Kearney, MEA Talent Director, Dubai

Position Title

MEA Talent Director

Reports to Administratively & Functionally

MEA HRD

Purpose of position

This person will be a valued member of the Human Resources department, reporting to the MEA Director of Human Resources for the Middle East and Africa region and working cross-functionally with other functions in the region and regional leaders. This opportunity is highly visible in the organization and will lead and execute the end-to-end talent strategy from performance management, feedback tools, and people experience. The role covers the full career lifecycle for management consultants, specialists, and management services.

It will also involve working closely with the Leadership on special task force projects, such as acquisitions, group hiring integration and new employee value propositions.

This is a great opportunity to work closely with several regional leaders and design an innovative framework for developing and retaining the best talent with an astute appreciation for the evolving career tracks within consulting. The right candidate will have a strong mix of innovation and leadership skills while being effective navigating a flexible environment.

Primary Functions and Responsibilities

The Talent Director, together with the Performance, L&D and People Experience Teams will be responsible for improving the effectiveness of growing and developing our employees at Kearney MEA. This team will develop a true regional talent proposition to engage the talent market and create a diverse and engaged talent pipeline. This team will also work closely with the Recruiting and HR Operations teams that are also responsible for the end-to-end People Lifecycle from Onboarding to Alumni status, ensuring a truly intimate and differentiated journey of growth and development for every employee. The Talent Director will make sure that we have the right tools, processes and culture in place to provide effective feedback and performance management across the organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Performance

-      Develop and implement talent management strategies and programs to attract, retain, and develop top talent across the MEA region for our different career paths (MC, MS, Specialists)

-    Partner with business leaders to assess current and future talent needs and ensure a pipeline of diverse, high-potential candidates

-   Design and implement effective performance management and career development programs, including coaching, feedback, mentoring, career planning, global mobility and MBA sponsorship to support employee growth and development

-      Implement and elevate a portfolio of feedback tools, providing an effective and transparent feedback environment, and leveraging data analysis to develop insights and create action plans, both at the individual level as well as the institutional level

-      Monitor and analyze talent metrics to assess the effectiveness of talent management programs and identify areas for improvement (attrition, diversity, progression and evaluation)

People Analytics

-      Provide regular insights to the Practice leaders, as it pertains to the growth, health and development of their pyramid.

People Experience

-      Co-lead the People Experience team together with the S&O director, creating a culture of individualized employee engagement and ensuring firm initiatives are meaningful and impactful to our employee’s needs

-      Serve as an advisor and coach around topics related to employee experience and employee value proposition, ensuring that the Culture and Ways of Working within Kearney foster optimal client satisfaction and employee engagement.

Others

-   Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including business leaders, HR colleagues, global counterparts and external partners, to ensure alignment and support for talent initiatives

-  Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in talent management within the consulting industry and leverage this knowledge to continuously improve talent programs

-    Acting as a central point for communication to the MEA HRD and leadership team, on talent strategies and achievements

-    Leveraging market trends, driving innovation, and amplifying the Kearney brand.

-      Work closely with the regional HRD and the DEI Manager to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts throughout the organization. They will collaborate on developing and implementing comprehensive DEI strategies, policies, reporting mechanisms, and initiatives. Together with the DEI Manager, the Talent Director will regularly assess and monitor DEI metrics, identify areas for improvement, and provide guidance to leadership on fostering an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives.

-      Managing a team of direct and indirect reports across Talent, People Experience and L&D.

Additional Functions

and Responsibilities

Establishing Strategic Direction

Establishing and committing to a long-term business direction based on an analysis of systemic information and consideration of resources, market drivers, organizational values, and emerging economic, technological, and regulatory conditions.

-      Driving Execution

Translating strategic priorities into operational reality and aligning communication, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes, and ongoing measurement systems to ensure that strategic priorities yield measurable and sustainable results.

-      Innovation

Creating an environment that inspires people to generate innovative solutions with measurable value for key stakeholders and encouraging experimentation with new ways to solve work problems and seize opportunities that result in unique and differentiated solutions.

-      Global Acumen

Demonstrating an understanding of the regional economic, social, cultural, technological, legal, and political trends that impact the organization strategy, the business trends and our ability to attract best talents.  

Working closely with peers across the region to ensure a consistent and world-class employee experience while also adhering to Kearney’s global standards.

Support the design and implementation of different career paths through mergers and acquisitions and specialist value proposition

-      ­­ Regional Acumen

Work with HR colleagues to ensure compliance with local labor laws and regulations in the MEA region, and provide input to the development of HR policies and procedures

Work closely with the C&B function to maintain an attractive total compensation value proposition across the different career tracks and to identify and implement C&B interventions as required

Communication Skills

Written communication: Strong written communication skills in business English. Ability to draft clear and concise communications, such as emails, memos, policies, and reports. Attention to detail.

-  Verbal communication: Excellent spoken communication skills in business English, ability to articulate ideas, convey information clearly, and engage in persuasive communication.

-      Senior stakeholder interactions: The ability to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders, presenting talent-related strategies, providing updates, and influencing decision-making through compelling communication.

-   Cross-functional collaboration across different functions and levels within the organization. This involves actively listening, fostering open dialogue, and resolving conflicts constructively.

-   Cultural sensitivity: In a diverse workforce, cultural sensitivity and awareness are vital. The Talent Director should be able to communicate and interact respectfully and effectively with individuals from different backgrounds, understanding and valuing their perspectives.

-     Strong presentation skills strong presentation skills to deliver engaging and impactful presentations to various audiences

-  Emotional intelligence: Effective communication also involves emotional intelligence, such as empathy, understanding, and adaptability. The Talent Director should be able to navigate sensitive conversations, provide support, and handle difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.

-      Ability to operate under stress, tight timelines and limited resources.

-      Arabic language proficiency (optional)

Technical Skills

-    Data analysis and reporting:  Ability to define and analyze talent-related data, metrics, and trends to identify insights and make data-driven decisions. Strong proficiency in using Advanced Excel.

-     Performance management: Experience in designing and implementing performance management systems, including goal setting, performance evaluations, and performance improvement plans.

-      HRIS and talent management systems

-      Training and development: Familiarity with designing and delivering training programs, conducting needs assessments, and implementing talent development initiatives.

-      Employee engagement and retention: Understanding of strategies and techniques to foster employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention, such as conducting employee surveys, implementing recognition programs, and promoting a positive work culture.

-  Change management: Ability to lead and facilitate organizational change initiatives, including managing talent-related aspects of mergers, acquisitions, or restructurings.

-      Strong Project Management Skills.

-      Bring a mindset of continuous process improvement.

Education

-  Master’s degree, preferably MBA (Master of Business Administration), MHRM (Master of Human Resource Management) or equivalent

-   Additional certification around HR, Talent and Organization Design considered a plus

Previous Experience

Minimum of 15 years of talent experience in a fast-paced organization

-  Experience in a professional services firm creating relationships with senior leadership and being a trusted advisor

-      Success building and executing talent strategies at all levels, from Business Analyst to Partner

-  Strong leadership qualities with demonstrated results building, coaching and elevating a talent team

-  Experience developing and retaining a team while ensuring the right balance of delegation and autonomy

-     A strategic mindset and the ability to work beyond the tactical tasks of performance management

-   Strong interpersonal and motivational skills that foster a collaborative environment and inspires others to be creative and go above and beyond

-      Logical and structured thinker with a desire to deliver to a high standard

- Sound business acumen, analytical skills and a drive towards continuous improvement