Senior HR Business Partner Maternity Cover

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

The role

You will partner with the Regional Partners and stakeholders to develop and deliver people priorities aligned to the firms people and talent strategy, and the practice area strategy.

Who you will work with

You will work closely with the Regional Head of HR & Talent (RHRD), Regional HR Team members, Communities 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. Regional leadership teams to develop and deliver the priorities aligned to the firms 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 regional HR strategic priorities. The preferred candidates will have Arabic language skills and a strong connection to the Middle East.

People and Talent Strategy

• Partner with key stakeholders to develop and deliver the people and talent strategy aligned to the practice area/regional business function strategy.

• Partner with key stakeholders to embed the firms people priorities across the practice area, bringing together outputs of key regional processes, shaping the regional talent agenda (e.g. succession planning) and working on key talent processes.

• Actively contribute to the people strategy formation by representing client groups, collaborating with relevant HR colleagues (regionally and globally) and bringing market knowledge of leading practice HR to shape and deliver global and regional 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 regional and global strategic projects aligned to People and Talent strategy as and when required.

• Oversee the strategic Early Talent programs for the region 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 practice area.

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 in order to influence objective and fair performance and reward outcomes that are consistently applied across the region, and which align to the firms 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 regional 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/practice area, 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.

Reward and Benefits

• Initiate the market data benchmarking process for the region.

• Partner with Reward CoE to analyse results, combine market knowledge, data from employees to advise on the reward and benefits strategy.

• Support the RHOHR to execute the year end compensation processes.

• Understand compensation arrangements for Partners, to prepare and support relevant stakeholders for the discussions that will take place in the review cycle.

• Provide market insights on employee benefits and use this and other data sources to suggest how to enhance and improve the employee offering.

• Manage the annual health and life insurance renewals.

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 peoples wellbeing.

• Proactively participate in initiatives led by the wider HR team and be an ambassador of a high performing, inclusive and healthy people experience.

Your experience

Skills

• You will have flexible and effective communication skills, coupled with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.

• You will be fluent in Arabic.

Experience

• 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 asses 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.

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.

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.

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 here.