Head of People & Culture National

Michael Page; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 301,000 - 502,000; Full time

Job summary

Michael Page UAE partners with a newly established, innovation-led organisation to appoint a UAE National People leader who will establish and lead the People & Culture function from ground up. This greenfield role requires a builder mindset and strong organisational design capability to shape people strategies and operating models.

The successful candidate will drive Emiratisation, workforce planning and onboarding, while guiding senior leadership on culture, performance, and employee

Qualifications

• Must have UAE National status with strong stakeholder management and influencing capability.
• Experience across organisational development and core HR disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience building or transforming HR functions, operating models or people practices.
• Experience in start-up, scale-up, transformation or greenfield environments preferred.
• Strong capability in organisational design, workforce planning and employee engagement.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building processes from the ground up.
• Commercial mindset with negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to challenge senior stakeholders with confidence and credibility.
• Experience leveraging technology, analytics, automation or AI within HR.

Responsibilities

• 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 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.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Organisational design

Workforce planning

Employee engagement

Start-up / greenfield experience

Automation / AI in HR

Tools

HR analytics

Job description

Job description

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

• 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.

Skills

HR UAE NATIONAL