Senior Contingent Workforce Specialist

About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

Role Overview

The Senior Contingent Workforce Specialist works across Booking.com to be a process owner for multiple areas that intersect with the Booking.com Gigs Program and contingent worker processes, including operations, supply chain, data, technology, R&C, and Finance. As the subject matter expert (SME) on Contingent Workforce, you will be responsible for legislation, classification, acquiring, onboarding, and offboarding. You will work closely with business stakeholders to resolve escalations related to Gigs team members’ performance, process and compliance issues, and policy exceptions, transforming their feedback into process improvements. Additionally, you will educate the business on policies and processes in close cooperation with our (external) Managed Service Provider. This role serves as the first point of contact to resolve issues and challenges in partnership with the Managed Service Provider and manages new projects and initiatives to ensure results.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties

• Partner with hiring managers at various levels across the business to advise, support, and educate on the Contingent Workforce policy and processes.
• Work on multiple projects that have a high impact on the business.
• Manage all queries and escalations related to the contingent labour program on topics such as policy, processes, rates, performance, supply chain, and legislation.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the Managed Service Provider.
• Collaborate and partner with cross-functional business areas such as Legal, Procurement, HRA, People Tech, and People Operations teams globally to drive initiatives focused on global and direct sourcing projects, and resolve issues like urgent terminations, tenure discussions, and legislative breaches. Build and develop strong relationships with these partners.
• Negotiate with external vendors to engage them in the contingent workforce program and drive cost savings (approximately 4-5 million annually), typically involving non-standard negotiations requiring risk assessment of clause deviation.
• Be accountable for our external vendor strategy, including which partners we work with, how we work with them, and management of performance.
• Work autonomously with business stakeholders (hiring managers and above) on complex issues regarding high-priority projects, staffing challenges, and compliance breaches, resolving them with minimal impact on costs and business continuity, while ensuring alignment with policy and improved talent quality.
• Create and manage controls for mitigating risks in the end-to-end process aligned to SOX regulations, including audits to be reported to local tax authorities.
• Create and evolve compliance policies related to engagement of contingent workforce, such as grievance processes.
• Make operational and tactical decisions relating to all elements of the Booking.com Gigs Program (e.g., supplier use and interaction, projects, BAU tasks) in line with the overarching department strategy, using independent judgment to escalate decisions to the Head of Contingent Workforce as needed.
• Own and advise on contingent worker legislation, with expert knowledge of Netherlands and/or UK legislations (e.g., IR35, DBA, AWR) and awareness of legislation across other locations. Create strategies and processes to mitigate legislative risks in the business.
• Own the Vendor Management System (VMS), including design configuration and process of the tool, implementation, and training for vendors, suppliers, and the hiring community.
• Continually develop your own knowledge and skills, keep abreast of market developments, and benchmark activities externally to ensure best practice.

Role Qualifications and Requirements

• 5-8 years of experience in a contingent workforce role, preferably at a large multinational company.
• Additionally, 5+ years of professional experience in HR/Talent Acquisition.
• Vendor management experience.
• Complex stakeholder management skills.
• Customer service skills and experience performing in a growing environment.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and decision-making skills.
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience working in a team environment to achieve goals.
• Experience in driving projects to completion.
• In-depth knowledge of contingent worker legislation relating to the UK and/or Netherlands, with an awareness of equivalent legislation globally.
• Experience working with vendor management systems.
• Ability to work independently, confidently taking decisions in line with department-level strategy and frameworks.
• Native or fluent in spoken and written Dutch.

Benefits & Perks – Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

• Annual paid time off and a generous paid leave scheme, including parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave.
• Hybrid working, including flexible working arrangements and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country).
• Industry-leading product discounts – up to €1400 per year – for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit.

Pre-Employment Screening

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education, and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.