Performance Specialist

NEXT Ventures; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

NEXT Ventures is seeking a Compensation & Benefits Analyst to drive global performance management, OKR operations, and talent differentiation initiatives. You will partner with HRBPs, business leaders, and Total Rewards to deliver data-driven insights, ensure fairness, and uphold rigorous performance cycles worldwide.

This role emphasizes calibration discipline, goal quality, and the development of scalable processes that support cross-region performance differentiation and talent decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in HR, Business, Psychology, Economics, or related discipline.
• 3–5 years of progressive HR experience with performance management, OKR operations, or talent analytics.
• Strong understanding of performance frameworks, calibration methodologies, and goal-setting best practices (OKRs, SMART, MBO).

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end performance review cycles across teams and geographies with goal setting, progress check-ins, reviews, and calibrations.
• Monitor completion and compliance, escalate gaps and risks as needed.
• Continuously improve performance framework, processes, and employee experience based on feedback and data insights.
• Drive adoption of continuous performance and accountability culture.
• Support leaders in setting and cascading OKRs and quarterly goals across departments.

Skills

Performance management

OKR operations

Data storytelling

Stakeholder management

Talent analytics

Excel/BI tools

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in HR/Business/Psych/Economics

Tools

HiBob

Workday

Lattice

15Five

Job description

Who We Are

NEXT Ventures is where ambition takes shape and momentum becomes movement. As a global platform revolutionising access to performance-based capital, we empower the world's most driven individuals to rise. Through our flagship brand, FundedNext, we empower dreamers to become doers, and potential to turn into performance. With 500+ driven minds across five countries, we power a global rhythm—220,000+ daily users from 170+ nations, each chasing greatness in their own way.

Who We Are

NEXT Ventures is where ambition takes shape and momentum becomes movement. As a global platform revolutionising access to performance-based capital, we empower the world's most driven individuals to rise. Through our flagship brand, FundedNext, we empower dreamers to become doers, and potential to turn into performance. With 500+ driven minds across five countries, we power a global rhythm—220,000+ daily users from 170+ nations, each chasing greatness in their own way.

Your Role in Our Mission

Compensation & Benefits Analyst driving the execution of global performance management, OKR operations, and talent differentiation programs at NEXT Ventures. Partnering with HRBPs, business leaders, and the Total Rewards function to deliver data-driven performance insights, calibration discipline, and a culture of accountability. Ensuring fairness, consistency, and operational rigor across all performance cycles and talent decisions across our global teams.

How You'll Make An Impact

Performance Framework & Cycle Management

• Manage the end-to-end performance review cycle across all teams and geographies, ensuring consistent execution of goal setting, progress check-ins, performance reviews, and calibration processes.
• Monitor completion and compliance across the organisation, escalating gaps and risks where required.
• Continuously improve the performance framework, processes, and employee experience based on feedback, business needs, and data insights.
• Drive adoption of a continuous performance and accountability culture across the organisation.
• Partner with the leadership team to ensure performance practices remain scalable, fair, and aligned with company objectives.

OKR & Goal Management

• Support leaders and managers in setting and cascading OKRs and quarterly goals across departments.
• Drive goal quality standards by coaching stakeholders on writing meaningful, measurable, and outcome-driven goals.
• Review submitted goals to ensure alignment, clarity, and appropriate scope.
• Build and maintain a library of role-specific goal examples and best practices by function and level.
• Identify misalignment, goal duplication, or poorly structured goals and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Support the organisation's transition toward stronger goal-setting discipline and performance ownership.

Calibration & Talent Differentiation

• Coordinate calibration discussions to ensure fair and consistent performance evaluation across teams and functions.
• Partner with HRBPs and leadership to maintain performance differentiation standards and talent bar consistency.
• Identify potential rating inflation, inconsistencies, or bias patterns and recommend corrective actions.
• Support promotion and talent review discussions by providing performance insights, trends, and documentation standards.

Performance Data & Insights

• Track, analyse, and report on performance metrics and trends to HR leadership and business stakeholders.
• Prepare leadership dashboards and review insights at each performance milestone.
• Identify patterns across performance outcomes, goal quality, completion rates, and manager effectiveness.
• Maintain strong performance data integrity within the HRIS and reporting systems.
• Use data-driven insights to recommend improvements to performance processes and manager capability.

Underperformance Management

• Support HRBPs and managers in managing underperformance cases.
• Coordinate Performance Support Plans (PSPs) and ensure documentation standards are met.
• Track active cases and elevate to formal Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) where required.

Capability Building

• Develop and deliver performance management training for managers and employees.
• Build process guides, toolkits, and FAQs to support self-service across the organisation.
• Act as a subject-matter expert on performance management best practices.
• Support change management initiatives related to new performance frameworks, tools, and ways of working.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, Economics, or a related discipline.
• 3–5 years of progressive HR experience, with hands‑on exposure to performance management, OKR operations, or talent analytics.
• Solid understanding of performance frameworks, calibration methodologies, and goal‑setting best practices (OKRs, SMART, MBO).
• Strong analytical and data storytelling skills (Excel, Google Sheets, Power BI, or Tableau).
• Hands‑on experience with HRIS or performance management platforms (e.g., HiBob, Workday, Lattice, 15Five).
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to coach managers and partner across regions.
• High integrity, discretion, and resilience in handling confidential performance and talent data.

Your X-Factor

• Brings structure to ambiguity — turning complex performance data into clear, actionable insights.
• Balances empathy with discipline, coaching managers without compromising on standards.
• Thrives on building scalable systems and processes that strengthen accountability across the organisation.
• Champions a performance culture rooted in fairness, transparency, and continuous growth.

Your Journey After Applying

• 30‑minute HR Session with the Talent Acquisition team
• 60‑minute Functional Session with the Regional Performance and Total Rewards Lead
• 60‑minute Final Session with the Chief People Officer

Why Join NEXT

At NEXT Ventures, performance is more than numbers — it's the pulse that drives innovation and impact. Join us to operationalise a world‑class performance ecosystem that shapes how success is recognised across continents. Be part of the team that turns ambition into achievement and potential into performance. Your next chapter in global high‑performance HR begins here.