IPO-Ready Chief People & Growth Officer

Manar Al Omran Formwork & Scaffolding Services; Eastern Province; On-site; SAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job description

The Human Resources function leads as a strategic growth and governance partner for Manar Al-Omran Group, not as an administrative back office. The mandate spans the full HR value chain across all Group business lines (manufacturing and trading) and geographical sites across the Kingdom. The role translates the Group’s growth and IPO-readiness ambitions into an organization, workforce, and culture capable of delivering them, covering ERP-driven HR transformation, organizational design, succession planning, Saudization, and the Group’s relationship with government and ministry programs. The position reports directly to the CEO and the Executive Committee, measured by one outcome: an HR function that is a genuine driver of the Group’s growth, compliance, and organizational readiness.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop the Group HR strategy aligned with business objectives: organizational priorities, workforce planning, and resource allocation by business line and site.
• Own the annual HR plan, calendar, and budget; align with Finance, Operations, and the Executive Committee.
• Set HR KPIs and report performance against them to the CEO and Board/Executive Committee.
• Act as the HR-side owner of the Group's ERP transformation program: data migration, process redesign, and system adoption.
• Ensure HR data integrity (headcount, payroll, performance, HRIS) as the single source of truth for workforce decisions.
• Lead automation of core HR transactions to reduce manual processing and improve employee experience.

3. Organizational Restructuring & Cost Efficiency

• Lead Group-wide restructuring initiatives that improve organizational agility and cost efficiency, with board-level accountability for outcomes.
• Partner with Finance on headcount cost modeling, span-of-control optimization, and workforce cost efficiency programs.
• Own change management for restructuring initiatives, minimizing business disruption and attrition risk.

4. Organization Design

• Design and maintain the Group's org structure, roles, grading, career ladders, and reporting lines. Appropriate for a multi-entity, IPO-track holding company.
• Standardize job descriptions, job grading, and organizational governance across all MAO Group entities.
• Advise the CEO and Chairman on organizational implications of new business lines, acquisitions, or expansion.

5. Succession Planning & Talent Management

• Build and maintain succession plans for C-suite and other critical roles across the Group.
• Identify and develop high-potential talent through structured talent review and development programs.
• Reduce single-point-of-failure risk in critical technical and leadership positions.

6. Recruitment & Executive Search

• Own Group-wide recruitment strategy, including executive search for C-suite and senior leadership roles.
• Manage recruitment agency relationships and SLAs (sourcing, fees, guarantees) to ensure cost-effective, high-quality hiring.
• Build sourcing pipelines for hard-to-fill technical, engineering, and leadership roles across business lines.
• Own Nitaqat/Saudization compliance and strategy across all Group entities, converting compliance into a talent pipeline advantage.
• Build structured career development paths that grow Saudi national talent into technical and leadership roles.
• Govern the Group's training and development programs, including any dedicated training institute, aligning content with business and workforce needs.

8. Government & Regulatory Relations

• Act as the Group's senior representative to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), GOSI, and other relevant authorities.
• Own the HR dimension of Local Content (LCGPA) compliance and government/ministry incentive programs, as a Chairman-level strategic priority.
• Ensure full compliance with Saudi labor law across all entities, managing labor relations and dispute resolution.

9. Compensation, Benefits & HR Operations

• Own Group-wide compensation structure, benchmarking, and benefits strategy, ensuring internal equity and market competitiveness.
• Oversee payroll accuracy and compliance across all entities and sites.
• Ensure consistent HR service delivery standards (onboarding, offboarding, employee relations) Group-wide.

Reporting, Analytics & Stakeholder Communication

• Provide a monthly HR dashboard to the CEO: headcount, attrition, Saudization ratio, recruitment pipeline, and budget vs. actual.
• Present a quarterly organizational health and workforce risk review to the Executive Committee, with recommended actions.
• Work closely with Finance, Operations, Export, and the CEO's office so HR plans reflect capacity, capability, and commercial priorities.

Act as the Group's main interface with government authorities, recruitment agencies, and HR industry bodies.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field; CIPD, SHRM, or equivalent professional certification required. MBA or equivalent executive education (e.g., INSEAD, Wharton) is a strong advantage.
• 15+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 5 years in a CHRO, VP HR, or equivalent C-suite/senior executive HR role.
• Proven track record in a Saudi industrial, construction, manufacturing, or large-scale holding group context, with direct exposure to Nitaqat/Saudization and Saudi labor law.
• Demonstrated experience leading HR through an ERP/digital transformation program, organizational restructuring, or IPO-readiness process.
• Board-level or senior executive governance exposure (committee membership, executive committee participation) is a strong advantage.
• Established relationships with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, GOSI, and other relevant Saudi government bodies.
• Fluent written and spoken Arabic and English. Based in Dammam, with travel across Group sites in the Kingdom and internationally.