Associate Director Human Resources

Title: Associate Director Human Resources

Location: Dubai

Reporting to: Director - HR Business Partner

Subordinates: 3

UAEN Applicants only please - non negotiable

We are currently working with one of the largest and most highly regarded holding groups in the region, supporting their business unit within the entertainment sector, on the appointment of an Associate Director Human Resources.

This is a senior strategic HR leadership role, partnering closely with executive leadership to shape and deliver the people agenda across the organisation. The successful candidate will lead workforce strategy, organisational effectiveness, talent and leadership initiatives, employee engagement and transformation, while acting as a trusted HR advisor to senior stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic HR advisor to executive leadership, providing insight and guidance on people and workforce priorities.
• Develop and execute people strategies aligned with business growth and organisational objectives.
• Lead workforce planning, organisational design and operating model effectiveness.
• Drive succession planning, talent reviews and leadership pipeline development for critical roles.
• Lead performance management and organisational effectiveness initiatives.
• Develop and implement employee engagement and culture transformation strategies.
• Lead major change and transformation programmes, including restructuring and organisational integration.
• Provide strategic guidance on employee relations, risk, governance and people-related matters.
• Ensure HR practices remain compliant with UAE labour legislation and internal policies.
• Use workforce analytics and HR data to identify trends and support senior-level decision-making.
• Partner with HR Centres of Excellence including Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards and Learning & Development.
• Lead the localisation and implementation of wider group HR initiatives.
• Lead, develop and build the capability of the HRBP team.
• Drive a high-performance, collaborative HR culture aligned with business requirements.
• Monitor key people metrics including engagement, retention, succession coverage and organisational effectiveness.

Mandatory requirements:

• Bachelors degree minimum qualification
• Minimum of 8 years in HR
• UAEN applicants only please - non negotiable
• Strong generalist HR experience required
• Large headcount company experience preferred
• Must live in Dubai or be willing to relocate