Head of People & Culture - UAE National

An exceptional opportunity for a UAE National People leader to establish and lead the People & Culture function for a newly created, purpose-led organisation. This is a rare greenfield role requiring a builder mindset, strong organisational design capability, and the ability to create people strategies, operating models and employee experiences from the ground up.

Client Details

A newly established, innovation-led organisation creating a new model for talent development, research and industry collaboration.

Description

• Design and establish the People & Culture function from inception.
• Develop the people strategy, employee value proposition and talent framework.
• Create workforce planning, organisational design and job architecture frameworks.
• Build scalable onboarding, performance management and employee experience initiatives.
• Lead Emiratisation strategy and create pathways for UAE National talent development.
• Design reward, recognition and career development frameworks.
• Partner with leadership on organisational growth, transformation and culture.
• Develop policies, governance structures and employee relations frameworks.
• Manage external recruitment and HR service providers during the establishment phase.
• Drive the adoption of automation, AI and digital solutions across people processes.
• Build a high-performing culture characterised by collaboration, accountability, innovation and constructive challenge.
• Provide strategic advice to senior leadership on workforce, talent and organisational effectiveness.

Profile

A successful Head of People & Culture - UAE National should have:

• UAE National with strong stakeholder management and influencing capability.
• Proven HR experience across organisational development and core HR disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience building or transforming HR functions, operating models or people practices.
• Experience in a start-up, scale-up, transformation or greenfield environment highly preferred.
• Strong capability in organisational design, workforce planning and employee engagement.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building processes from the ground up.
• Commercially minded with strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.
• Able to challenge senior stakeholders with confidence and credibility.
• Experience leveraging technology, analytics, automation or AI within HR.
• Ambitious, hands-on and motivated by the opportunity to help shape a long-term institutional success story.

Job Offer

This is a significant opportunity to join at the foundation stage of a high-profile organisation with significant visibility and exposure to senior leadership and key stakeholders. This is a chance to contribute to a nationally significant initiative focused on talent development, innovation and future workforce creation. There is a package of up to 45,000 AED + Benefits on offer.