Strategic HR Leader for Higher Education & Transformation

University of Sharjah; Sharjah; On-site; AED 420,000 - 620,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates seeks a visionary HR Director to lead strategic workforce planning, governance, and policy development in line with UAE regulations. You will partner with senior leadership to align HR initiatives with the university’s long-term objectives.

You will drive Emiratization, end-to-end recruitment, performance management, total rewards, and digital HR systems, including ERP upgrades.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a relevant discipline.
• 15 years of progressive HR experience, with 7–10 years in a senior leadership role.
• Experience in higher education institutions preferred.
• Senior leadership/Director level experience.
• Knowledge of UAE federal labor regulations, visa processes, and regulatory environment in Sharjah’s academic sector.

Responsibilities

• Drive institutional governance and HR strategy in line with UAE regulations.
• Lead policy development and change management across the university.
• Oversee manpower planning and Emiratization initiatives.
• Manage end-to-end hiring and benchmarking processes.
• Direct HR analytics, KPI tracking, and budgeting.
• Lead ERP/digital transformation of HR and workflow.
• Provide leadership and develop the HR team.

Skills

Communication skills

Bilingual Arabic/English

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

HR strategy

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or Business Administration

Master’s degree preferred

CIPD Level 5 or SHRM certification

Tools

Oracle HCM

ERP systems

MS Office

Job description

University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates seeks a visionary HR Director to lead strategic workforce planning, governance, and policy development in line with UAE regulations. You will partner with senior leadership to align HR initiatives with the university’s long-term objectives.

You will drive Emiratization, end-to-end recruitment, performance management, total rewards, and digital HR systems, including ERP upgrades.