Associate Director - Talent Acquisition

Dubai Holding; Dubai; On-site; AED 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Dubai Holding, established in 2004, is a global investment company with a diversified portfolio across 10 sectors and a workforce of thousands in the UAE and beyond. We are seeking an Associate Director - Talent Acquisition to lead senior and executive recruitment across the Group, shaping hiring decisions and delivering strategic projects that strengthen leadership pipelines.

Reporting to the Executive Director - Talent Acquisition, this role combines hands-on executive search with talent

Qualifications

• 15-20 years in executive search or senior recruitment
• Delivery of confidential, complex mandates
• Strong market insight and stakeholder advisory

Responsibilities

• Lead senior and executive recruitment across the Dubai Holding group
• Develop search strategies, map markets and source candidates
• Present evidence-based recommendations and calibrated shortlists
• Manage candidate engagement, offers, and onboarding for senior hires
• Partner with HR and business leaders to align hiring with strategy
• Govern recruitment processes, timelines and governance standards
• Manage external recruitment partners and supplier relationships
• Prepare executive-ready hiring summaries and market insights

Skills

Executive search

Senior-level recruitment

Talent acquisition

Market mapping

Direct sourcing

Stakeholder management

Recruitment project delivery

Candidate assessment

Leadership partnering

UAE talent market knowledge

Communication skills

Relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources / Business Administration

Professional HR / Recruitment / Executive Search qualifications

Job description

Established in 2004, Dubai Holding is a global investment company with investments in more than 34 countries and a combined workforce of nearly 45,000 individuals. In line with the vision of Dubai’s leadership and economic diversification strategy, Dubai Holding companies have nurtured sectors, irrevocably transforming Dubai’s socio-economic landscape and positioning Dubai as a diversified, globally integrated economy.

Dubai Holding is committed to the diversification of Dubai’s non-oil economy. Our portfolio, valued at over AED 284+ billion, spans 10 sectors, including real estate, hospitality, leisure & entertainment, ICT, design, education, media, retail, manufacturing & logistics, and science.

For the Good of Tomorrow

Dubai Holding is looking to hire an Associate Director - Talent Acquisition who will play a critical role in delivering senior and executive talent acquisition across the Group. This position is responsible for leading complex and confidential searches, partnering with senior stakeholders to shape hiring decisions, and delivering strategic recruitment projects that strengthen Dubai Holding's leadership pipeline.

Reporting to the Executive Director - Talent Acquisition, the role combines hands-on executive search delivery with talent intelligence, stakeholder advisory, supplier management, and recruitment transformation initiatives to ensure an exceptional hiring experience and high-quality talent outcomes across the Group.

Key Accountabilities

Senior and Executive Recruitment

• Lead defined senior and executive recruitment assignments across Dubai Holding, including confidential and strategically significant mandates.
• Develop search strategies, conduct market mapping and direct sourcing activities, and assess talent against agreed selection criteria.
• Present evidence-based recommendations and calibrated shortlists to support robust hiring decisions.
• Manage candidate engagement and offer processes, ensuring a high-quality experience and timely progression throughout the recruitment lifecycle.

Stakeholder Partnership and Candidate Experience

• Partner with Corporate Talent Acquisition, Group Services and People teams across the Group to ensure coordinated hiring delivery.
• Build trusted relationships with senior business leaders and HR stakeholders, providing market insight and recruitment expertise.
• Advise hiring stakeholders on market conditions, talent availability and assessment outcomes to support informed decision-making.
• Maintain clear communication and regular reporting on search progress, risks, dependencies and key decisions.
• Support a seamless onboarding journey for senior hires through effective planning and stakeholder coordination.

Strategic Projects and Talent Intelligence

• Lead or contribute to strategic talent acquisition initiatives and special projects across the Group.
• Support continuous improvement in recruitment processes, candidate experience, onboarding effectiveness and talent acquisition technology.
• Analyse recruitment trends, market developments and best practices to identify opportunities for innovation and enhancement.
• Support talent programmes by tracking delivery milestones, managing dependencies and ensuring achievement of agreed outcomes.

Recruitment Supplier Management

• Support the identification, assessment and onboarding of recruitment and executive search partners.
• Work closely with Legal and Procurement teams on supplier due diligence, contractual arrangements and commercial negotiations.
• Monitor spend across assigned searches and projects, ensuring effective budget management and value delivery.
• Manage supplier relationships and provide recommendations to support sourcing strategies and vendor performance.

Executive Support and Governance

• Prepare executive-ready hiring summaries, market insights and talent recommendations.
• Support the management of recruitment risks, stakeholder escalations and competing priorities.
• Monitor quality, delivery timelines, stakeholder satisfaction and candidate experience across assigned searches.
• Ensure compliance with recruitment policies, governance standards and approval processes.

Confidentiality and Compliance

• Maintain the highest standards of professional ethics, discretion and confidentiality when engaging candidates and stakeholders.
• Ensure recruitment activities comply with relevant policies, procedures and employment requirements.
• Maintain accurate recruitment records and audit trails while safeguarding candidate information and privacy.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

• At least 15-20 years of experience in executive search, senior-level recruitment or talent acquisition, including delivery of complex and confidential hiring mandates.
• Demonstrated expertise in market mapping, direct sourcing, executive assessment and senior stakeholder management.
• Experience managing external recruitment partners and supporting strategic talent acquisition projects.
• Strong understanding of the UAE talent market and relevant recruitment practices.
• Excellent communication, executive presentation and relationship-management skills.
• Strong analytical capability, commercial judgement and attention to detail.

Education / Professional Certification

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Professional qualifications in Human Resources, Recruitment or Executive Search are preferred.

Behavioral Competencies

• Exceptional professionalism, discretion and integrity.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Results-oriented with a high level of accountability and ownership.
• Agile and adaptable in a dynamic environment.
• Strong customer and candidate service orientation.
• Collaborative approach and ability to work effectively across a complex, matrixed organisation.

As much as we would be delighted to entertain all applicants, due to the high volumes of applications, only successful applicants will be contacted within 14 business days.

This job description is not all inclusive. Dubai Holding reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. Dubai Holding is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.