Regional People Manager, Middle East

DOW JONES; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A global media leader is seeking a Regional People Manager in Dubai to support HR initiatives across the Middle East. This role requires 5-7 years of HR experience, a Bachelor's degree, and knowledge of employment laws in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Responsibilities include recruitment, employee engagement, and compliance management. The ideal candidate has strong emotional intelligence and communication skills. Competitive benefits like healthcare, paid time off, and educational support are offered.

Benefits

Comprehensive Healthcare & Insurance Plans

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plans

Wellness Resources

Education Benefits

Family Care Benefits

Fitness Reimbursement Program

Subscription Discounts

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of progressively responsible regional human resources experience.
• Proven track record of contributing to HR best practices.
• Experience with country-specific employment/labor laws.

Responsibilities

• Act as the local People point of contact for recruitment and engagement initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with local labor laws and HR-related systems.
• Support leaders across different countries and time zones.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Relationship building

HR advocacy

Cultural awareness

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Professional HR certification (CIPD, SHRM, HRCI)

Tools

HR systems (Workday)

Job description

Description

Dow Jones is strategically expanding its presence across the Middle East, and as a global media leader, we are seeking a passionate and experienced Regional People Manager to join our wider EMEA People Team. This role will be based in Dubai and will support our exciting growth period across the Middle East.

The ideal candidate will be commercially savvy, possessing high emotional intelligence and a deep understanding of localised employment law and People operational best practice across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. They will have a proven track record of building relationships across diverse cultures and multiple organisational levels, with the ability to influence positive HR change throughout the broader People team and organization.

Reporting to the Senior Director, People, this role will work closely with the General Manager for the Middle East, global COEs and the People Business Partner, APAC & Middle East. This individual will play a key role in supporting the growth and delivery of the full employee lifecycle experience in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. They must be capable of challenging convention, building meaningful relationships, and thinking critically to achieve success. The Regional People Manager will embody our values of Collaboration, Trust, Impact, and Excellence, delivering a people-first approach.

You will

Act as the local People point of contact for people related initiatives and develop a deep understanding of the business. These initiatives include recruitment, employee engagement, retention, performance planning, compliance, employee relations, career development, and people organisational transformation.

Have worked in global organizations and can support leaders across different countries and different timezones. You’re able to help bridge cultural differences and advocate for employees in a regional and global matrixed environment.

Have worked with employees and managers across all aspects of the employee life cycle. This includes advising on HR-related matters, whilst maintaining localised HR related systems, ensuring Freezone / Mainland compliance and legal obligations whilst communicating with internal and central departments to uphold the Dow Jones culture of collaboration.

Collaborate with the People Business Partner, APAC & Middle East, on global HR projects assigned by the Senior Director, People. This will involve aligning clear goals and objectives to strategically support the organization, stakeholders and connected with business goals.

Demonstrate the ability to navigate and make decisions effectively amidst ambiguity, addressing issues even when established processes or systems are absent. Throughout this, you will communicate openly and transparently, acting with good intent when collaborating with our business, team, and partners.

Foster and maintain strong connections with the wider People Team. This requires excellent relationship-building skills. As needed, you will contribute to the development of localised human resource policies, practices, and systems, to attract, retain, and mobilise talent, thereby supporting business priorities and fostering a competitive advantage.

Be responsible for managing, reviewing, and providing necessary documentation and compliance to local legislation. This is done in tandem with the central People Operations team.

You Have

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in relevant HR or People related subject plus / or Professional HR certification e.g. CIPD, SHRM, HRCI.
• 5-7 years of progressively responsible regional human resources experience
• A proven track record of contributing to the creation and / or expansion of HR best practices
• Ability to balance business needs with employee advocacy
• Experience and knowledge of current country-specific employment / labor laws
• Proficiency with HR systems, including Workday, and the ability to leverage data and analytics for informed decision-making and recommendations.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage and resolve sensitive employee issues
• Ability to operate effectively and independently with sound organizational skills, ability to prioritize with strong attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal in English, advantageous if you can also speak Arabic
• Enthusiastic, positive attitude and able to work in a fast-paced, cross matrixed environment

Our Benefits

• Comprehensive Healthcare & Insurance Plans Plans
• Paid Time Off
• Retirement Plans
• Lifestyle programs & Wellness Resources
• Education Benefits
• Family Care Benefits & Caregiving Support
• Fitness Reimbursement Program
• Subscription Discounts

Employee Referral Program

Reasonable accommodation : Dow Jones, Making Careers Newsworthy - We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. EEO / Disabled / Vets. Dow Jones is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities, in our job application and / or interview process.