People & Operations Manager

SmartChoice International GCC; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

SmartChoice International is seeking an experienced People & Operations Manager to own the internal people function and day-to-day operations in Dubai.

You will work closely with senior management to ensure we have the people, processes, systems and structure required to support growth, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution.

This role covers HR, operations, and leadership development, requiring UAE employment knowledge, commercial acumen and the ability to scale internationally.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience across HR, People, Operations or a combination of these areas.
• Experience working within a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Strong knowledge of UAE employment practices and HR processes.
• Commercial and business-minded rather than purely HR-focused.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the employee lifecycle from onboarding through to exit.
• Manage HR contracts, policies, performance reviews, probation and employee relations.
• Support recruitment and hiring of internal employees.
• Develop employee engagement, culture and retention initiatives.
• Work with management on performance management and career development.
• Ensure HR processes remain compliant with UAE and relevant international requirements.
• Own and improve internal business processes and workflows.
• Ensure teams follow agreed procedures and standards.
• Manage internal systems, documentation and operational reporting.
• Oversee contractor and employee onboarding/offboarding processes.
• Work closely with Finance on payroll, invoicing and operational administration.
• Identify inefficiencies and implement improvements across the business.
• Manage suppliers, office requirements and other operational matters.
• Work with management to establish clear KPIs and performance standards.
• Support the development of training and learning initiatives.
• Produce regular people and operational reporting for senior management.
• Help build the infrastructure required to scale the business internationally.

Skills

HR management

Operations management

Recruitment

Performance management

Stakeholder communication

Job description

People & Operations Manager

Location: Dubai, UAE

Company: SmartChoice International

Salary: Competitive, depending on experience

About SmartChoice

SmartChoice International is a global recruitment and talent solutions business supporting organisations across technology, consulting, data, AI, cyber security and other specialist areas.

As we continue to grow, we are looking for an experienced People & Operations Manager to take ownership of our internal people function and day-to-day business operations.

The Role

This is a broad and highly visible role working closely with senior management. You will be responsible for ensuring SmartChoice has the people, processes, systems and structure required to support continued growth.

You will be both strategic and hands-on, taking ownership rather than simply managing administration.

Key Responsibilities

People & HR

• Own the employee lifecycle from onboarding through to exit.
• Manage contracts, policies, performance reviews, probation and employee relations.
• Support recruitment and hiring of internal employees.
• Develop employee engagement, culture and retention initiatives.
• Work with management on performance management and career development.
• Ensure HR processes remain compliant with UAE and relevant international requirements.

Operations

• Own and improve internal business processes and workflows.
• Ensure teams are following agreed procedures and standards.
• Manage internal systems, documentation and operational reporting.
• Oversee contractor and employee onboarding/offboarding processes.
• Work closely with Finance on payroll, invoicing and operational administration.
• Identify inefficiencies and implement improvements across the business.
• Manage suppliers, office requirements and other operational matters.

Leadership & Development

• Work with management to establish clear KPIs and performance standards.
• Support the development of training and learning initiatives.
• Produce regular people and operational reporting for senior management.
• Help build the infrastructure required to scale the business internationally.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years' experience across HR, People, Operations or a combination of these areas.
• Experience working within a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Strong knowledge of UAE employment practices and HR processes.
• Commercial and business-minded rather than purely HR-focused.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities and working directly with senior leadership.
• Strong attention to detail with a "get things done" mentality.
• Experience within recruitment, professional services, consulting or another performance-driven environment would be advantageous.

The Ideal Person

We're looking for someone who is proactive, commercially minded and hands-on.

This is not a role for someone who simply manages HR administration. We want someone who will look at how SmartChoice operates, identify what can be improved and take ownership of making it better.

If you're an experienced People/HR professional who also has a strong operational mindset and wants to play a key role in the growth of an international recruitment business, we'd like to hear from you.