Senior Manager, Human Resources, Middle East

White & Case LLP; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global law firm is seeking a Senior Manager in Human Resources for its Middle East practice based in Dubai. The role requires a strategic leader to drive HR initiatives across multiple offices, enhancing employee experience and aligning regional priorities with global strategies. Ideal candidates will have substantial HR experience in professional services and demonstrate strong communication skills and the ability to influence stakeholders.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Career development opportunities

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Significant experience in senior HR roles within professional services.
• Expertise in leading HR transformations.
• Ability to build trust and credibility with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Drive People agenda for the Middle East practice.
• Lead transformation initiatives for employee engagement.
• Act as a strategic advisor on organizational design.

Skills

HR Business Partnering

HR Operations

Strong communication skills

Stakeholder management

Commercial awareness

Education

Degree in Human Resources or related field

Tools

Workday

PeopleSoft

Job description

Job Description - Senior Manager, Human Resources, Middle East (2500017E)

Senior Manager, Human Resources, Middle East

Firm Summary

White & Case is an elite global law firm serving leading companies, financial institutions and governments worldwide. Our long history as an international firm means we are perfectly placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they may be.

With lawyers operating from more than 40 locations, working around the world, we have invested heavily in building a high-quality full-service practice competing at the top of the market. We are distinguished by our on-the-ground presence in the world’s key financial markets and our strengths in handling complex cross-border work.

It’s not just about our global network of offices; it’s the global interconnectedness of the Firm that our people, and our clients, value most. We work well together across geographic and practice boundaries. It’s one of the reasons we attract and retain cross-border work.

Our lawyers are globally minded, enterprising, collaborative and committed to excellence. Our people represent 90 nationalities and speak 80 languages.

The Team

Our People team is central to the Firm’s culture and success. We attract, develop, and support exceptional talent—across both our Legal and Business Services populations—to help our people grow and succeed. From recruiting and onboarding to learning, mobility, and performance, we create experiences that enable meaningful careers. We partner with leaders to build a supportive, high-performing environment—one that rewards excellence, promotes engagement, and empowers everyone to do their best work. Through thoughtful strategy, practical solutions, and a strong understanding of our people, we help ensure our workforce is motivated, capable, and aligned with the firm’s ambitions.

The Role

We are seeking a strategic and collaborative Human Resources leader to drive the People agenda for our Middle East practice, which includes offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat, and Cairo.

As a trusted advisor to our Regional Co-Heads and Office Executive Partners, you will play a key role in uniting and engaging our regional teams, delivering an exceptional employee and partner experience, and advancing the Firm’s People priorities across offices.

Working primarily from Dubai, you will:

• Lead the delivery of all People-related services across our Legal and Business Services populations.
• Act as a guardian of the Firm’s culture and values while managing people-related risk.
• Partner closely with regional and global HR colleagues to ensure a consistent, high-impact People strategy aligned with our global vision and local needs.

Duties and Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership & Transformation

• Develop and implement a Middle East People strategy that aligns global ambitions with regional priorities.
• Lead transformation initiatives that strengthen engagement, leadership capability, and performance culture.
• Partner with global Centers of Expertise and HR Operations to deliver integrated solutions across talent, learning, mobility, and rewards.
• Embed a culture of feedback, continuous learning, and career development across all offices.

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a strategic advisor to regional and office leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, and leadership development.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with partners, lawyers, and business services leaders to influence and embed People programs.
• Drive engagement and sponsorship for key Firmwide initiatives such as performance management, learning, mentoring, and compensation cycles.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the Middle East People Advisory and HR functional teams, ensuring a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Coach and mentor HR professionals, building capability and readiness for future growth.
• Ensure seamless coordination across People Advisory, Recruitment, Engagement, Learning, Benefits, and HR Operations functions to deliver an exceptional employee experience.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee team operations to ensure efficient, compliant, and consistent processes across the region.
• Partner with our operations centers to move administrative work to low-cost jurisdictions and maintain high standards of accuracy, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor workforce data, attrition, and engagement trends to generate insights that inform Firm and People strategies.

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Act as the senior escalation point for complex employee relations matters, providing balanced and commercially sound advice.
• Ensure fair and consistent application of Firm policies across all locations.
• Support mobility and immigration processes for regional and international assignments.

Skills/Experience

• Degree-qualified, with substantial experience in senior HR leadership roles within professional services or complex multinational environments.
• Proven expertise in HR Business Partnering, HR Operations, and People leadership.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility across various stakeholder groups.
• Commercially astute, with a strategic mindset and operational discipline.
• Experience with global HR systems (e.g., Workday, PeopleSoft) is advantageous.

Location and Reporting

• Based in Dubai, with regular travel across the Middle East.
• Reports to the EMEA HR Director.
• Member of the Regional Leadership Team.

The above is only a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties. The Firm may modify and amend any job description at any time in its sole discretion.

Primary Location