Selen Kabakcı

PHR Certified HR professional (Bogazici University) with 14+ years of end-to-end HR management and global talent acquisition experience across multinational and national companies in Technology, Software, FMCG, Automotive, Logistics, Manufacturing and Consulting sectors. Proven expertise in building HR functions from scratch, strategic HRBP, talent acquisition, organizational development, performance management, HR digital transformation and data-driven people analytics. Track record of aligning people strategy with business objectives in fast-paced, multicultural and agile environments.

Fluent

English; conversational German & Spanish.

Global Talent Acquisition Partner at Freelance — Portugal-Based Recruitment Consultancy (2026-03 – Present)

Manage full-cycle talent acquisition for international client portfolios across Technology, Engineering and Corporate Functions; from intake and job brief design through to offer and onboarding handover. Geographic coverage spans EMEA, Europe and Asia — including UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Turkey, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and India.

• Design and execute multi-channel sourcing strategies including Boolean/X-Ray search, LinkedIn Recruiter, talent communities and passive candidate pipelines for niche and senior roles. — Talent Attraction & Sourcing
• Proactively identify and engage passive candidates; build talent maps and maintain warm pipelines for critical roles. — Headhunting & Executive Search
• Track and report core metrics (time-to-fill, pipeline conversion, source-of-hire, offer acceptance, cost-per-hire) to drive continuous improvement and deliver actionable insights to clients. — Data-Driven Recruitment
• Own ATS configuration, job posting workflows, candidate data hygiene and pipeline integrity across all hiring stages; ensure GDPR-compliant structured tracking. — ATS Management
• Design structured interview frameworks and scorecards; conduct behavioral interviews; coordinate psychometric testing and assessment centres where applicable. — Competency-Based Assessment
• Act as strategic recruitment partner to hiring managers and senior leaders; translate business needs into targeted talent strategies with salary benchmarking and market intelligence. — Stakeholder Management

HRBP Manager at Dormakaba Turkey & Western Asia (2024-07 – 2025-12)

Built end-to-end HR function from scratch with no prior HR infrastructure; designed and implemented all HR policies, processes and systems tailored to business needs.

• Competency-based assessments, scorecards and needs analysis to improve recruitment quality and time-to-hire efficiency. — Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
• Designed cross-functional rotation program across Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing and Service — achieved 70% reduction in stock-order communication errors. — Learning & Development
• Designed merit budget scenarios using WTW, Korn Ferry and Mercer benchmarking; managed SAP SuccessFactors C&B modules under high-inflation market conditions. — Compensation & Benefits
• Headcount, turnover and key HR metric tracking; full legal compliance with Turkish Labor Law (4857). — HR Analytics & Compliance

Country HRBP Manager at UPS Turkey (2023-04 – 2024-06)

• Activated unused Workday HRIS modules; automated 70% of routine HR tasks and improved process efficiency by 20%. — HR Digital Transformation
• Built data-driven national PM system; identified high-potentials; increased internal promotions by 35% within one year. — Performance Management
• Managed merit cycle under high-inflation / FX-volatility conditions using Korn Ferry, WTW and Mercer methodologies. — Compensation & Benefits
• Delivered 3-month HR onboarding training for all white-collar employees covering recruitment, performance and effective feedback practices (in English and Turkish). — Post-Acquisition Integration (BOMİ Group)

Country HR Lead at Lely Turkey (Lely Group – Netherlands) (2020-10 – 2023-03)

Built all HR processes from ground up; scaled headcount from 9 to 78 employees within 3 years during 35–45% monthly tech talent turnover in the first 6 months.

• Executed tech-targeted employer branding via hackathons, hiring challenges, data camps and podcast recordings to attract junior–mid level tech talent. — Employer Branding
• Led agile transformation; embedded OKR-based performance and continuous feedback cycles aligned with scrum methodology. — Agile HR
• Drove GPTW Employee Satisfaction Survey and Culture Audit; achieved Turkey's Best Employers certification for 3 consecutive years (2021–2022–2023). — Great Place to Work
• Korn Ferry Job Family Model design, competency framework and grading structure; succession and career path programs. Reported to GM Turkey & Global HR Director in Netherlands.

OD & Transformation Manager at Expremus Management Consulting (2020-04 – 2020-10)

Led organizational development, HR process design and training programs for clients in Energy, Retail and Industrial Manufacturing (Tavuk Dünyası, Aydem Holding, Natura Gıda, Seramiksan).

HR Executive at Tavuk Dünyası / Mediterra Capital Private Equity (2017-08 – 2020-03)

Established company's HR function from scratch; designed and managed full employee lifecycle — recruitment, talent management, succession planning, performance management, L&D, ER and engagement. Implemented employer brand strategy for Tavuk Dünyası and Gagawa Russia. Key Projects: New Factory Recruitment, HR Handbook, Code of Ethics, Turquality, Mentorship Program, Talent Development for Middle Managers.

• Great Place to Work Turkey's Best Employers certification for 3 consecutive years (2018–2019–2020).
• 🏆 Most Successful Organization Award (Individual) — 2017

Recruitment & OD Specialist at KVK Technology / MV Holding (2017-02 – 2017-06)

End-to-end recruitment; talent management and career planning support; employer branding; ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System establishment.

HR Specialist at Doğuş Oto / Doğuş Holding (VW Group) (2016-01 – 2017-01)

Full-cycle HR operations: recruitment (white & blue collar), talent management, C&B, L&D, employee engagement, payroll coordination, employer branding and change management.

HR Specialist at Çimsa Cement / Sabancı Holding (2013-01 – 2016-01)

Executed OD projects: performance management, flexible benefits (Hay job evaluation), subcontractor management, SAP HR integration. Managed industrial relations with authorized labor union; ensured compliance with Turkish Labor Law. Prepared annual personnel budgets and HR analytics reports for holding.

• 🏆 Sabancı Holding Golden Collar Award — 'Equality at Work / DEI' — 2nd Place (Team) — 2014
• 🏆 High Achievement Award — Flexible Benefits Project (Individual) — 2015

MSc in Labor Economics & Industrial Relations – Dokuz Eylül University (2012)

BSc in Labor Economics & Industrial Relations – Dokuz Eylül University (2010)

Certification in PHR Certification (Professional in Human Resources) – Bogazici University