Global Head of Talent in Edinburgh

If you’re driven by the challenge of shaping the talent strategy of a truly global organisation—and you thrive at the intersection of business performance, leadership development, and cultural transformation—this is a rare, high‑impact opportunity. As ERM continues its rapid growth, the Global Head of Talent will be the architect of our future leadership pipeline, ensuring we have the capability, agility, and diversity required to deliver on our long‑term strategy. This is a role for a visionary senior talent leader who can influence at scale, anticipate what’s coming next, and build a world‑class talent ecosystem across 40+ countries.

What Your Impact Is

• Define and deliver ERM’s enterprise‑wide talent strategy, directly strengthening business performance and leadership bench strength.
• Build an integrated, data‑driven talent system that identifies, develops, and accelerates critical talent across every region.
• Shape a culture of career opportunity, ensuring ERM continues to fulfil its career promise for all ERMers.
• Partner at the highest levels of the organisation—including the Executive Committee, Global HR Leadership Team, and regional people leaders to drive succession, capability development, and internal mobility.
• Lead and grow a high‑performing team of global talent professionals committed to unlocking potential and enabling organisational success.

What You’ll Bring

Required

• L4 education or equivalent experience in business, HR, management, or related fields.
• Proven experience leading global People or Talent functions within complex, multinational organisations (minimum 5 years).
• Strong commercial acumen and the ability to translate business strategy into actionable talent priorities.
• Deep understanding of global talent and succession best practices, including leadership assessment, development, and mobility.
• Demonstrated success influencing senior stakeholders and driving change across geographically dispersed teams.
• Expertise in talent analytics, succession planning, and enterprise‑wide capability development.
• Strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder‑management capabilities.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment and manage competing priorities.

Preferred

• Experience shaping global career frameworks or talent operating models.
• Executive coaching experience.
• Experience leading talent transformations during periods of growth or organisational change.
• Prior experience in professional services, consulting, or similarly people‑intensive industries.
• Demonstrated ability to innovate and introduce leading talent practices at scale.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy Delivery
   • Maintain and evolve an agile, enterprise‑wide talent strategy aligned with ERM’s business priorities.
   • Build strong partnerships across Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Total Rewards, and HR Business Partnering to create an integrated talent ecosystem.
   • Use insights to evaluate organisational talent strength, particularly for critical and executive roles.
   • Translate talent trends into clear career flows and robust succession pipelines, including proactive planning for retirements and key talent risks.
   • Align and report on the talent metrics that matter: leadership strength, mobility, retention risk, DEIB progress, and more.
   • Connect global and regional People teams to ensure alignment, accountability, and uptake of talent processes.
   • Introduce leading practices and innovation, including ERM’s point of view on transparency of talent ratings and successor communication.
   • Champion Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging to ensure ERM’s talent reflects and strengthens our organisation.
2. Talent System Development
   • Deliver a rigorous, globally consistent talent assessment and succession process.
   • Lead executive‑level talent calibration and provide insights to inform senior leadership decisions.
   • Integrate talent movement into mobility, recruitment, and resourcing to accelerate experiential development.
   • Use analytics to generate data‑driven insights on talent pipelines, diversity, potential, and succession readiness.
3. Talent Capability Development
   • Design global talent solutions that accelerate development for high‑potential leaders.
   • Build programme frameworks for successor readiness, defining the “critical next experience” for each individual.
   • Own and continuously refine ERM’s flagship programmes, including Path to Partnership.
   • Partner with Learning & Development to ensure skills development aligns with future business needs.
   • Provide career and development coaching to senior executives.
   • Lead and mentor a global team of talent professionals.
4. Culture of Career Opportunity and Progression
   • Serve as the custodian of ERM’s career promise, ensuring every ERMer has access to meaningful, transparent career pathways.
   • Shape an exceptional employee experience of career progression across the lifecycle.
   • Own and evolve ERM’s career framework.
   • Strengthen engagement and retention through clear growth milestones.
   • Partner with Talent Acquisition and Global Mobility to prioritise internal pathways and internal‑first sourcing.

Influence & Decision-Making Authority

• Lead enterprise‑wide talent strategy aligned with ERM’s commercial goals.
• Drive change management across global teams, using influence and global leadership presence.
• Provide executive coaching and advisory support to senior leaders.
• Build strong internal alignment on talent priorities and deployment of solutions.
• Inspire and enable teams across regions to deliver exceptional talent outcomes.

This role may be based in any global location where ERM has an office. ERM is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive, it’s an essential part of what makes ERM a great place to build a career and helps us create better solutions for our clients. We welcome talent from all backgrounds and provide equal opportunities for every candidate. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or need accommodations during the selection process, we’re here to support you. Our commitment doesn’t stop at hiring. Once you join us, we’ll ensure you have the tools, support, and adjustments needed to succeed and feel a true sense of belonging.