Employment Specialist

Roles and responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice and guidance on all matters related to employment law, ensuring compliance with local regulations and best practices, including but not limited to transfer of employees, drafting relevant contracts, terminations, employee benefits, drafting and implementing ESOPs, conducting due diligence, etc.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and PwC clients to develop and implement effective employment policies and procedures that align with legal requirements and protect the interests of the clients.
• Stay up-to-date with relevant legislative changes and industry trends in employment law, and proactively advise clients on potential implications and opportunities.
• Provide training and guidance to internal teams and clients on employment law matters, fostering a culture of compliance and risk management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, such as government agencies, industry associations, and legal professionals, to enhance the organization's reputation and influence in the field of employment law.
• Demonstrate flexibility for travel as required to meet with clients, attend conferences, and stay connected with market developments.
• Lead the employment law team, providing direction and support to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Collaborate with other departments to align legal strategies with organizational goals.
• Expand the client base and actively seek new opportunities to expand the practice.
• Ability and willingness to use new legal technology.
  

Minimum Requirements

• A UK qualified lawyer with at least 10 years of post-qualification experience in an international firm practicing employment law, with a focus on the Middle East region.
• Strong knowledge of local employment laws, regulations, and customs within the Middle East.
• Proven track record in providing strategic advice and counsel on complex employment law matters.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and effectively communicate complex legal concepts to diverse audiences.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in Arabic is highly desirable.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel as needed to fulfill the requirements of the role.

Desired candidate profile

1. Strategic Workforce Planning:

• Develop Recruitment Strategies: Design and implement talent acquisition strategies that align with the company’s short-term and long-term goals, ensuring that staffing levels meet the company's needs.
• Workforce Planning: Forecast future talent needs, based on business growth, market changes, and internal factors (e.g., retirements, promotions, or attrition).
• Talent Pipeline Management: Build and maintain a talent pipeline for critical roles, ensuring that the company has access to top talent when needed.
• Succession Planning: Partner with other senior leaders to create and implement succession plans for key leadership roles and critical positions within the organization.

2. Talent Acquisition and Recruitment Oversight:

• Recruitment Process Management: Oversee the full recruitment lifecycle, from defining job requirements and sourcing candidates to conducting interviews and extending offers. Ensure the process is efficient and consistent with company values.
• Hiring Policies and Procedures: Develop and enforce policies and procedures for hiring, ensuring compliance with labor laws, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards, and organizational best practices.
• Recruitment Technology: Implement and manage recruiting tools, such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other HR software, to streamline the recruitment process, improve candidate experience, and ensure data-driven decision-making.
• Onboarding: Work closely with HR teams to ensure a seamless and engaging onboarding experience for new hires, helping them integrate into the company culture quickly.

3. Team Leadership and Development:

• Manage Recruitment Teams: Lead and mentor a team of recruitment professionals, helping them set goals, improve their skills, and advance in their careers.
• Performance Management: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for recruitment success, such as time-to-fill, quality of hire, cost-per-hire, and candidate satisfaction, and manage the team to meet these targets.
• Training and Development: Provide training on interviewing techniques, candidate engagement, recruitment marketing, and diversity and inclusion practices to improve team capabilities.

4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):

• DEI Strategy: Ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are embedded in the recruitment and hiring processes. Create a strategy for attracting diverse talent pools and ensuring fair, equitable hiring practices.
• Inclusive Hiring Practices: Promote unbiased hiring practices and help foster a workplace culture that values diversity in all forms (e.g., gender, ethnicity, background, disability).
• DEI Metrics and Reporting: Track and report on DEI hiring metrics and progress toward diversity goals, making adjustments as necessary to increase inclusivity in the organization’s hiring practices.

5. Employer Branding:

• Promote Employer Brand: Work with marketing and communications teams to promote the company's employer brand, ensuring that the organization is positioned as an attractive place to work.
• Candidate Experience: Enhance the candidate experience throughout the recruitment process, ensuring that the organization’s reputation as an employer of choice is maintained.
• Talent Attraction Campaigns: Develop and oversee targeted campaigns to attract top talent, including social media recruitment efforts, career fairs, and employer partnerships.

6. Budget and Resource Management:

• Recruitment Budget Management: Manage the recruitment budget, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and within budget. This includes expenditures on job boards, recruiting agencies, career fairs, and other sourcing methods.
• Cost Optimization: Identify cost-effective recruitment solutions, such as leveraging technology, improving internal sourcing capabilities, or negotiating with third-party agencies.