Role SummaryThe Group Director - People & Culture will provide strategic leadership for the Group's people agenda across its portfolio of companies and markets. The role is responsible for developing and executing a Group-wide People & Culture strategy that supports business growth, organisational effectiveness, leadership capability and long-term value creation. Working closely with the Group CEO, shareholders and Executive Leadership Team, the successful candidate will lead the evolution of the Group's HR function from a primarily operational support function into a strategic, commercially focused and data-driven business partner. The role requires an experienced international HR executive who has operated within multinational, diversified or multi-entity organisations and has a proven ability to lead transformation, build scalable HR infrastructure and influence senior stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities01 Group People Strategy & Executive Partnership
- * Develop and implement the Group's overall People & Culture strategy, aligned with business objectives, growth plans and organisational priorities.
- Act as a trusted strategic advisor to the Group CEO, shareholders and Executive Leadership Team.
- Translate business strategy into workforce, talent, leadership and organisational priorities.
- Provide executive insight on organisational capability, workforce risks, leadership succession and people-related opportunities.
- Establish appropriate Group-wide HR governance, policies and standards while allowing flexibility for individual businesses where required.
02 HR Transformation & Operating Model
- * Assess the current HR function, structures, processes, systems and capabilities across the Group.
- Develop and implement a fit-for-purpose Group HR operating model.
- Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, automate and improve HR processes.
- Introduce internationally recognised HR practices and modern approaches to employee experience.
- Build and develop a strong HR leadership team with clear accountability and measurable objectives.
- Lead major HR transformation and change initiatives across Group companies.
03 Organisation Design & Workforce Planning
- * Lead organisation design and workforce planning across the Group.
- Ensure structures, roles, responsibilities and reporting lines support business objectives and operational efficiency.
- Establish appropriate workforce planning methodologies to support growth, expansion and changing business requirements.
- Advise leadership on restructuring, organisational changes and workforce optimisation.
- Support new business launches, market expansion, acquisitions, integrations and other strategic initiatives from a people perspective.
04 Talent, Leadership & Succession
- * Develop a Group-wide talent management and leadership strategy.
- Strengthen executive recruitment and succession planning for critical positions.
- Establish structured talent reviews and succession frameworks.
- Develop leadership and high-potential talent programmes.
- Partner with business leaders to identify capability gaps and build future leadership pipelines.
- Ensure the Group is able to attract, develop and retain high-calibre talent.
05 Performance, Culture & Employee Experience
- * Establish a high-performance culture based on accountability, leadership effectiveness and measurable outcomes.
- Review and enhance Group performance management and goal-setting frameworks.
- Develop initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, retention and organisational culture.
- Establish a consistent employee experience across the Group while respecting the individual identity of each business.
- Promote leadership behaviours and values that support the Group's long-term strategy.
06 Total Rewards & Workforce Economics
- * Develop the Group's overall compensation and benefits philosophy.
- Review salary structures, incentives, benefits and executive remuneration to ensure competitiveness and internal equity.
- Establish appropriate reward governance across Group companies and markets.
- Partner with Finance and business leadership to ensure workforce costs are aligned with business performance and productivity.
- Identify opportunities to improve workforce efficiency and optimise people-related costs without compromising capability.
07 HR Technology, Data & Analytics
- * Drive the digital transformation of the HR function through appropriate HRIS, technology, automation and analytics.
- Establish reliable Group-level people reporting and dashboards.
- Develop meaningful HR KPIs covering areas such as workforce productivity, turnover, recruitment, talent, engagement, performance and cost.
- Use data and workforce insights to support better executive decision-making.
- Ensure HR systems and processes are scalable as the Group continues to grow.
08 Governance, Compliance & Risk
- * Establish appropriate Group HR policies, governance frameworks and controls.
- Ensure compliance with applicable employment legislation and regulatory requirements across relevant jurisdictions.
- Maintain appropriate oversight of employee relations, employment risk and HR compliance.
- Ensure HR practices are consistent, transparent and aligned with the Group's governance standards.
Required Skills
- * Strong understanding of organisation design, workforce planning, talent management, succession, performance management and total rewards.
- Experience implementing or transforming HR technology and people analytics.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to connect people strategy directly to business strategy, growth and long-term value creation.
RequiredRequired Qualifications
- * Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Management or a related discipline.
Highly Desirable
- * Master's Degree / MBA - Postgraduate study in business or a related field.
Preferred
- * Professional Qualification: CIPD, SHRM or equivalent.
Experience Requirement
- * 15+ years of progressive HR / People & Culture experience, with significant experience in a senior HR leadership position.
- Previous experience as a Group HR Director, HR Director, CHRO, VP HR or equivalent.
- Proven experience within a multinational, diversified, holding or multi-entity organisation.
- Demonstrated experience managing HR across multiple businesses, countries and diverse workforce populations.
- Strong track record of leading HR transformation, organisational change and culture initiatives.
- Experience working directly with CEOs, shareholders, boards and executive leadership teams.
Location / Work ModeDubai, United Arab Emirates
Additional NotesSuccess Measures The successful candidate will be expected to deliver measurable progress across:
- Group HR transformation and operating model maturity
- Organisational effectiveness and workforce productivity
- Leadership capability and succession depth
- Talent attraction, retention and development
- Performance management and accountability
- Employee engagement and organisational culture
- Compensation and workforce cost effectiveness
- HR technology, automation and people analytics
- HR governance, consistency and compliance
- Overall credibility and strategic contribution of the People & Culture function
