Human Resources Director

RIG (Recruitment International Group); Riyadh; On-site; SAR 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary: Competitive

Benefits: To be discussed

Job summary

RIG (Recruitment International Group) seeks an experienced HR Director to lead the human resources function for a growing Saudi defence organisation in Riyadh. This senior role shapes the people strategy, workforce planning and localisation programmes to support rapid growth and regulatory compliance.

You will partner with the CEO and senior executives to build high-performing HR operations, develop talent, and ensure governance across compensation, performance and workforce planning in a highly

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, management or related field.
• CIPD/SHRM or equivalent qualification is advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of Saudi labour law and localisation requirements.
• 10+ years HR experience with management or director-level responsibilities.
• Experience in defence, military, aerospace or regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the organisation's people strategy.
• Lead workforce planning and Saudiisation initiatives.
• Oversee compensation, benefits and performance management.
• Ensure HR governance and compliance in a highly regulated sector.
• Partner with CEO and senior leaders to drive talent development.

Skills

HR leadership

Strategy development

Stakeholder management

Saudi labour law knowledge

Talent development

Saudi localisation

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Management

CIPD/SHRM or equivalent

Tools

HR software

HR analytics

Job description

We are seeking an experienced HR Director to lead the human resources function for an established and growing company operating within the military and defence sector in Saudi Arabia.

Based in Riyadh, the HR Director will be responsible for developing and executing the company's people strategy, supporting organisational growth, and ensuring the business has the talent, structure and HR infrastructure required to support its long-term objectives.

The successful candidate will ideally have experience working within defence, aerospace, military, engineering, manufacturing or another highly regulated technical environment, with a strong understanding of the Saudi employment landscape and localisation requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the company's overall HR strategy in line with business objectives.
• Provide strategic HR advice to the CEO, executive leadership team and senior management.
• Build and develop a high-performing HR function appropriate to a growing defence organisation.
• Develop organisational structures, workforce plans and succession strategies.
• Establish HR policies, procedures and governance frameworks.

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Lead strategic recruitment across corporate, technical, engineering, manufacturing and operational functions.
• Develop workforce plans to support business growth, new programmes and future projects.
• Build strong talent pipelines for specialist and hard-to-find defence and engineering positions.
• Develop succession planning and talent-management programmes for critical positions.
• Support the recruitment and development of senior leadership and key technical personnel.

Saudiisation & Local Talent Development

• Develop and implement strategies to increase the employment and development of Saudi national talent.
• Ensure HR practices support the company's Saudiisation and localisation objectives.
• Develop graduate, trainee, apprenticeship and early-career programmes where appropriate.
• Establish career-development pathways for Saudi employees.
• Work with management to identify opportunities for knowledge transfer and localisation of specialist capabilities.

Employee Relations & Performance

• Oversee employee relations, disciplinary procedures and workplace policies.
• Develop effective performance-management and appraisal systems.
• Establish compensation, benefits and reward structures appropriate to the organisation.
• Promote employee engagement, retention and professional development.
• Ensure HR policies are consistently implemented across the business.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with Saudi labour legislation, employment regulations and applicable HR requirements.
• Maintain appropriate HR documentation, policies and processes.
• Work closely with legal, finance and senior management on employment-related matters.
• Ensure HR practices meet the governance and compliance requirements associated with operating within the defence sector.

Organisational Development

• Support organisational transformation and business expansion.
• Develop training and development strategies for technical and non-technical employees.
• Introduce HR systems, processes and metrics to improve organisational effectiveness.
• Establish HR reporting and KPIs for senior management.
• Develop a strong organisational culture focused on professionalism, accountability, performance and continuous development.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have:

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience at HR management/director level.
• Experience working in Saudi Arabia, preferably within a Saudi or GCC-based organisation.
• Experience within defence, military, aerospace, engineering, manufacturing, industrial or another technically complex environment is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of Saudi employment legislation and HR practices.
• Demonstrable experience in Saudiisation/localisation and Saudi national talent development.
• Experience managing recruitment, workforce planning, performance management and organisational development.
• Experience working directly with CEOs, executive teams and senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership and people-management capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on when required.

Preference may be given to candidates with experience in:

• Military or defence organisations
• Defence manufacturing and production
• Aerospace
• Engineering and precision manufacturing
• Government or government-related organisations
• Joint ventures involving international defence companies
• New manufacturing facilities or organisational start-ups
• Technical and engineering recruitment

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management or a related discipline.
• Professional HR qualification such as CIPD, SHRM or equivalent would be advantageous.
• Strong working knowledge of HR systems and modern HR technology.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will be:

• Strategic and commercially minded
• Highly credible with senior management
• Comfortable operating in a technically complex environment
• Discreet and professional
• Strong in stakeholder management
• Structured and analytical
• Culturally aware and experienced in the Saudi business environment
• Capable of building processes and teams while supporting rapid organisational growth

What the Role Offers

This is a senior HR leadership opportunity within a growing Saudi military and defence organisation, with the opportunity to shape the company's people strategy, organisational structure and localisation programme as the business continues to develop.

Salary: Competitive and dependent on experience

• Benefits: To be discussed with shortlisted candidates