Associate Director – HR Business Partner

About the role

The Associate Director – HR Business Partner will act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, shaping people strategy to support rapid growth in the retail sector. You will lead enterprise‑wide HR initiatives, drive culture transformation and ensure alignment of talent with business objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute a people strategy that aligns with business growth and operating model effectiveness across multiple units.
• Lead workforce planning, organizational design, and succession planning for critical leadership roles.
• Own the performance management framework, set metrics, and drive continuous improvement.
• Champion culture and engagement programs, using survey insights to influence leadership actions.
• Steer enterprise‑level change initiatives, including restructurings, integrations and transformation programs.
• Ensure compliance with UAE labour laws, governance and risk management for complex employee‑relations cases.
• Provide data‑driven HR analytics and business insights to senior leadership.
• Collaborate with HR Centres of Excellence to localise and execute group‑wide initiatives.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology or related field; Master’s/MBA preferred.
• 8–10 years progressive HR experience, with 3–5 years in business partnering or HR leadership.
• Proven track record supporting senior leaders and delivering strategic HR initiatives.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English; Arabic is a plus.

Required skills

• Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Microsoft Teams.
• SharePoint.