Human Resources Director

Calvin James Recruitment; Dubai; On-site; AED 600,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Calvin James Recruitment is seeking an experienced HR Director to lead the people strategy for a growing organisation in the professional services or financial services sector. You will partner closely with the executive team, drive organisational effectiveness and ensure HR initiatives support the broader business strategy.

The role requires senior leadership experience in high-performance environments, with hands-on involvement in key HR decisions and business priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Admin or related field.
• Significant HR leadership experience at director level in professional services or financial services.
• Experience partnering with C-suite executives and driving business-aligned HR strategies.
• Strong knowledge of talent management, organisational development, compensation and benefits.
• Experience leading change initiatives and handling complex employee relations.
• Strong understanding of employment laws and HR governance in operating locations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the HR strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Act as trusted adviser to the CEO and executive team on people matters.
• Drive workforce planning, organisation design and change management.
• Lead performance management, talent reviews and succession planning.
• Oversee compensation, benefits and bonus planning with Finance.
• Ensure HR operations, payroll, governance and compliance.
• Lead talent acquisition and employer branding to attract top talent.
• Develop culture initiatives to support engagement and retention.
• Mentor and develop the HR team and establish clear KPIs.

Job description

We are seeking an experienced HR Director to lead the people strategy and HR function for a growing organisation within the professional services or financial services sector.

This is a senior leadership position requiring a commercially minded HR professional who can partner closely with the executive team, drive organisational effectiveness and ensure HR initiatives support the wider business strategy.

The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of complex, high-performance environments, with experience across talent management, organisational development, employee engagement, compensation and benefits, and HR operations. They will be comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels, leading the HR function while remaining closely involved in key people decisions and business priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership

• Develop and implement the HR strategy in alignment with the organisation's business objectives and long-term growth plans.
• Act as a trusted adviser to the CEO, executive leadership team and senior stakeholders on all people-related matters.
• Drive organisational design, workforce planning and change management initiatives to support business performance.
• Provide strategic insight on talent, leadership capability, succession planning and organisational effectiveness.
• Lead the development and implementation of HR policies, frameworks and processes that support a high-performance culture.

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning

• Oversee recruitment strategy to attract and retain high-calibre talent across the organisation.
• Partner with business leaders to anticipate workforce requirements and develop effective talent pipelines.
• Ensure recruitment processes are aligned with business needs, market conditions and agreed workforce budgets.
• Strengthen employer branding and candidate experience to position the organisation as an employer of choice.

Talent Management and Organisational Development

• Lead performance management, talent review and succession planning processes.
• Develop career progression, leadership development and employee retention strategies.
• Identify capability gaps and implement learning and development initiatives to address current and future business needs.
• Build a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and high performance.

Compensation, Benefits and Reward

• Oversee compensation and benefits strategy, ensuring competitive and equitable reward structures.
• Lead salary benchmarking, annual compensation reviews, bonus planning and incentive frameworks.
• Partner with Finance and business leadership to ensure reward decisions align with budgets and business performance.
• Ensure compensation practices are appropriate for the organisation's sector, talent market and regulatory environment.

HR Operations, Policies and Compliance

• Oversee HR operations, employee relations, payroll coordination, benefits administration and HR systems.
• Ensure HR policies and practices comply with applicable employment legislation and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Maintain appropriate governance, confidentiality and risk management standards, particularly when handling sensitive employee and remuneration information.
• Review and improve HR processes to enhance efficiency, consistency and the overall employee experience.

Employee Engagement and Culture

• Develop initiatives to improve employee engagement, retention, wellbeing and organisational culture.
• Act as a senior escalation point for complex employee relations matters and sensitive people issues.
• Support leadership teams in managing organisational change, employee communications and business restructuring where required.
• Use workforce data and people analytics to identify trends and inform decision-making.

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop and mentor the HR team, ensuring the function delivers a high standard of service to the business.
• Establish clear priorities, objectives and performance measures for the HR function.
• Promote a proactive, commercially focused and solutions-oriented approach to HR across the organisation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related discipline; a relevant postgraduate qualification or professional HR certification would be advantageous.
• Significant HR leadership experience, ideally at HR Director, Head of HR or an equivalent senior level.
• Previous experience within professional services, financial services or another comparable high-performance, regulated environment.
• Proven ability to partner with C-suite executives and senior business leaders, influencing strategic and commercial decisions.
• Strong knowledge of talent management, organisational development, compensation and benefits, workforce planning and HR operations.
• Experience leading organisational change, performance management and succession planning initiatives.
• Sound understanding of employment legislation and HR governance relevant to the organisation's operating locations.
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical capability and experience using HR metrics to inform business decisions.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and leadership skills.
• Ability to balance strategic priorities with hands-on involvement in complex HR matters.