Recruitment Specialist

Position Description – Talent Lead

Location: InterContinental Red Sea Resort, Shura Island, KSA

Reports to: HR Director 

Type: Full-time, on-site

Purpose

The Talent Lead is responsible for attracting, retaining, and developing a high-performing workforce for the InterContinental Red Sea Resort. The role goes beyond recruitment, embedding retention and development strategies that secure long-term tenure and career growth in a remote and unique environment.

Working closely with the HR, GM, and department leaders, the Talent Lead ensures the right people join for the right reasons, are supported to thrive, and have clear pathways to progress, upskill, and grow.

Key Responsibilities

Workforce Planning

- Partner with leadership to define headcount needs across pre-opening, stabilisation, and long-term operations.
- Build rolling workforce plans with milestones, risk management, and regular reporting.

Talent Acquisition

- Lead end-to-end recruitment for critical and specialist roles.
- Build proactive pipelines through networks and partnerships.
- Evaluate candidates for both skills and motivations to support long-term success in a remote location.
- Implement structured recruitment processes that ensure speed, quality, and consistency.

Retention and Engagement

- Design strategies to encourage tenure and engagement in a remote setting.
- Strengthen onboarding, induction, and early engagement to create connection and belonging.
- Track turnover trends and implement proactive solutions.
- Build a culture of wellbeing, recognition, and trust.

Development and Growth

- Partner with leaders to establish clear progression pathways.
- Introduce initiatives for career development, higher education, courses, and professional certifications.
- Support capability building and leadership development to incentivise long-term commitment.
- Position development as a core part of the employee value proposition.

Stakeholder Partnership and Insights

- Collaborate with HR, GM, and department heads to align talent priorities.
- Build trusted relationships with leaders and employees through open communication.
- Promote IHG’s employer brand in the region.
- Provide data-driven reporting on vacancies, pipelines, retention, and development outcomes, using insights to recommend actions that strengthen workforce stability.

Experience and Competencies

- Demonstrated success in recruitment, retention, and workforce planning in complex environments.
- Experience developing strategies for retention and employee development that drive tenure.
- Skilled in balancing immediate hiring needs with long-term workforce sustainability.
- Strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management, with the ability to influence at senior level.
- Data-driven and able to turn metrics into practical solutions.

Personal Attributes

- Adaptable, proactive, and resilient; thrives in a remote, high-growth setting.
- Builds trust quickly; culturally aware and relationship-focused.
- Strategic thinker who remains hands-on in delivery.
- Solutions-focused and co