VP of People and Culture

Starzplay; Dubai; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

STARZPLAY is seeking a VP of People & Culture to guide the people function through rapid expansion in the UAE and internationally. You will shape talent acquisition for technology, marketing, and strategy, drive performance cycles, and secure compliant HR operations across markets.

The role requires leading a team, managing budgets, and partnering with executive leaders to design scalable structures that enable growth while protecting employer standards and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Proven recruitment experience across MENA and Europe, including senior and specialist hires.
• Strong knowledge of UAE labour law (mainland and free zones) and European employment law.
• Led the people function through major growth with revenue rising from $300m to $1bn.
• Experience building tech, marketing, and strategy teams within digital businesses.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business administration, or a related field.
• Strong expertise in performance management, reward, and people operations.
• Background in media, streaming, technology, or fast-paced digital business preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the People & Culture function across MENA and Europe.
• Oversee talent acquisition, including engineering, product, data, AI/ML, streaming tech, cyber security, marketing, and strategy roles.
• Drive performance management cycles, KPI reviews, and development plans.
• Set organisational design, spans of control, and workforce budgets with leaders.
• Manage salaries, benefits, payroll, and incentives across markets.
• Ensure compliance with UAE labour law, GDPR, and regional regulations.
• Oversee visas, work permits, and migrations across UAE and Europe.

Skills

Talent acquisition

Leadership

Strategic HR

Performance management

People operations

Budget management

Cross-regional hiring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR / Business Administration

Tools

HRIS systems

Job description

VP of People & Culture

HR – Dubai, UAE

Role Purpose

The VP of People & Culture reports directly to the CEO and will lead STARZPLAY’s people function through a period of rapid growth. We are looking for a leader with 12+ years of people experience scaling digital organisations across MENA and Europe, including growing headcount from around 400 to 1,000 employees.

The role’s core focus is hiring and building strong technology, marketing, and strategy teams, running effective performance management, and keeping people operations compliant and efficient in every market where STARZPLAY operates.

Key Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition & Hiring

• Build and lead a talent acquisition function that can hire at pace across MENA and Europe.
• Hire technical talent, including engineering, product, data, AI/ML, streaming technology and cyber security.
• Hire marketing talent, including growth and performance marketing, CRM, brand and partnerships.
• Hire strategy and commercial talent, including corporate strategy, business development, analytics and senior leadership.
• Plan headcount, capabilities, hiring locations and workforce budgets with department heads.
• Build sourcing channels, talent pipelines and executive search partnerships in both regions.
• Set consistent standards for assessment, offers, onboarding and probation reviews.
• Track and improve hiring speed, quality of hire, offer acceptance and early attrition.

Performance Management & Development

• Own the performance management cycle: objective setting, KPI reviews, feedback, calibration and development plans.
• Train managers to set clear expectations, give regular feedback and address underperformance fairly and promptly.
• Identify high performers, critical roles and succession cover, with a focus on technology, marketing and strategy.
• Link performance outcomes to promotions, pay decisions and development.
• Run practical learning and leadership programmes for new and growing managers.

Organisation & Workforce Planning

• Advise executive leadership on organisational design, team structures and spans of control as the business scales.
• Lead and develop the People & Culture team, and manage the people budget.

Reward & Benefits

• Oversee job architecture, salary bands, salary reviews, promotions, incentives and benefits.
• Benchmark pay against MENA, European and technology employers to keep offers competitive.
• Ensure accurate, timely payroll with Finance and local teams, and manage medical insurance and benefits costs.

People Operations & Compliance

• Oversee contracts, employee records, leave, attendance and HR systems.
• Ensure compliance with UAE labour law (mainland and free zone), European employment law (including GDPR) and Pakistani requirements.
• Manage visas, work permits and immigration across the UAE and Europe.
• Set up compliant employment arrangements (entity, EOR or contractor) when entering new markets.
• Partner with Legal and external advisers on employment matters, and oversee offboarding and final settlements.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Proven recruitment experience across MENA and Europe, including senior and specialist hires in both regions.
• Strong working knowledge of labour law in the UAE (mainland and free zone)and Europe, including immigration and work permits.
• Has led the people function of a digital business through major growth, with revenue rising from about $300m to $1bn.
• Strong track record of hiring and building technical, marketing and strategy teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Strong expertise in performance management, reward and people operations.
• Background in media, streaming, technology, or another fast-paced digital business is strongly preferred.