Global Talent & Performance Leader

Cognita Schools; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 300,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognita Schools in Dubai seeks a Talent & Performance Manager to lead the global performance cycle and shape how leaders assess and develop talent across regions. You will partner with the Heads of Talent & Performance and HR to drive consistency, fairness, and high-quality conversations.

Based in Dubai, you will oversee data analytics, platform adoption of Cognita People, and cross-functional collaboration to continuously improve talent practices across Cognita’s schools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field.
• 5–8 years of progressive experience in Talent Management, Performance Management, or HR Business Partnering.
• Experience designing or running performance cycles and talent/succession review processes.
• Track record of driving performance conversations with managers and heads of function.
• Hands-on experience with an HRIS or performance platform, including adoption tracking and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Own the global performance cycle end-to-end, from objective-setting through check-ins to final reviews.
• Drive consistency in goal-setting and competency assessment, aligned to priorities and values.
• Partner on talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership assessments.
• Coach managers and leaders to have developmental performance conversations.
• Work with senior leaders on calibration to ensure fairness across teams and regions.
• Track cycle milestones, drive on-time closure, and build manager-friendly playbooks.
• Champion Cognita People and drive platform adoption.
• Turn platform data into insights on trends, risks and opportunities.
• Collaborate with HR systems/IT on platform readiness and issue resolution.

Skills

Design knowledge

Data analysis

Project management

Communication

Collaborative mindset

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in HR/Organisational Psychology/Business Administration

Tools

HRIS / performance platform

Job description

Cognita Schools in Dubai seeks a Talent & Performance Manager to lead the global performance cycle and shape how leaders assess and develop talent across regions. You will partner with the Heads of Talent & Performance and HR to drive consistency, fairness, and high-quality conversations.

Based in Dubai, you will oversee data analytics, platform adoption of Cognita People, and cross-functional collaboration to continuously improve talent practices across Cognita’s schools.