Manager - Talent Acquisition Emiratisation - UAE National Only

Mashreq; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 240,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Mashreq seeks a seasoned professional to lead Emiratisation Talent Acquisition initiatives in the UAE, driving nationalization targets through graduate programs, internships, and strategic partnerships with universities and government entities.

The role focuses on workforce planning, employer branding, and data-driven reporting to senior leadership, while building a sustainable pipeline of Emirati talent.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 6-8 years of experience in Talent Acquisition, with strong exposure to Emiratization initiatives.
• Proven experience in managing graduate programs, internships, and workforce planning.
• Experience working with UAE government entities and academic institutions is preferred.
• A proven track record of program/ project management.

Responsibilities

• Support develop and implement the Emiratization TA Strategy aligned with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with business leaders and PABP’S to identify current and future workforce needs for UAE Nationals.
• Create and manage workforce plans to achieve Emiratization targets across all business units.
• Monitor and report Emiratization metrics, progress, and compliance with UAE regulations.
• Design and execute targeted sourcing strategies to attract UAE Nationals across entry, mid, and senior levels.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of Emirati candidates through proactive market mapping and engagement.
• Establish relationships with universities, government entities, and talent development programs.
• Work with the talent development team to design, launch, and manage structured graduate development programs for UAE Nationals.
• Build relationships with target Universities to ensure UAE graduates are attracted and engaged with Mashreq.
• Identify leading global Universities where Emirati students study abroad and develop partnerships to convert into graduate hiring.
• Create and manage internship and trainee programs for UAE National students.
• Partner with academic institutions to offer meaningful work experience opportunities.
• Track performance and conversion of interns into full-time employees.
• Lead participation in career fairs, university events, and national career initiatives.
• Represent Mashreq as an employer of choice for UAE Nationals.
• Develop targeted employer branding campaigns to enhance visibility among Emirati talent.
• Track Emiratization KPIs, including hiring, retention, and development metrics.
• Ensure compliance with UAE labor laws and nationalization requirements.
• Prepare reports for senior leadership and regulatory authorities.
• Adopt lean methodology and contribute to Mashreq’s sustainability and digitization efforts.

Skills

Emiratization Strategy

Workforce Planning

Graduate Programs

Internships

Employer Branding

Campus Recruitment

University Partnerships

Data-driven decisions

Communication Skills

Stakeholder Management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Purpose

Support lead and drive the organization’s Emiratization TA Strategy by designing and executing initiatives that attract, develop, and retain UAE National talent. The role focuses on Emiratisation workforce planning, graduate hiring, internships, career engagement, and strategic partnerships to meet nationalization targets while building a sustainable Emirati talent pipeline.

Key Result Areas

Emiratization Strategy & Workforce Planning

• Support develop and implement the organization’s Emiratization TA Strategy aligned with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with business leaders and PABP’S to identify current and future workforce needs for UAE Nationals.
• Create and manage workforce plans to ensure Emiratization targets are achieved across all business units.
• Monitor and report Emiratization metrics, progress, and compliance with UAE regulations.

Talent Attraction & Pipeline Development

• Design and execute targeted sourcing strategies to attract UAE Nationals across entry, mid, and senior levels.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of Emirati candidates through proactive market mapping and engagement.
• Establish relationships with universities, government entities, and talent development programs.

Graduate Programs & Early Careers (ACE and Path finders)

• Work with the talent develop team to design, launch, and manage structured graduate development programs for UAE Nationals.
• Build relationships and deep partnerships with select target Universities to ensure the highest calibre UAE graduates are attracted to and engaged with Mashreq.
• Identify leading global Universities where Emirati students study abroad (eg Washington, London, etc) and develop partnerships to convert into graduate hiring.

Internships & Career Development Programs

• Create and manage internship and trainee programs for UAE National students.
• Partner with academic institutions to offer meaningful work experience opportunities.
• Track performance and conversion of interns into full-time employees.

Career Fairs & Employer Branding

• Lead participation in career fairs, university events, and national career initiatives.
• Represent the organization as an employer of choice for UAE Nationals.
• Develop targeted employer branding campaigns to enhance visibility among Emirati talent.

Reporting & Compliance

• Track and report Emiratization KPIs, including hiring, retention, and development metrics.
• Ensure compliance with UAE labor laws and nationalization requirements.
• Prepare reports for senior leadership and regulatory authorities.
• Adopt lean methodology and contribute to the bank’s efforts towards sustainability and digitization.
• Promote Mashreq’s reputation as ‘best place to work’.
• Lead employment branding initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of Emiratization policies and UAE labor market dynamics
• Workforce planning and strategic talent management
• Program management (graduate programs, internships, early careers)
• Employer branding and campus recruitment expertise
• Data-driven decision-making and reporting
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field
• 6-8 years of experience in Talent Acquisition, with strong exposure to Emiratization initiatives
• Proven experience in managing graduate programs, internships, and workforce planning
• Experience working with UAE government entities and academic institutions is preferred
• A proven track record of program/ project management