Senior HR Manager

base: Dubai

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead all HR operations for the Dubai entity, including establishing HR policies, employee handbooks, job descriptions, performance management systems, and HR processes. Prepare regular reports on recruitment, visas, HR costs, compliance, and workforce metrics.
2. Develop and implement compensation and benefits programs. Prepare employment offers and employment contracts, manage employee relations, and resolve employee issues in collaboration with legal advisors when required.
3. Develop and execute recruitment strategies for the local market and APAC region. Lead the hiring of technical, engineering, product, and business professionals while managing recruitment agencies, sourcing channels, recruitment funnel metrics, and hiring KPIs.
4. Manage the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, probation reviews, HRIS administration, employee records, and equipment allocation.
5. Coordinate employee relocation and mobility programs, including immigration support, work visa applications, housing, banking, tax and social security registration, and family relocation assistance. Liaise with lawyers, government authorities, and consulates, and prepare sponsorship and immigration documentation.
6. Select, negotiate, and manage Employer of Record (EOR) and payroll service providers. Monitor service quality, compliance, payroll accuracy, SLAs, and transition plans from EOR to direct local employment where applicable.
7. Oversee office administration, including office leasing, workspace planning, vendor management, procurement, equipment management, budgeting, and coordination with finance and legal advisors to ensure operational compliance.
8. Serve as the primary HR representative for the Dubai office, collaborating closely with APAC headquarters and external partners while facilitating effective communication between Chinese- and English-speaking stakeholders.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or above in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of HR or People Operations experience, including of 4+ years in an HR Manager or equivalent leadership role.
• Has HR experience in Middle East Asia area is preferred. Candidates without local experience will also be considered if they possess strong hands-on knowledge of the local employment market and HR practices.
• Fluent in Mandarin and English, Arabic is an advantage, in order to liaise with team.
• Strong knowledge of local labor law, employment regulations, payroll, taxation, and social security requirements is preferred. Candidates with the ability to quickly acquire and apply local regulatory knowledge are also welcome.
• Proven experience handling employment visas, immigration processes, and relocation for international employees.
• Strong technical recruitment capability, with experience hiring engineering, software, hardware, semiconductor, product, or architecture professionals.
• Experience managing EOR providers and payroll vendors, with a solid understanding of employment compliance, commercial models, and associated risks.
• Hands-on experience supporting local entity establishment, HR setup, or transitioning employees from an EOR model to direct employment is highly preferred.
• Strong cross-border HR experience within the APAC region, including international compensation, global mobility, expatriate management, and stakeholder coordination across multiple countries.