Head of Human Resources (HR) – Abu Dhabi

About the role

An exciting opportunity within an Abu Dhabi‑headquartered investment firm is seeking an experienced and strategically savvy Head of Human Resources (HR). This newly created role supports transformation and growth plans, ideal for a leader who enjoys driving change and positioning HR as a strategic business function.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the people strategy, HR plan and budget, aligning workforce priorities, organisational structure and talent requirements with business growth.
• Advise the Managing Partner and senior leadership on succession, reward, culture, senior appointments, retention, performance and key people risks.
• Lead workforce planning, recruitment standards and performance management to attract, develop and retain high‑calibre talent aligned with business priorities.
• Establish succession, talent review and leadership development frameworks that strengthen capability and accelerate high‑potential talent.
• Design competitive reward and benefits programmes, supported by market benchmarking and clear governance, while driving employee engagement and culture initiatives.
• Oversee the employee experience across the full lifecycle, using workforce insights to strengthen inclusion, development, mobility and retention.
• Strengthen HR governance and compliance across policies, employee relations, payroll, immigration, benefits, systems and vendor management.
• Build robust HR reporting and controls, using workforce data and continuous process improvement to enhance service quality, risk management and data protection.
• Lead and develop the HR team, setting clear priorities, accountability and service standards.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field; master’s degree or recognised HR qualification (e.g., CIPD) preferred.
• 10–15+ years of progressive HR experience with significant leadership responsibility across strategy and operations.
• Proven experience advising senior executives in a high‑performance, confidential environment.
• Strong knowledge of UAE employment practices, employee relations, immigration and HR compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated capability across talent acquisition, performance, succession, reward, organisational development and HR operations.
• Experience using HR data and metrics to influence decisions and improve outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal English; Arabic language capability advantageous.
• Current residence in the UAE and willingness to work in Abu Dhabi on‑site, five days per week.