Head of HR Operations

Client of Foreground; Sharjah; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in Sharjah is seeking a seasoned Head of HR Operations to transform its HR function. This pivotal role involves rebuilding HR processes with a focus on compliance and operational excellence while leading a small team. Ideal candidates have extensive experience in HR operations, particularly within complex environments, and are ready to shape the future of HR.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive HR experience.
• 5+ years in a leadership role overseeing HR operations.
• Strong understanding of UAE labor regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and improvement of HR operational processes.
• Oversee payroll processing and employee file management.
• Coordinate with legal and finance for payroll governance.

Skills

HR Operations

Compliance

Payroll Processing

Continuous Improvement

Operational Excellence

Data Integrity

Decision-Making

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field

Job description

Bachelor of Business Administration(Management)

Nationality

Any Nationality

Vacancy

1 Vacancy

Job Description

Job Description:
Foreground is partnering with a large-scale diversified conglomerate based in Sharjah to appoint a seasoned and systems-oriented Head of HR Operations . This appointment comes at a pivotal stage in the companys internal transformation, as it aims to standardize and digitize its employee services model across multiple operating companies spanning logistics, retail, and light manufacturing.
Following our detailed briefing with the CHRO and Group COO, it is clear this is not a transactional HR role. The mandate is to rebuild the HR operations backbone introducing rigor, speed, and transparency across payroll, employee records, compliance, and HR service delivery. The company currently operates with semi-automated processes and fragmented reporting structures, and is seeking a senior leader to introduce structure without overcomplicating, while also building capability from the ground up.
Role Purpose
To lead the design, governance, and continuous improvement of all HR operational processes, with a focus on shared services efficiency, compliance alignment (especially UAE labor law), and employee lifecycle management. This role will serve as the operational cornerstone of the HR function and will play a critical role in enabling future HR digitization and analytics programs.
Key Responsibilities
• Rebuild and lead the HR Operations function with clear service delivery KPIs, escalation protocols, and audit-ready documentation.
• Oversee payroll processing (across 1,500+ employees), employee file management, visa and PRO services, end-of-service workflows, and benefits administration.
• Map and standardize the employee lifecycle across business units, ensuring consistency and compliance with UAE labor law.
• Collaborate with HRIS vendors and IT to select and implement a fit-for-purpose HR management system (HRMS), including process automation and employee self-service functions.
• Lead a small but growing HR Services team and upskill them toward a shared services model.
• Introduce structured SOPs, workflows, SLAs, and data reporting dashboards across all HR operational functions.
• Coordinate closely with legal, finance, and external auditors to ensure payroll governance, WPS compliance, and documentation integrity.
• Develop and maintain a single source of truth for HR records, ensuring data integrity for analytics and decision-making.
Ideal Candidate Profile
• 12+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role overseeing HR operations, shared services, or employee services within the UAE.
• Experience working in complex, multi-entity environments ideally across logistics, trading, or industrial services sectors.
• Proven ability to implement or re-engineer HR systems and policies in organizations undergoing internal transformation.
• Bachelors degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field; HR certification (CIPD, SHRM) preferred.
• Strong understanding of UAE labor regulations, visa processes, WPS, EOSB calculations, and documentation protocols.
• Excellent command of both operational discipline and employee service empathy capable of leading change while maintaining frontline trust.
Why This Role, Why Now
This is not a role for someone looking to inherit a polished HR machine, it is a role for a builder. The successful candidate will walk into a function that is operational but underdeveloped, and will have the trust of leadership to architect the next phase. The company is stable, well-financed, and ambitious about modernizing its HR infrastructure. With HR now sitting at the executive table, this is a rare opportunity to shape the future of employee experience and operational excellence across a regional group from the inside out.
Required Skills:
HR Operations
Compliance
Operations
Payroll Processing
Logistics
Operational Excellence
Business Units
Escalation
Transparency
Calculations
Service Delivery
Structures
Management System
Data Integrity
Trading
Decision-Making
Retail
Continuous Improvement
Analytics
Infrastructure
Manufacturing
Automation
Payroll
Regulations
Records
Vendors
Administration
Documentation
Finance
Design
Business
Leadership
Management

Company Industry

• Recruitment
• Placement Firm
• Executive Search

Department / Functional Area

• HR
• Human Relations
• Industrial Relations

Keywords

• Head Of HR Operations

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