Manager - Hire to Retire

Since its inception in 2000, our client has emerged as a prominent and fast-growing retail group serving markets across the Middle East. The organization partners with world-class fashion and lifestyle brands, delivering globally inspired products and experiences to discerning consumers throughout the GCC. Guided by a vision to become a leading regional gateway for international retailers, the company has successfully built a broad portfolio across diverse consumer categories. Its collaborative approach with global brand partners, combined with extensive market expertise and a customer-first mindset, has enabled sustained growth and ongoing expansion across the region. Today, our client remains well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities within the dynamic Middle Eastern retail market.

Role Description: 

• The Manager, Hire to Retire Process Transformation is responsible for leading the day-to-day delivery of transformation projects and workstreams across the Hire-to-Retire lifecycle within Human Capital Services. 
• Reporting to the Associate Director, the role translates the transformation agenda into executable plans, standardized processes, and digital-enabled solutions, working hands-on across process design, system configuration, data, and change.
• It combines strong project delivery discipline with practical HC process and technology expertise to move Group Services towards a best-in-class shared services operating model. 
• The role is a key delivery partner to the Associate Director and to vertical HR teams, ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, on budget, and to the intended quality, while coordinating junior team members and third-party resources. 

Responsibilities: 

1. Transformation Project & Workstream Delivery 

• Lead the planning, delivery, and reporting of assigned transformation projects and workstreams across the entire Hire-to-Retire lifecycle; managing scope, timelines, budgets, risks, and issues. 
• Develop and maintain project plans, delivery artefacts, and status reporting for the Associate Director and governance forums. 
• Coordinate project stakeholders, cross-functional contributors, and vendor resources to deliver against agreed milestones. 

2. Process Standardization & Improvement 

• Analyze current-state Hire-to-Retire processes across verticals and design standardized, simplified, and automated future-state processes. 
• Document process maps, standard operating procedures, and service definitions, embedding controls-by-design and data quality requirements. 
• Identify and quantify efficiency, experience, and control improvement opportunities to build the case for change. 

3. Digital & Technology Enablement 

• Support the configuration, testing, and deployment of HR platforms (HCM, ATS, LMS, ServiceNow, workforce analytics) in partnership with Group IT and vendors. 
• Gather and document business requirements, translate them into functional specifications, and manage user acceptance testing. 
• Support the expansion of service management capabilities such as ticket taxonomy, SLAs, and self-service workflows. 

4. Data, Analytics & Insight 

• Compile, validate, and analyze workforce and process data to support business cases, benchmarking, and decision-making. 
• Build clear, traceable analysis and reporting, including cost-to-serve, cycle time, volumes, and quality metrics. 
• Support the development of dashboards and management reporting that track transformation benefits and service performance. 

5. Change Enablement & Stakeholder Engagement 

• Alongside our Change and Communications team, deliver change management activities for assigned initiatives, including stakeholder engagement, communications, training, and adoption support. 
• Run stakeholder interviews and workshops to capture pain points, requirements, and priorities across the Hire-to-Retire lifecycle. 
• Build strong working relationships with vertical HR teams and enabling functions to secure buy-in and sustained adoption. 

6. Value Realization & Continuous Improvement 

• Track delivery against defined success metrics and support the realization and reporting of transformation benefits. 
• Capture lessons learned and embed a culture of continuous improvement and service excellence within Human Capital Services. 
• Contribute to the ongoing development of transformation standards, tools, and delivery methodology. 

Requirements:

Qualifications & Experience 

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in HR, Business, Information Systems, or a related discipline. 
• 6 to 10 years' experience in HR transformation, HR shared services, consulting, or enterprise HC operations. 
• Proven experience delivering process and technology change within complex, multi-entity organizations. 
• Practical experience with HR technology ecosystems (for example HCM, ATS, LMS, and ServiceNow) and workforce data and analytics. 
• Exposure to AI-enabled solutions within the Human Capital services domain is an advantage. 
• Recognized project management or process improvement certification (for example PMP, PRINCE2, Agile, or Lean Six Sigma) is desirable. 

Key Competencies 

• Project and workstream delivery. 
• End-to-end HC process design and improvement. 
• HR technology enablement and requirements management. 
• Workforce data analysis and reporting. 
• Stakeholder engagement and change enablement. 
• Structured problem-solving and attention to detail. 
• Commercial and value-oriented mindset.