Senior Manager Total Reward & Performance

Arada; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Arada is seeking a seasoned Performance and Total Rewards Lead in Dubai to design and govern its Total Rewards framework, including compensation structures, job architecture and governance processes.

The role focuses on performance management, incentive design, analytics and stakeholder engagement to support growth, retention and workforce effectiveness across the group.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in Total Rewards, Compensation & Benefits, or Performance & Rewards.
• Proven experience designing and implementing reward frameworks.
• Experience with job architecture, grading and job evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Design and govern Arada's Total Rewards strategy and frameworks.
• Develop reward policies, governance and cycle processes.
• Lead benchmarking, grading decisions and pay equity reviews.
• Build analytics, dashboards and insights to support decisions.

Skills

Total Rewards

Compensation & Benefits

Performance Management

Job Architecture

Governance

Stakeholder Engagement

Job description

About Us

At Arada, we create communities that inspire healthier, happier and more meaningful lives. Through innovative developments, exceptional customer experiences and a commitment to sustainability, we are shaping places where people can live, work and thrive.

About Us

At Arada, we create communities that inspire healthier, happier and more meaningful lives. Through innovative developments, exceptional customer experiences and a commitment to sustainability, we are shaping places where people can live, work and thrive. Joining Arada means becoming part of a collaborative, ambitious and forward-thinking team dedicated to delivering excellence across every aspect of our business.

Role Purpose:

The Performance and Total Rewards Lead will support the Group Head of Performance and Total Rewards in the design, implementation, governance and continuous enhancement of Arada's Performance and Total Rewards frameworks. The role will act as a key subject matter expert across compensation, benefits, performance management, job architecture, grading structures, incentive design and reward governance. The incumbent will play a critical role in establishing best-practice frameworks that support organizational growth, performance differentiation, talent retention and workforce effectiveness. The role combines strategic framework development with operational execution and will be responsible for translating reward and performance philosophies into practical policies, processes and tools that can be consistently applied across the Group.

Primary Responsibilities

Total Rewards Design & Governance

• Support the development and evolution of Arada's Total Rewards strategy.
• Design and maintain compensation structures, pay ranges, grading frameworks and job architecture.
• Lead and recommend market benchmarking and positioning strategies.
• Conduct job evaluations and support organizational grading decisions.
• Support annual salary review and incentive planning processes.
• Develop and maintain reward governance frameworks and approval processes.
• Conduct pay equity and internal parity reviews.
• Monitor emerging market trends and best practices within compensation and rewards.

Performance Management

• Support the design and implementation of the Group Performance Management Framework.
• Develop performance management policies, processes and guidelines.
• Support goal-setting methodologies and performance calibration processes.
• Build frameworks linking performance outcomes to reward decisions.
• Develop manager guidance and tools to improve performance management capability.
• Support consistency in performance assessment across business units.

Incentive & Recognition Programs

• Support development of Short-Term Incentive (STI) frameworks.
• Contribute to Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) design and management.
• Support recognition and retention program development.
• Evaluate effectiveness of incentive structures and recommend enhancements.

Policy Development & Framework Design

• Draft and maintain reward and performance policies.
• Develop promotion, progression and internal mobility frameworks.
• Establish governance principles and decision guidelines.
• Build manager toolkits and implementation guides.
• Ensure alignment of policies across multiple business sectors and employee populations.

Analytics & Insights

• Develop reward and performance dashboards.
• Analyse workforce, compensation and performance trends.
• Build modelling scenarios to support business decisions.
• Present insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Support workforce planning and talent review activities through data-driven analysis.

Benefits & Employee Value Proposition

• Support review and optimization of employee benefits programs.
• Assess market competitiveness of benefits offerings.
• Ensure benefits strategy aligns with Arada's Employee Value Proposition.
• Partner with providers and consultants to evaluate benefits effectiveness.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner closely with PX Business Partners and business leaders.
• Provide expert guidance on reward and performance-related matters.
• Support leadership decision making through data and market insights.
• Build strong partnerships with Finance and business leaders to ensure effective reward governance.

Experience And Qualifications

Required Experience

• 10+ years' experience in Total Rewards, Compensation & Benefits, or Performance & Rewards.
• Proven experience designing and implementing reward frameworks.
• Strong experience in job architecture, grading and job evaluation.
• Experience supporting performance management frameworks.
• Experience managing annual salary review and incentive cycles.
• Experience developing reward policies and governance frameworks.
• Experience working within a Reward CoE or complex, multi-business organization.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working in the Middle East.
• Exposure to executive compensation.
• Experience supporting LTIP design and administration.
• Experience with Mercer, WTW or Korn Ferry methodologies.
• Experience in real estate, hospitality, healthcare, industrial or diversified business environments.

Key Responsibilities

Using GenAI in Your Application Process

To support a fair and consistent experience for all candidates, we ask that assessments and interviews are completed independently and without assistance from generative AI tools. This ensures we understand your strengths, your thinking, and how you approach real situations.

Why join Arada?

At Arada, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to projects that transform communities while working alongside talented professionals in a culture that values innovation, collaboration and continuous growth. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and make a meaningful impact.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Arada is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and make employment decisions based on merit, experience and business needs.