Senior Human Resources Business Partner (UAEN)

Credo Talent Solutions; Musaffah; On-site; AED 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Credo Talent Solutions seeks a Head of HR Business Partnering to lead the HRBP function and align people strategy with business priorities in the UAE.

The role acts as a senior advisor to executive leadership, guiding workforce planning, organisational design, talent and performance management across a large, complex organisation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, Management or related discipline.
• Significant HR experience with strong depth in HR Business Partnering.
• Previous experience leading an HRBP function or managing a team of senior HR Business Partners.
• Strong experience partnering with C-suite, executive and senior leadership stakeholders.
• Experience within a large, complex organisation is strongly preferred.
• Exposure to manufacturing, industrial, engineering, energy, infrastructure or other large operational environments would be highly advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of UAE labour law and regional HR practices.
• Demonstrated experience in workforce planning, organisational design, talent management, succession planning, performance management and employee relations.
• Strong commercial understanding with the ability to connect people decisions to business outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and leadership capabilities.
• Fluent Arabic and English communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the HR Business Partnering function across the organisation.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior executives and business leaders on organisational and people matters.
• Translate business priorities into practical people strategies and workforce plans.
• Coach and guide HRBPs to strengthen capability and stakeholder management.
• Ensure consistent HRBP service delivery across units and functions.
• Lead strategic workforce planning in partnership with business leadership.
• Identify current and future capability requirements and gaps.
• Support organisational design, restructuring and operating model changes.
• Advise leadership on structures, spans of control and workforce optimisation.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and Talent Management to meet workforce needs.
• Partner with leadership on talent reviews, succession planning and leadership pipelines.
• Address capability gaps with Learning & Development and Talent Management teams.
• Support leadership development and career progression initiatives.
• Oversee performance management and employee relations processes.
• Coach leaders on performance, engagement and difficult decisions.
• Provide senior guidance on complex employee relations matters.
• Ensure HR policies and practices align with UAE labour law.
• Identify recurring people issues and propose organisation-wide interventions.
• Act as HR partner during transformation, restructuring and major change.
• Develop people and change plans to support initiatives.
• Support leaders in communicating and managing change.
• Assess people impact of transformation programmes and address workforce risks.
• Support Emiratisation and national talent objectives.
• Strengthen attraction, development and retention of UAE Nationals.
• Work with leadership on career pathways and succession opportunities.
• Utilise HR analytics to provide leadership with insights on turnover, engagement, capability and succession.

Skills

Executive Stakeholder Management

Strategic HR Business Partnering

Workforce Planning

Organisational Design

Talent & Succession Management

Performance Management

Employee Relations

Change & Transformation

Emiratisation & National Talent

HR Analytics & Data-Driven Decision-M

Fluent Arabic & English

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business Admin/Management

Master's degree or professional HR qualification (advantageous)

Job description

The Head of HR Business Partnering will lead the HRBP function across the organisation, ensuring the people agenda is closely aligned with business priorities.

This role will act as a senior advisor to executive leadership and business heads, providing strategic and commercially focused HR guidance across workforce planning, organisational effectiveness, talent, performance, employee relations and change.

The successful candidate will lead a team of HR Business Partners and play a key role in strengthening HR's partnership with the business, while ensuring consistent implementation of people practices across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

HR Business Partnering & Leadership

• Lead and develop the HR Business Partnering function, establishing a high-performing and commercially focused HRBP model.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior executives and business leaders on organisational and people matters.
• Translate business priorities into practical people strategies and workforce plans.
• Coach and guide HRBPs to strengthen their capability, stakeholder management and business understanding.
• Ensure consistent HRBP service delivery across business units and functions.

Workforce Planning & Organisational Effectiveness

• Lead strategic workforce planning in partnership with business leadership.
• Identify current and future capability requirements, critical roles and workforce gaps.
• Support organisational design, restructuring and operating model changes.
• Advise leadership on organisational structures, spans of control, role clarity and workforce optimisation.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and Talent Management teams to ensure workforce requirements are addressed effectively.

Talent & Succession

• Partner with leadership on talent reviews, succession planning and identification of high-potential employees.
• Support the development of succession pipelines for critical and leadership positions.
• Work closely with Learning & Development and Talent Management teams to address capability gaps.
• Support leadership development and career progression initiatives across the organisation.

Performance & Employee Relations

• Oversee the implementation and effectiveness of the performance management cycle across business units.
• Coach leaders on performance management, employee engagement and difficult people decisions.
• Provide senior-level guidance on complex employee relations matters.
• Ensure employee matters are managed consistently, fairly and in accordance with UAE labour legislation and internal policies.
• Identify recurring people issues and recommend organisation-wide interventions where required.

Change & Transformation

• Act as a key HR partner during organisational transformation, restructuring and major business change.
• Develop people and change plans to support successful implementation of business initiatives.
• Support leaders in communicating and managing organisational change effectively.
• Assess the people impact of transformation programmes and proactively address workforce risks.

Emiratisation & National Talent

• Partner with relevant stakeholders to support the organisation's Emiratisation and national talent objectives.
• Strengthen the attraction, development, progression and retention of UAE National talent.
• Work with leadership to identify suitable career pathways and succession opportunities for UAE Nationals.

HR Governance & Analytics

• Ensure HR policies, processes and practices are implemented consistently across the organisation.
• Use workforce data and HR analytics to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Provide leadership with meaningful insights on turnover, engagement, workforce capability, performance and succession.
• Ensure HRBP activities comply with internal governance requirements and applicable UAE employment legislation.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management or a related discipline. Master's degree or professional HR qualification is advantageous.
• Significant HR experience with strong depth in HR Business Partnering.
• Previous experience leading an HRBP function or managing a team of senior HR Business Partners.
• Strong experience partnering with C-suite, executive and senior leadership stakeholders.
• Experience within a large, complex organisation is strongly preferred.
• Exposure to manufacturing, industrial, engineering, energy, infrastructure or other large operational environments would be highly advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of UAE labour law and regional HR practices.
• Demonstrated experience in workforce planning, organisational design, talent management, succession planning, performance management and employee relations.
• Strong commercial understanding with the ability to connect people decisions to business outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and leadership capabilities.
• Fluent Arabic and English communication skills are essential.
• Strategic HR Business Partnering
• Executive Stakeholder Management
• Workforce Planning
• Organisational Design
• Talent & Succession Management
• Performance Management
• Employee Relations
• Change & Transformation
• Emiratisation & National Talent Development
• HR Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making