Talent and Performance Specialist

The Discovery People team is accountable for equipping decision makers with data-driven insights to make the best decisions about people — individuals and teams. We are looking for a key player who shares our passion for maximising the performance and potential of great people, who brings proven talent and performance management skills. This is a high-accountability specialist position for a strong consultant who can move confidently between research, solution design, governance, systems, analytics and flawless operational delivery. You will manage several business-critical workstreams at once, often under compressed timelines, while maintaining exceptional accuracy and sound judgement. To strengthen enterprise-wide talent and performance practices by translating business needs, evidence and data into practical solutions, and by ensuring that complex processes are delivered accurately, on time and with appropriate governance. The role partners with senior leaders, People teams, technology teams and external providers to improve talent decisions, employee experience and organisational performance. 

Areas of responsibility may include but are not limited to 

• Talent and performance management – post onboarding continuous performance engagement and end-to-end talent management, including talent reviews and promotion. 

• Diagnose business needs, challenge assumptions and convert ambiguous problems into structured options, recommendations and implementation plans. 

• Conduct independent, evidence-based research and benchmark relevant practices, technology and market developments to ensure relevant talent and performance practices in Discovery. 

• Partner with business units in designing, measuring and executing appropriate talent management and performance solutions, ensuring excellent customer and candidate experience. 

• Synthesise complex information into concise points of view, business requirements, frameworks, policies, standards, executive papers and practical toolkits. 

• Consult with business, provide thought leadership, guidance and learning support on talent and performance topics e.g., performance management/continuous performance engagement, career and succession management, talent reviews, talent development, retention etc. 

• Ensure that talent and performance deliverables are executed in an efficient and professional manner, including the Group's promotion process, audit reporting, and talent billing, as well as ad hoc projects or assignments.  

• Design and maintain process controls, approval mechanisms, evidence requirements, access controls, data checks and exception management. 

• Ensure that talent and performance data, analytics and reporting are accurately and timeously delivered to provide insights for relevant decision making. 

• Support the Business Units with reporting, system management, database management, expertise, guidance and learning where needed on the relevant enabling technology platforms for talent and performance. Manage data extracts, reconciliations, databases, dashboards and recurring reports, with strict attention to completeness, confidentiality and accuracy. Contribute to user acceptance testing, defect triage, release readiness, adoption and continuous improvement of talent and performance platforms. 

• Lead defined projects or workstreams from discovery through design, implementation, adoption and benefits tracking. Assess stakeholder impact, develop change and communication plans, create learning support and monitor adoption.  

Key Competency Areas: 

• Values Driven:  

• Committed to integrity and ethics in business 

• Behaves consistently with Discovery Values 

• Optimistic:  

• Motivated by a positive future 

• Energized by challenges 

• Learns on the Fly: 

• Embraces the unfamiliar 

• Experiments to find solutions 

• Resilient:  

• Recovers quickly from setbacks 

• Grows from negative experiences 

• Instils trust: 

• Follows through on commitments 

• People Savvy:  

• High EQ with low ego 

• Works well with internal and external stakeholders 

• Drives Results:  

• Energizes self and others to achieve 

• Consistently exceeds goals 

• Problem Solver:  

• Looks beyond the obvious 

• Finds sustainable solutions 

Personal Attributes and Skills 

• Act with integrity, impartiality and independence, balancing personal, organisation and legal parameters 

• A record of adding value to work outcomes through distinctive expertise capability, insights, innovation and an orientation toward continuous improvement. 

• Very high detail orientation and unwavering tendency toward thoroughness and rigor. 

• Proactive in giving and receiving feedback, including facility toward open debate and data-driven advocacy that is direct, constructive, compassionate, and results in better people and business outcomes. 

• Must have the ability to pivot between widely divergent tasks and subject matter on short notice, rapidly adapt to varied audiences: and continually evolving business needs. 

• Solid business acumen. 

• Have a passion for customer service, talent development, driving performance and analytics. 

• Have the knowledge, style and gravitas to work well with and influence HR practitioners and senior leaders across the business to support achievement of talent management objectives. 

• Work independently, evaluate source quality and convert findings into practical action. 

• Maintain pace, quality and judgement through ambiguity, shifting priorities and demanding deadlines. 

• Rapidly develop competence in unfamiliar subject matter, tools and business contexts. 

• Handle sensitive people data and decisions impartially, ethically and confidentially. 

Education and Experience 
 

• Relevant 3 year degree and / or post graduate qualification. 

• Proven experience of delivering work streams or projects along the talent and performance value chain in a consulting or corporate environment. This includes change management, ownership of plans, risks, stakeholders, adoption and measurable outcomes. 

• Typically 5 to 8 years of relevant experience in talent and performance management, including meaningful consulting experience in a high-performing, complex organisation with demanding workloads and concurrent deliverables.  

• Advanced Microsoft Excel, including data validation, reconciliations, lookups, pivot tables and quality checks; strong PowerPoint and Word capability. 

• Experience with people systems and talent platforms such as SAP SuccessFactors or equivalent enterprise technology. 

• Familiarity with reporting and visualisation tools such as Microsoft Power BI, and with structured data management practices. 

• Working knowledge of collaboration and delivery tools such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Loop, and Planner. 

• Practical exposure to audit, assurance, risk, compliance, process controls or governance is preferred. 

• Understanding of automation, system integration, artificial intelligence-enabled workflows and responsible use of sensitive people data. Systems or technical exposure, including business requirements, process mapping, user acceptance testing, data validation, reporting, dashboards or platform implementation.