Head of People - Fashion & Accessories

Job description / Role

Job Summary:

The purpose of the role is to devise, implement and promote the People Strategies for the Fashion Franchise, ensuring alignment between business operations and the Group's HR strategies and current objectives. The role requires an experienced, commercially minded individual with a solid understanding of both Group and business strategy. The role holder will work on building synergies between the different franchise/ distribution businesses ensuring strong collaboration, leveraging on people practices / initiatives and sharing best practices. They will provide advice to support People related business decisions and will guide, mentor and develop all People Partners fostering a collaborative and forward focused Group culture.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic:

- Define People Strategies, (taking account of both current Group HR priorities and business specific areas of focus) to support the overarching ambitions of the business.
- Define and cascade annual People Metrics to be incorporated into leaders and People Partners annual goals to ensure alignment adherence to the vertical People Strategy.
- Guide and support each People Partner with the creation of their brand specific annual People Strategy.
- Lead workforce planning activities to ensure optimal organizational structures are in place to support future focus, growth, scalability and employee satisfaction.
- Guide, support and coach team members in order to instill a growth mindset and to ensure the perception and caliber of the People function is continually elevated.
- Coach and mentor the leaders to raise awareness around new ways of working and inspirational leadership to support cultural transformation.
- Be an active and effective member of the People Team, and act as the custodian of our Group culture and values.
- Act as a change agent, continually looking for innovations and efficiencies with regards to how we manage and motivate our people.
- Support the transfer of knowledge and encourage closer collaboration within the People team, across the Group.
- Act as the main point of contact between the business activity and the HR Competence Centre Leads.

Operational:

- Ensure People Partner alignment and adherence to the yearly cycle deadlines.
- Act as the first point of escalation for People Partners and support decision making when it comes to complex issues.
- Continually assess the effectiveness of current policies, procedures, and programs and put forward recommendations to improve impact and employee satisfaction.
- Endorse and support People Partner's brand-specific employee onboarding, training and development programs to improve the depth and breadth of their team's skills set and raise awareness around behavioral, technical and leadership competencies.
- Liaise with the Group's Talent Acquisition lead to ensure recruitment strategies result in relevant, high caliber candidates being identified.
- Ensure timely and rigorous implementation of annual performance management cycle.
- Ensure potential reviews and succession planning are rolled-out consistently, in order to identify true HiPOs, and so clear development conversations can be had for all employees based on both performance and potential.
- Leverage Talent Management tools to educate People Partners around career paths, succession planning and talent development activities.
- Collaborate with L&D to ensure training needs are being met and learning budget is being consumed effectively.
- Leverage available HR data analytics, external benchmarks and best practice approaches to support decision making
- Act as a catalyst for our Group wide cultural transformation, continually observe and provide feedback to leaders and people managers around how to be perceived as role models, creating positive and inspiring team climates.
- Champion Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, with a key focus on culture change, nationalization and employee wellbeing.

Requirements

Your Profile:

- Excellent knowledge of HR best practices and industry standards
- Inspired and energetic leader, able to motivate and develop team members
- Proven experience of acting as change agent to bring about change
- Able to influence without authority and to be regarded as a credible trusted advisor to the business
- Employee centric with the ability to build trust and act as a coach and mentor for employees
- Self-aware, with the appropriate leadership skills to inspire, manage and develop high performing teams
- Comfortable with healthy challenge and able to operate at a strategic level
- Experience of working in a fast-pace, matrixed environment
- Commercially minded with the ability to manage budgets, and interpret complex data & analytics to support decision making
- Resilient and able to effectively balance multiple priorities in line with deadlines
- Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and project management skills
- Future focused with the ability to use creative and inspiring approaches to enhance employee experience programs, concepts and techniques
- University Degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or Psychology/ MBA and Coaching Certificates
- A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience with at least 5 years in a similar role

Competencies

- Collaborating for Efficiency (Advanced)
- Communicating Effectively (Advanced)
- Developing and Managing Self-Awareness (Advanced)
- Drive, Entrepreneurship and Adaptability (Advanced)
- Technical competencies required for the role

About the Company

The Chalhoub Group is the leading partner for luxury across the Middle East since 1955. As an expert in retail, distribution and marketing services based in Dubai, the group has become a major player in the fashion, beauty and gift sectors regionally.

By blending its Middle East expertise and intimate knowledge of luxury, Chalhoub Group is building brands in the region, by offering service excellence to all its partners and a unique experience to its customers through its passionate teams.

With a growing workforce of more than 9,000 people, implemented in 14 countries, as well as the operating of over 470 retail outlets, the group's success is attributed to its most valued asset of highly skilled and dedicated teams. Professionalism and passion are what fuel the Chalhoub Group's competitive edge in today's market.

By being committed to implementing sustainable practices into their business, the Chalhoub Group has been awarded in 2013 the CSR Label from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.