Head of Talent Acquisition

About the role

The University of Sharjah seeks a Head of Talent Acquisition to lead and manage the full talent acquisition lifecycle, from attraction and recruitment to onboarding of top-tier talent. The role develops and implements a forward-looking talent strategy aligned with the university's goals, strengthens the employer brand and fosters a high-performance culture, and acts as a key partner to university leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the talent acquisition strategy, policies and procedures, and optimise the lifecycle from application to onboarding
• Manage sourcing channels such as the university website, job portals and recruitment agencies, and advise line managers on interviews, assessment and offer negotiation
• Oversee recruitment and selection, including shortlists, interview schedules, assessments, reference checks and approved offers
• Build relationships with third-party agencies and represent the university at career fairs
• Oversee new hire onboarding and orientation
• Contribute to the department's annual budget, KPIs and the HR Committee, and run a quality assurance process for recruitment deliverables
• Supervise the Talent Acquisition team, set goals, coach staff and take part in hiring for the section

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, Business Administration or a related field
• Professional HR certification (e.g. CIPD, SHRM) or a master's degree in a related HR field (must)
• 12-14 years of UAE experience in a similar role, preferably in higher education
• Excellent oral and written communication in Arabic and English

Required skills

• MS Office (Excel, Word, Teams)
• Knowledge of sourcing channels, recruitment methodologies, assessment tools and the recruitment lifecycle
• Use of data and KPIs to measure recruitment effectiveness
• ERP systems related to HR operations (an advantage)