedicated product manager for this space, responsible for turning that inbound chaos into a defensible, well-communicated plan — and, over time, for building the intake, frameworks and partnerships that let the space run on systems rather than on you. This is a hands-on individual contributor role: you'll be shaping tickets and sizing work alongside analysts and engineers, not managing from above. ## What you'll be doing - Own the prioritised order of work for Core — building a clear, ranked plan, explaining the reasoning behind it, and being explicit about what's being deferred and why - Turn vague or incomplete partner requests into documented problems, mapped current-state processes, and testable outcomes - Partner directly and regularly with People Operations, Compliance, Payroll, Total Rewards and Business Systems Analysts, including holding "not now" conversations without damaging the relationship - Work hands-on with analysts and engineers to shape, size, and write tickets, keeping an accurate and current picture of committed, shipped, and carried-over work - Build and evolve the operating model across the analyst and engineering pod — the mechanisms, documentation and intake processes that let the space run with less coordination overhead - Use AI tools to accelerate translation of messy, multi-format, multi-language inbound requests into structured requirements and plans, while applying clear judgment about what should never be automated (anything touching pay, leave, employment status or right to work) - Escalate proactively on statutory or audit exposure, cross-space dependencies, and any trade-off that would move a compliance date - Report progress and delivery against plan to partners and leadership, including clear communication when outcomes fall short ## Requirements - Experience owning a product or systems area end-to-end, with real decision rights over scope and sequencing — not co-ownership of a feature - Hands-on background with Workday or a comparable HRIS as a product manager or technical program manager, with genuine understanding of configuration, business processes, and integrations - Demonstrated ability to prioritise when demand structurally exceeds capacity, including a repeatable method (not just instinct) for deciding what to do and communicating what won't get done - Proven delivery in ambiguous, fast-moving environments, comfortable starting when requirements are incomplete or undocumented - Experience translating a partner's requested solution into a well-defined problem, current-state understanding, and testable outcome - Strong collaboration skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders, including compliance, payroll, or other regulated/audit-exposed functions - Practical fluency with AI tools for requirements drafting, documentation, and structuring unstructured information, paired with sound judgment about where not to apply them **Why Deliveroo** Our mission is to transform the way you shop and eat, bringing the neighborhood to your door by connecting consumers, restaurants, shops and riders. We are transforming the way the world eats and shops by making access to food and products more convenient and enjoyable. We give people the opportunity to buy what they want, as they want it, when and where they want it. We are a technology-driven company at the forefront of the most rapidly expanding industry in the world. We are still a small team, making a very large impact, looking to answer some of the most interesting questions out there. We move fast, value autonomy and ownership, and we are always looking for new ideas. **Workplace & Benefits** At Deliveroo we know that people are the heart of the business and we prioritise their welfare. Benefits differ by country, but we offer many benefits in areas including healthcare, well-being, parental leave, pensions, and generous annual leave allowances, including time off to support a charitable cause of your choice. Benefits are country-specific, please ask your recruiter for more information. **Diversity** At Deliveroo, we believe a great workplace is one that represents the world we live in and how beautifully diverse it can be. That means we have no judgement when it comes to any one of the things that make you who you are - your gender, race, sexuality, religion or a secret aversion to coriander. All you need is a passion for (most) food and a desire to be part of one of the fastest-growing businesses in a rapidly growing industry. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of our hiring process. We recognise that some candidates may require adjustments to apply for a position or fairly participate in the interview process. If you require any adjustments, please don't hesitate to let us know. We will make every effort to provide the necessary adjustments to ensure you have an equitable opportunity to succeed.