HR Manager (People & Culture)

JOUD Cafe; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality brand in Abu Dhabi is seeking an HR Manager (People & Culture) to enhance workplace culture and manage talent attraction strategies. The role emphasizes strong Emiratization initiatives and compliance with UAE labour law. The ideal candidate has 5–8 years of HR experience, is fluent in Arabic and English, and possesses a field-oriented mindset, dedicated to real engagement and operational challenges. This is a key role for evolving organizational culture and ensuring compliance.

Qualifications

• 5–8+ years of HR experience, ideally in hospitality/retail with multiple locations.
• Hands-on Emiratization experience for building talent pipelines.
• Strong UAE labour law compliance experience.

Responsibilities

• Coach managers and teams to drive culture and engagement practices.
• Own recruitment end-to-end, from role scorecards to onboarding.
• Build and manage the company's LinkedIn presence for employer branding.

Skills

Fluent Arabic & English

UAE labour law knowledge

Strong judgment and confidentiality

Education

5–8+ years HR experience

Job description

Job Description

Joud Coffee is a homegrown Abu Dhabi brand built on generosity, craft, and real hospitality. We’ve grown fast—and now we’re focused on the next phase: stronger culture, higher engagement, better leadership, and consistent guest experience across every outlet.

About Joud Coffee

Joud Coffee is a homegrown Abu Dhabi brand built on generosity, craft, and real hospitality. We’ve grown fast—and now we’re focused on the next phase: stronger culture, higher engagement, better leadership, and consistent guest experience across every outlet.

The role (read this carefully)

We’re hiring an HR Manager (People & Culture) who is a builder and a floor operator—not a policy-only, behind-the-desk HR person. You will spend real time in outlets, coaching managers, listening to teams, and turning culture into daily behaviors.

You will also own Employer Branding & Talent Attraction, including building our LinkedIn presence to attract top talent. And you must be strong on UAE labour compliance and have hands‑on Emiratization experience.

Arabic & English fluency is required (spoken and written).

What you’ll own

1) Culture & Engagement (your #1 mission)

• Translate our values into clear frontline behaviors (how we speak, serve, lead, and solve problems)
• Build practical culture routines: recognition, manager coaching, “wins of the week,” team rituals
• Run engagement systems that lead to action: listening sessions, pulse checks, feedback loops, action plans
• Protect a “no ego / high ownership” environment—resolve conflicts early and keep standards high

2) Field HR — be on the floor, not behind the desk

• Build a structured outlet visit cadence (weekly/bi‑weekly) with check‑ins
• Coach outlet leaders on people topics: attendance, attitude, teamwork, service behavior, discipline, escalations
• Train managers on tough conversations + documentation (firm, fair, consistent)
• Detect issues early (culture drift, burnout, poor leadership) and fix them with real interventions

3) Hiring & workforce growth (multi‑site)

• Own recruitment end‑to‑end: role scorecards, structured interviews, selection standards, offers, onboarding
• Build workforce plans with Ops: staffing models by outlet/format and peak season planning
• Raise hiring quality and retention through better screening, onboarding, and manager capability
• Build referral programs and partnerships to keep the pipeline warm

4) Employer Branding & LinkedIn (you own it)

• Build and manage our LinkedIn company page (setup/refresh, access control, brand consistency)
• Create an employer brand content plan: team stories, promotions, training, culture moments, behind‑the‑scenes
• Run hiring campaigns and build a talent community (followers → applicants → hires)
• Track simple results: follower growth, engagement, applicant quality, conversion rates
• Coordinate with Marketing for brand guidelines—but HR owns the talent narrative

5) Emiratization (must‑have experience)

• Lead Emiratization planning and execution: sourcing, hiring, onboarding, retention, development pathways
• Build relationships and pipelines for Emirati talent (universities, programs, local networks)
• Manage relevant reporting/requirements and ensure ongoing compliance with Emiratization initiatives
• Design career paths and support plans to help Emirati employees succeed and grow in operations and HQ roles

6) UAE Labour Law & HR compliance (must‑have)

Ensure strong compliance with UAE labour law and MOHRE‑related processes

• Own contracts, policies, employee relations, investigations, disciplinary actions and terminations (proper process + documentation)
• Coordinate visa/work permit administration with PRO / government portals where relevant
• Maintain accurate employee records and HR reporting (headcount, turnover, attendance, leave, etc.)

7) Requirements (must‑have)

• Fluent Arabic & English (spoken + written)
• 5–8+ years HR experience, ideally in hospitality/retail with multiple locations
• Strong UAE labour law knowledge + hands‑on HR compliance experience (ER, documentation, terminations, contracts)
• Proven Emiratization experience (implementation, hiring pipelines, onboarding/retention, reporting/requirements)
• Experience building employer branding / talent attraction, including LinkedIn company page + hiring campaigns
• Field/operator mindset: you enjoy being in outlets and solving real people problems
• High integrity, calm under pressure, strong judgment and confidentiality

8) Nice to have

• Experience in a fast‑scaling, founder‑led brand
• Built onboarding/training systems for frontline teams
• HRIS/LMS exposure (training platforms a plus)

9) Location & work style

• Abu Dhabi‑based. Regular travel to outlets is essential (this is part of the job, not optional).

10) How to apply

• Send your CV and a short note answering:

1. What did you personally do to improve culture/engagement in a frontline business?
2. Share one Emiratization initiative you led and the outcome.
3. What LinkedIn/employer brand work did you own and what results did you achieve?