Emiratisation Manager

About the role

Buro Happold is seeking an Emiratisation Manager for its Dubai office, reporting to the Associate HR Consultant, UAE & Kuwait. The role develops and drives the organisation's Emiratisation strategy, monitors regulatory compliance and workforce targets, and coordinates initiatives that strengthen Emirati attraction, development and retention. It acts as the primary subject matter expert on Emiratisation, partnering with Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, hiring managers and business leaders.

Key responsibilities

• Own the development, implementation and review of the Emiratisation strategy, turning regulatory requirements and business priorities into annual and multi-year workforce plans, milestones and accountabilities.
• Set hiring, development, retention and progression objectives by business area and discipline, and monitor targets, risks and compliance against UAE regulations.
• Establish an Emiratisation governance forum involving HR, Talent Acquisition, Finance and business leadership, and advise senior leadership on risks, opportunities and investment needs.
• Support workforce planning, produce dashboards, scorecards and reports on targets, hiring, retention, progression and compliance, and use data to inform decisions.
• Build Emirati talent pipelines across graduate, early career and experienced routes with Talent Acquisition, and represent the company at career fairs and university events.
• Develop onboarding, development, succession and retention programmes, and monitor engagement and retention trends.
• Act as main contact with MOHRE, Nafis, Tasheel and related government stakeholders, coordinating submissions, reporting and follow-up.
• Promote the company as an employer of choice for Emiratis, developing success stories, testimonials and case studies.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience leading Emiratisation or nationalisation strategy within an international organisation.
• Experience engaging with MOHRE, Nafis, Tasheel or similar government stakeholders.
• Experience in talent attraction, workforce planning, employee development or retention.
• Advantageous: professional HR qualification or experience in a large or complex organisation.

Required skills

• Strong working knowledge of UAE Emiratisation requirements, employment legislation and government programmes.
• Strong analytical capability, including producing reports, dashboards and workforce insights.
• Stakeholder management, communication and relationship-building skills.