HR Manager - Istanbul

The Role

You will work closely with the Regional Head of HR, MET HR Business Partnering team General Manager, Office Managing Partner and key relevant local stakeholders to aid in the delivery people priorities aligned to the firm's People and Talent Strategy.

Who you will work with

You will also work with your wider Global HR team where required to ensure that you deliver consistent, highly efficient people priorities and processes as well as a high-level employee experience across the local office.

What you will be responsible for

You will act as a trusted advisor on all aspects of local specialist HR topics for your office, along with oversight of compensation & benefits (including payroll) and with subject matter expertise in local employment law and regulatory matters. You will be the first point of contact for the Talent Management and Learning and Leadership Development Centres of Expertise (CoE) for the Region. You will coordinate and lead the preparation for these projects for the Middle East and Turkey region to enable delivery via the MET HR Business Partnering team and Regional Head of HR.

What you will do

You will:

Talent Acquisition

• Be the key point of contact for all Istanbul office recruitment working closely with the Global Talent Acquisition Team.
• Work with the MET HR Business Partnering team to prepare authorisation to recruit forms and pro-actively follow up when required.
• Produce employment contracts ensuring they are regularly updated in line with local employment law.
• Manage the onboarding and offboarding process in Istanbul ensuring regional alignment with Global Service Delivery team for example, new joiner and exit surveys.
• Meet all new joiners in the Istanbul office, design and deliver a comprehensive office induction program.

Early Talent Recruitment and Development

• Manage the Istanbul summer student and legal intern schemes.
• Recruit up to 20 summer students and up to 4 legal interns annually.
• Build relationships with local universities to market the scheme.
• Screen applications, conduct video interviews and coordinate in-person interviews.
• Advise and steer the decision-making process and issue offers.
• Design and deliver the summer scheme for each cohort from June – September ensuring a comprehensive programme with informative presentations, exposure to legal work and social events.
• Provide advice and guidance to the legal interns throughout the year to assist with their development.

Employee Relations

• Work closely with the Regional Head of HR and General Manager on employee relation matters as well as oversee all employee relations and administration, including terminations.
• Ensure compliance with local employment legislation (laws, regulations, collective agreements, etc.); reviewing regularly all legal and regulatory changes including local Bar regulations (registration and maintenance- including continuing education), as well as any changes to applicable collective agreements; updating payroll parameters in collaboration with the payroll team and external provider.

Compensation and Benefits

• Work alongside the Regional Head of HR, the Partners and General Manager to facilitate the annual reward cycle for Istanbul.
• Provide advice on local compensation and benefits.
• Provide HR payroll expertise in collaboration with the payroll team.
• Act as primary contact for international secondments in and out of Istanbul, working with the Global Mobility team, HR Business Partners and external tax advisors where required.
• Act as the primary point of contact for Istanbul employee insurance cover, manage the relationship with the external provider and update contracts accordingly; manage long-term sickness matters and disability declarations.

People and Talent Strategy

• Contribute to the development and deployment of all global and regional HR projects.
• Proactively build knowledge and understanding of the key inclusion pillars and strategy.
• Drive a culture of inclusion and diversity and empower business leaders and Partners to do the same. Assist with the development and implementation of D&I action plans.
• Pro-actively track the Istanbul headcount throughout the year and update the ME Business Partnering team on a regular basis.  Input and coordinate the regional budgeting process twice a year.

Talent Management & Learning and Leadership Development

• Be the primary point of contact for the Region for the Talent Management CoE. Lead the preparation of the three conversations cycle for the MET region, attend project calls, provide regular updates to the MET Business Partnering team and ensure timelines are adhered to.
• Lead the preparation of the annual talent pipeline review, ensuring systems are in place for the region and accurate data is provided.
• Be the primary point of contact for the Region for the Learning and Leadership Development team. 
• Keep abreast of the Academy offering for the region, keeping the Regional HR team updated on relevant courses such as Step Up and LEAP.
• Work with the Regional HR team to ensure attendees on relevant courses.
• Represent the region on ad-hoc development projects.

Your career experience so far

Skills

You will have a proven track record of delivering best practice HR results.

You will have flexible and effective communication skills, and the ability to build and manage effective stakeholder relationships, using appropriate influencing skills where appropriate.

You will have the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively and have strong analytical skills with excellent attention to detail.

You will have strong problem-solving skills and contribute to a positive learning environment.

You will be an excellent team-player with the ability to work with multiple teams across the global Firm and within a highly dynamic matrix organisation.

Experience

You will have demonstrable experience in a similar role, ideally in the legal or other professional services sector and in an international environment.

You will have expertise in Turkish employment law.

You will be fluent in Turkish and English language, including speaking and writing.

Qualifications

A graduate degree in HR, business administration or any other related field; and/or an HR related qualification.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Equal opportunities statement

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.