HR Operations Manager

AppliedAI; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 340,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

AppliedAI in Abu Dhabi is seeking an HR Manager to lead People Operations for a fast-growing AI technology company. You will oversee onboarding through offboarding, contracts, probation tracking, and payroll governance while leading a small HR operations team.

This role blends hands-on execution with strategic people operations leadership. The ideal candidate has 6–8+ years in HR Operations, UAE labour law experience, and a track record of scaling processes, automation, and data reporting across

Qualifications

• 6-8+ years' experience in HR Operations, including leadership.
• Experience in fast-paced, high-growth tech environments.
• Experience overseeing payroll or working with payroll vendors.
• Solid understanding of HR foundations for scale (process, docs, data, automation).
• Experience in UAE employment context.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end HR operations across the employee lifecycle including onboarding, contracts, probation tracking, changes, leave and exits.
• Lead and develop a small HR operations team, setting priorities and building capability.
• Ensure HR activities are accurate, timely, and scalable in changing conditions.
• Oversee payroll governance and audits, without directly processing payroll.
• Identify opportunities to automate HR processes and implement systems/tools.

Skills

HR Operations

Team Leadership

Payroll Oversight

UAE Labour Law

Data Reporting

Automation

Stakeholder Management

Job description

AppliedAI is a pioneering AI technology company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, committed to innovation and excellence in artificial intelligence solutions across regulated industries such as healthcare, insurance, government, and financial services.

As our HR Manager you'll lead the People Operations function for a fast-growing technology company, overseeing HR processes across the full employee lifecycle from onboarding through offboarding. The role owns the operational foundations required to support the company's growth and scale, leads a small HR operations team, and oversees the company's payroll processing.

This role suits someone who has operated in a fast-paced, changing environment, understands what "good" HR operations look like at scale, and can bring order, clarity, and structure without over-engineering.

Key Responsibilities:

HR Operations Leadership

• Own end-to-end HR operations across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, contracts, probation tracking, employee changes, leave, and exits
• Lead and develop a small HR operations team, setting priorities, reviewing work, and building capability
• Ensure HR activities are delivered accurately, on time, and consistently, even in high-volume or changing conditions
• Act as the escalation point for complex or sensitive HR operational matters raised by managers and employees

Payroll Oversight

• Oversee the company payroll process, managing the team member responsible for payroll processing and ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness
• Act as the point of accountability for payroll governance, audits, and issue resolution, without directly processing payroll
• Ensure payroll processes are well documented and resilient to team changes

Automation & Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to introduce automation and efficiencies across HR operations, from manual data entry to workflow handoffs
• Evaluate and implement HR systems, tools, and process changes that reduce manual effort and improve accuracy
• Apply experience from fast-paced or scaling environments to identify what needs to be put in place (processes, templates, trackers, SOPs)
• Move HR operations from ad hoc to repeatable and scalable without slowing the business down
• Own the implementation and day-to-day governance of People policies
• Document and standardise HR processes so they are easy for managers and the team to follow
• Ensure policies and processes are applied consistently across teams and, where relevant, across jurisdictions

UAE & Global Context

• Apply strong working knowledge of UAE labour law to HR operations and ensure ongoing compliance
• Oversee visa and employment documentation processes
• Operate confidently within a global People team, supporting multiple jurisdictions

Systems, Data & Reporting

• Own HR systems and trackers, ensuring data accuracy, visibility, and control across the function
• Oversee HR reporting and audits, providing accurate and timely data to leadership
• Keep HR operations organised, structured, and dependable as the team and company scale

Key Requirements:

• 6-8+ years' experience in HR Operations, including prior experience managing or leading a team
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth, or changing environment, ideally in technology
• Experience overseeing or managing a payroll function (direct payroll processing experience not required)
• Practical understanding of what HR foundations are required to scale (process, documentation, data discipline, automation)
• Experience working within the UAE employment context
• Strong organisation, prioritisation, and communication skills
• Comfortable operating at both a hands-on and strategic level

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in tech, professional services, or scaling organisations
• Experience leading HR systems implementations or operational improvement initiatives
• Experience supporting a regional or global workforce
• Experience managing payroll vendors or payroll system providers
• Structured but pragmatic: brings order without bureaucracy
• Proactive: anticipates operational needs as the business grows
• Dependable: trusted to keep HR operations running smoothly and lead others in doing the same
• Clear communicator: explains processes simply and confidently to managers, employees, and leadership
• Ownership-oriented: takes responsibility for outcomes, including those delivered through others
• Opportunity to work with a leading AI technology company.
• Collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Growing, entrepreneurial and forward-thinking culture.
• Career growth and professional development opportunities.
• Exposure to a thriving ecosystem working from our Abu Dhabi HQ.
• Visa sponsorship for international candidates.