Senior HR Business Partner, Middle East and Turkiye

Company Description

Who we are

As a global law firm our work spans jurisdictions, cultures, and languages – and so do our people.

Our culture is collaborative and inclusive— where diverse perspectives are recognised and valued. Where performing to your highest ability, unlocks equal access to opportunities to learn, thrive and grow.

We combine deep legal expertise and commercial intelligence to grow, transform, protect, and defend our clients' businesses, across every critical moment.

We operate in the sectors and regions that matter to our clients. With forward-thinking insights and innovative, tech-enabled solutions that combine deep knowledge of their sectors and markets.

You’ll build connections and work with colleagues as one global team. You’ll unlock opportunities for clients, across borders, cultures, legal and commercial disciplines.

Join us to work with colleagues as one global team – empowering each other to be exceptional and create advantage for our clients.

Job Description

The role

You will partner with Partners and stakeholders to develop and deliver people priorities aligned to the firm's people and talent strategy, and the Global Product Group (GPG) strategy.

Who you will work with

You will work closely with the Global Head of HR - Products, HR team members, Centres of Expertise (CoEs), global service delivery teams, and the broader HR function to deliver high impact and highly efficient people priorities and processes.  You will work closely with and may also manage, coach and develop members of the Middle East and Turkiye HR team.

What you will be responsible for

You will build trusted advisor relationships with Partners and stakeholders e.g. local leadership teams to develop and deliver the priorities aligned to the firm's people and talent strategy.

What you will do

The below key responsibilities are to be carried out in line with the global People and Talent Strategy, together with any additional local HR strategic priorities.

People and Talent Strategy

- Partner with key stakeholders to develop and deliver the people and talent strategy aligned to the GPGs and global People and Talent strategy.
- Partner with key stakeholders to embed the firm's people priorities across the GPGs, shaping the talent agenda (e.g. succession planning) and working on key talent processes. 
- Actively contribute to the people strategy formation by representing product groups, collaborating with relevant HR colleagues (in the Middle East and Turkiye and globally) and bringing market knowledge of leading practice HR to shape and deliver HR projects linked to the strategy.
- Be a trusted advisor to key stakeholders, providing HR support, coaching and direction on HR related and people issues.
- Manage, lead, and develop HR team members in implementing the people strategy with due regard to all applicable policies; monitor the quality and timely delivery of all activities and support the professional development of the team.
- Lead and participate in strategic projects aligned to People and Talent strategy as and when required.
- Support the Early Talent team to deliver key programs, where required, and be an ambassador for these schemes in the market.

Financial Management, Risk, Data and Analytics

- Work with key stakeholders to determine headcount forecasting and budget changes aligning to business plan and strategy.
- Understand and interpret business and commercial metrics and combine this with relevant interpretation of people data, analytics and reporting to support and optimise effective decision making.
- Use broader data from other sources of employee listening from across the firm, e.g. people survey, exit data, inclusion focus groups, etc. to give a broader perspective and insight on inclusion and wellbeing across the GPGs.

Employee Relations

- Be a trusted advisor to the senior stakeholders on employee relations issues, anticipating risk and likely consequences, and identify early interventions. 
- Provide, where appropriate, confidential employee counselling, guidance and coaching with the aim of resolving situations informally when possible.
- Provide input to help shape employee related policies to ensure all employee related policies are implemented fairly and consistently.
- Provide guidance and support in relation to ER for Partners and stakeholders.

Performance Management

- Support Partners and stakeholders through the performance and reward frameworks and positively challenge them to influence objective and fair performance and reward outcomes that are consistently applied across the market, and which align to the firm's performance and reward strategy.
- Support leaders with specific performance management as needed e.g. poor performance, probations.

Talent Management

- Work with key stakeholders to develop a resourcing plan that anticipates demand and capacity needs, future skills, and attrition, including analysing data, identifying trends and finding creative solutions in order to develop the talent pipeline and ensure optimal organisation structure.
- Use exit themes and other forms of employee data points (e.g. engagement) to develop, drive and embed solutions with key stakeholders that will drive change to attract, retain and motivate talent.
- Lead on talent and potential programs to identify critical talent segments for the future, including collation and analysis of key themes, gaps and actions including development.
- In conjunction with the relevant CoE develop, design, conduct impact analysis and create and deliver implementation plan for changes to structure, roles and workforce transition.

Career Development

- Use outputs of talent reviews, employee listening, people data and analytics, succession planning, etc. to identify career development opportunities and plan for key roles, high performers and diverse talent.
- Work with key stakeholders to develop top talent in alignment with business strategy and support raising their profiles within and outside their function/GPGs, including potential opportunities that may be available in other areas (including different locations).
- Work with key stakeholders to identify development needs of employees and objectives to be achieved and provide ongoing support and solutions to ensure continued development.
- Advise on appropriate development program through the Clifford Chance Academy to deliver alongside the Learning and Leadership team.
- Where required, manage the trainees and early talent career development.

Reward and Benefits

- Partner with Reward CoE to understand salary survey benchmark data combiningmarrket knowledge to advise on the reward and benefits strategy.
- Execute the year end compensation processes in conjunction with the Reward CoE.
- Provide market insights on employee benefits and use this and other data sources to suggest how to enhance and improve the employee offering.

Inclusion, Wellbeing and People Experience

- Proactively build knowledge and understanding of the key inclusion pillars and strategy.
- Proactively build knowledge and understanding of the wellbeing strategy, enablers and priorities.
- Frequently engage in a wide range of employee listening methods to identify key themes and inform timely solutions to protect and enhance people's wellbeing.
- Proactively participate in initiatives led by the wider HR team and be an ambassador of a high performing, inclusive and healthy people experience.

Qualifications

Your experience

- You will have flexible and effective communication skills, coupled with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.  
- You will be an experienced Senior HR Business Partner, ideally having worked in a professional services organisation. 
- Experience of working in a matrixed/global environment is strongly desirable.
- You will have significant HR experience across all areas, and you will now be looking for a role that combines working at both an operational and strategic level.
- You will have a proven track record of developing and implementing HR initiatives that have demonstrably contributed to achieving business objectives and enhanced overall business performance. Ideally specific knowledge in reward, and learning.
- You will have experience of partnering with and influencing management teams and working collaboratively with key stakeholders to create joint expectations and deliverables, striving for positive results and engaging others in the journey.

Knowledge

- You will demonstrate strong commercial awareness and the ability to review and analyse data and assess risk.
- Knowledge of relevant labour laws and best practice, e.g. DIFC, ADGM, UAE onshore, KSA.
- Knowledge of a Partnership environment and the common law legal system.

Qualifications

- You will ideally have formal HR qualifications e.g. Masters' Degree or industry qualification.

Additional Information

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Hybrid working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way in line with the hybrid working policy.

Equal opportunities

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.

Find out more about our inclusive culture here .