Director Organizational Development & HR Strategy

Lead the design and execution of organizational development strategies, HR frameworks, and excellence initiatives that strengthen organizational agility, competitiveness, and compliance. Drive strategic HR programs aligned with long-term business objectives and national excellence mandates. Oversee workforce planning, total rewards, and HR governance frameworks to foster an innovative, high-performing, and future-ready organization.

1. Strategy, Policies, and Procedures

• Define and implement HR strategy aligned with overall business goals and excellence frameworks.
• Establish strategic HR plans, KPIs, and dashboards to enable data-driven leadership decisions.
• Oversee the development and governance of HR policies, procedures, and frameworks in compliance with UAE labor law and international standards.
• Drive internal excellence programs and manage submissions for government and industry excellence awards.
• Ensure the confidentiality and safeguarding of sensitive strategic information.

2. HR Strategy & Excellence

• Translate HR vision into actionable strategies, initiatives, and KPIs.
• Lead HR strategy execution, ensuring integration with business objectives and excellence frameworks.
• Manage HR performance dashboards, benchmarking, and reporting to support executive decision-making.
• Oversee policy development, reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.

3. Organizational Development

• Lead organizational design, workforce planning, and compensation & benefits frameworks to ensure agility and alignment with business priorities.
• Direct manpower planning and workforce optimization across business units.
• Align HR, OD, and workforce plans with business and financial strategies.
• Lead change management and transformation initiatives to enhance efficiency and adaptability.
• Partner with business leaders to design and evolve structures that support strategic objectives.

4. Total Rewards & Compensation

• Develop and manage group-wide compensation and benefits frameworks ensuring equity and competitiveness.
• Oversee rewards and incentive programs that promote retention, engagement, and performance.
• Benchmark total rewards practices against market and industry standards.

5. Excellence & Benchmarking

• Lead HR excellence programs and oversee submissions to national and industry excellence frameworks.
• Benchmark HR practices against leading organizations and recommend continuous improvement initiatives.
• Promote a culture of innovation, compliance, and sustainable HR practices.

6. Governance & Compliance

• Oversee HR policy governance, ensuring compliance with UAE labor law, Emiratization requirements, and international standards.
• Embed HR governance and consistency across all business units.
• Ensure alignment with corporate governance, Delegation of Authority (DoA), and audit requirements.

7. Advisory & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a key advisor to the Executive Director of HR on strategic HR and OD matters.
• Provide insights on workforce costs, manpower planning, and the financial impact of total rewards.
• Collaborate with HR Centers of Excellence (Talent, Rewards, Employee Services) to ensure integrated HR delivery.
• Partner with Finance and Business Leaders on compensation budgeting and cost optimization.

8. Team Management

• Lead and develop a high-performing HR Strategy & OD team.
• Set clear goals for performance, growth, and delivery of strategic objectives.
• Ensure continuous development and engagement of team members.

9. Reporting

• Present quarterly updates on HR strategy execution and strategic initiatives to senior leadership.
• Deliver reports on HR excellence performance, workforce planning, and rewards benchmarking.
• Provide recommendations on emerging HR trends, analytics, and policy improvements.

10. Other Tasks

• Perform any other responsibilities or assignments as directed by the Line Manager.

Qualifications & Knowledge

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or related field.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-SCP or CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent).
• Korn Ferry certification in Job Evaluation and Rewards (preferred).

Experience

• 10–15 years of progressive HR and OD experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership capacity.
• Proven expertise in organizational design, workforce planning, job evaluation, compensation frameworks, and HR strategy.

Competencies

• HR excellence frameworks, benchmarking, and compliance.
• Deep knowledge of UAE labor law and international HR standards.
• HR policy governance and metrics development.
• Compensation and benefits frameworks and benchmarking.
• Job evaluation and grading systems.
• Strategic workforce planning and HR strategy execution.
• Business process optimization and change management.
• Advanced analytical and presentation skills.