Head, Talent and Performance

Our Client is a dynamic and innovative oil and gas firm serving the energy needs of the Nigerian market with a renewed focus on downstream excellence, customer-centricity, and operational efficiency. Since its inception, the company has established itself as a leader in the trading, supply, and distribution of petroleum products, leveraging a massive retail network and strategic logistics infrastructure.

As they deepen their commitment to organizational growth, talent optimization, and cultural transformation, we seek an outstanding Human Resources leader to foster a high-performance workforce, drive employee engagement, and ensure alignment with Nigerian labor laws and international industry standards.

The Head, Talent and Performance is a critical executive leadership role accountable for enterprise-wide talent strategy, organizational development, and people-based governance. The incumbent will act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and senior leadership, fostering a high-performance culture, talent integrity, and alignment with Nigerian labor laws and international best practices. This is a transformational role aimed at driving a forward-looking, agile, and digitally enabled HR function that supports the company’s innovation and growth agenda within the energy sector.

Key Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition & Selection

• Oversee the full recruitment process for all senior and critical roles, ensuring every new hire raises the overall capability of the team.
• Develop and maintain relationships with recruitment partners, universities, and industry networks to source high-calibre candidates, both locally and internationally.
• Implement structured interview and assessment processes to ensure fair and rigorous selection.

Performance Management

• Design and run the annual performance review cycle, including setting clear objectives, regular feedback, and fair performance ratings.
• Train managers on how to give effective feedback and manage underperformance.
• Ensure that high performers are recognised and rewarded, and that underperformance is addressed quickly and professionally.

Compensation & Benefits

• Review and update compensation structures to ensure they are competitive and aligned with company values.
• Work with Finance to benchmark salaries and benefits against relevant markets.
• Ensure pay and reward decisions are transparent and based on performance.

Succession Planning & Leadership Development

• Identify key roles and high-potential employees, and create development plans to prepare them for future leadership positions.
• Organise mentoring, coaching, and job rotation opportunities for emerging leaders.
• Maintain up-to-date succession plans for all senior and business-critical positions.

Workforce Planning

• Work with business leaders to forecast staffing needs based on business plans and market changes.
• Monitor headcount, staff costs, and productivity metrics to ensure the organisation is efficient and fit for purpose.

Employee Engagement & Retention

• Run regular engagement surveys and focus groups to understand what motivates and frustrates employees.
• Develop targeted retention strategies for top performers, such as career development opportunities, recognition programmes, and flexible working arrangements.
• Address issues that cause unnecessary bureaucracy or slow down decision-making.

Data & Reporting

• Build simple dashboards and reports for the CEO and Board, showing key people metrics such as turnover, performance distribution, and time-to-fill vacancies.
• Use data to spot trends, risks, and opportunities in the workforce.

Culture & Ways of Working

• Promote a culture of accountability, openness, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure company values are reflected in everyday behaviours, not just in policies.
• Challenge and support leaders to maintain high standards and address issues directly.

Compliance & Risk

• Ensure all people practices comply with local labour laws and international standards.
• Identify and manage people-related risks, such as key person dependency or skills gaps.
  
   

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Psychology, Law, or a related field. An MBA or a relevant Master’s degree (e.g., MSc in Strategic HR) is highly preferred.

• Professional certifications such as CIPM (Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria) are mandatory. Additional international certifications like SPHRi, SHRM-SCP, or CIPD are strongly required.

• Minimum of 12–15 years of progressive experience in Human Resources management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership capacity—preferably within the oil and gas, energy, or large-scale industrial sectors.

• Deep knowledge of the Nigerian labor and regulatory environment, including the Nigerian Labor Act, Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 provisions regarding human capital, and NUPRC/NMDPRA guidelines for personnel in the energy sector.

• Strong experience in strategic workforce planning, collective bargaining/industrial relations, organizational design, and high-level talent acquisition.

Leadership Attributes

• Strategic and critical thinker with deep business insight into the energy value chain and the future of work in a transitioning industry.

• High ethical standards and a proven track record in building organizational trust and fostering an inclusive workplace.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at the Board and Executive levels.

• Ability to lead change and drive enterprise-wide culture shifts toward higher productivity and agility.

• Digitally aware, with a strong understanding of Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), people analytics, and automated payroll/performance platforms.