About the job

Head of People & Culture - Dubai, UAE

We are working with a leading Dubai-based real estate developer to appoint a Head of People & Culture for its contracting division.This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced HR professional who understands the demands of the construction and contracting sector and can drive the people strategy across a diverse, project-led organisation.The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership to strengthen organisational capability, develop talent, enhance workforce planning and build a high-performance culture that supports the division's continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and implement the People & Culture strategy, ensuring alignment with the division's business objectives and long-term growth plans.
• Partner with the senior leadership team on organisational design, workforce planning and talent strategy across multiple projects and operational functions.
• Oversee the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, employee engagement, retention and succession planning.
• Develop effective recruitment and workforce mobilisation strategies to support project requirements and changing business demands.
• Establish and enhance HR policies, procedures and frameworks in line with UAE labour legislation and best practice.
• Drive leadership development, employee engagement and performance management initiatives to foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Oversee compensation and benefits, salary structures, employee relations and HR budgeting.
• Support organisational change, leadership transitions and the development of a strong internal talent pipeline.
• Lead and develop the HR team, ensuring the delivery of a commercially focused and service-oriented function.
• Use HR metrics and workforce analytics to support informed decision-making and improve organisational effectiveness.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate qualification or professional HR certification would be advantageous.
• Extensive experience in a senior HR leadership role, ideally within construction, contracting, real estate development or a large project-driven organisation.
• Strong understanding of workforce planning and mobilisation within complex construction and contracting environments.
• Proven experience partnering with C-suite executives and senior operational leaders to deliver strategic HR initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of UAE labour law and local employment practices.
• Demonstrable experience in organisational development, talent management, employee engagement and performance management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management and problem-solving skills.
• A commercially minded approach, with the ability to balance people strategy with operational and business priorities.