People and Talent Strategy Implementation Manager – Fixed Term Contract to September 2027

The ideal start date for this role is September 2026.  

The role

This role sits at the centre of the Global HR function, with responsibility for coordinating across the function to drive the delivery of the People & Talent Strategy. It is key to ensuring alignment with the firm's ambitions and translating strategic priorities into measurable outcomes. Operating as a trusted advisor to the Chief People Officer (CPO), the role combines strategy execution, governance leadership, senior stakeholder engagement, as well as hands-on delivery, with accountability for ensuring that key initiatives are delivered with pace, clarity and impact across the global firm.

Who you will work with

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you will work closely with Global HR leaders, other senior leaders, partners and the wider HR function, as well as project and programme leads delivering strategic initiatives. You will partner with the GMP Office, Finance Business Partners, Risk, Brand, Communications and Public Affairs teams to ensure alignment and delivery of People & Talent priorities.

What you will be responsible for

• Drive delivery of the People & Talent Strategy including defining priorities, ensuring alignment to the firm's strategy and driving accountability across the HR function.
• Coordinate the global people & talent cycle, ensuring consistent and timely delivery of key processes in light of internal functional and external firm initiatives.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CPO, supporting execution of strategic priorities and coordination of operational processes for the CPO office.
• Support the ongoing evolution of the HR operating model, driving alignment, consistency and scalability across the function.
• Support prioritisation and sequencing of strategic initiatives for the CPO and wider HR function, balancing trade-offs to maximise impact.
• Own and shape HR agendas and inputs for global governance forums, ensuring focus on key priorities, decisions and forward-looking topics.
• Drive executive decision-making, translating complex inputs into clear recommendations, actions and outcomes.
• Maintain oversight of decisions, ensuring follow-through and delivery of agreed outcomes.
• Lead development of HR content for firmwide forums and ensure alignment to strategic priorities and clear accountability.
• Lead Global HR communications and engagement, including townhalls and newsletters. 
• Influence and align stakeholders across the firm, ensuring delivery against agreed priorities.
• Partner with Finance to support budget management, cost tracking and financial governance.
• Coordinate Internal Audit and risk activities for HR, including tracking and remediation of actions.
• Lead preparation of external and regulatory reporting (e.g. Management Liability, Employment Liability submissions) and insurance documentation.
• Champion the implementation of consistent and simplified global processes, ensuring agreed HR service and process principles are adhered.
   

Your experience

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to translate strategic priorities into clear plans, governance and measurable outcomes.
• Proven ability to operate with high levels of autonomy, ambiguity and complexity, influencing senior stakeholders and driving delivery without direct authority.

Experience

• HR professional with broad experience, including in HR strategy, transformation and business operations within a complex, global organisation.
• Proven track record of delivering large-scale, cross-functional programmes and strategic initiatives at pace.
• Experience of working closely with partners is required, alongside engagement with senior executives and leadership teams, providing insight, challenge and decision support.
• Strong experience of operating in a global environment, driving alignment across offices, functions and stakeholder groups.
• Experience leading or supporting HR operating model evolution, transformation or organisational change initiatives.
• Experience using data, analytics and reporting to inform decision-making and track impact.
• Exposure to financial and resource planning, including working with budgets and headcount considerations.

Knowledge

• Strong commercial awareness together with a strong understanding of how a global HR function operates, including the interdependencies across different teams and functions.
• Knowledge of global people processes and annual HR cycles, and how to drive consistency and simplification across geographies.

Qualifications

• You will ideally have formal HR qualifications e.g. CIPD or equivalent.
   

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.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

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 about our inclusive culture here.