Director, Talent Science

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office‑based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution. Our Talent Science team has a mission to ensure that we follow objective, scientifically rigorous and efficient processes to select the very best new colleagues regardless of location, culture or background. We work closely with key stakeholders to make decisions in the right way and ensure our hiring model supports the selection of world‑class talent. We lead an effective hiring ecosystem to deliver talent acquisition excellence, leveraging data to enable evidence‑based decisions and weaving behavioural science throughout our selection process. Due to the growth of our team, we are now hiring into four new leadership roles in our Talent Science team, to lead on delivery excellence. You will work directly with the Global Head of Talent Science to plan and drive work within the team against our strategic objectives. You will have overall accountability for project delivery relating to hiring outcomes, drive efficiencies, create new processes and coach and develop team members to grow their careers. You will bring an analytical and objective approach to work and be seasoned in making data‑driven decisions relating to talent outcomes. Your experience will include driving complete project roadmaps, interacting with senior leadership on talent‑related topics, leveraging thought leadership experience and influencing internal talent agendas. You will be capable of stepping up to lead the function when required. Experience of working with career frameworks and hiring outcomes is an essential requirement of this role. Location: This role will be based remotely in the EMEA region. Responsibilities Lead and deliver the strategic Talent Science project roadmap using exceptional project management capability and influencing skills to manage multiple projects at any given time. Leverage expertise from your career to date to design and implement solutions to complex problems that ultimately ensure we hire exceptional talent. Ensure all talent selection initiatives map to high‑performance outcomes and career frameworks. Design professional processes and frameworks, allowing efficient delivery of our agenda. Coach and mentor team members to grow and develop skill sets specifically around analytical capabilities and thought leadership, developing training materials and documentation to support team members. Drive and represent the team in the absence of the Head, acting as a credible and trusted adviser and an inspiring leader. Work closely with company leaders to understand, appreciate and communicate our vision for talent at Canonical. What we are looking for in you Exceptional academic track record from high school and university, with an undergraduate degree in psychology or a people‑based subject. A track record of team leadership within the technology or consulting industry, with exceptional project management to lead roadmap execution and delivery. Proven ability to coach and mentor a team to deliver exceptional results. Deep understanding of selection, career frameworks and building internal products to ensure that talent selection criteria matches desired outcomes. Advanced analytical ability to dissect and analyse data using SQL, Python and/or statistical analysis. Exceptional written and spoken English with strong presentation skills for a senior audience. Ability to travel internationally four times a year for company events. Nice‑to‑have skills Advanced psychometric assessments with an excellent understanding of the marketplace and vendors. A deep understanding of human behaviour and what drives intrinsic motivation. Experience of using Superset and advanced dashboarding. What we offer colleagues Distributed work environment with twice‑yearly team sprints in person. Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year. Annual compensation review. Recognition rewards. Annual holiday leave. Maternity and paternity leave. Employee Assistance Programme. Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues. Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long‑haul company events. About Canonical Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence – in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game. Canonical is an equal‑opportunity employer. We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background creates a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration. #J-18808-Ljbffr