HR Manager (Dubai Operations) - Full-Cycle HR & Employee Relations Lead

About the Role

AG&P LNG is looking for an HR Manager to be the on-the-ground HR focal point for our Dubai operations. This role owns the full employee lifecycle from onboarding through offboarding, supports full-cycle recruitment, and coordinates with global HR counterparts on policy, payroll, and compliance matters. You'll also serve as the first point of contact for employee relations and welfare, and provide oversight to the admin team covering reception, travel, and office upkeep — stepping in on executive support or travel logistics yourself when needed (roughly 10% of your time). This is a hands-on, high-visibility role suited to someone who enjoys owning a process from start to finish, partnering confidently across local and global stakeholders, and keeping employees and candidates well supported at every step.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Lifecycle & HR Operations

• Oversee the full employee lifecycle including onboarding, offboarding, and records management.
• Act as the HR focal point for all local staff matters and coordinate with global HR counterparts on policy alignment and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with UAE labor laws (supported by our legal department), visa requirements, and internal HR policies.
• Manage payroll coordination, leave tracking, and employee benefits administration.
• Maintain and update employee handbooks, contracts, and performance documentation.
• Support HR reporting and metrics (headcount, turnover, recruitment, and compliance data) to drive informed decision-making.

Recruitment & Talent Acquisition (end to end)

• Partner with hiring managers to understand headcount needs, build role profiles, and develop sourcing and workforce plans across engineering, technical, and corporate functions.
• Source candidates through LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, job boards, employee referrals, agencies, and direct outreach, building a strong regional talent pipeline.
• Support recruitment processes including screening, interview coordination, and offer issuance.
• Manage candidate communication and experience throughout the process, ensuring timely, warm, and transparent updates.
• Conduct reference checks, background verification, and pre-employment documentation in line with UAE labor requirements.

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Onboarding

• Own the new hire onboarding journey: offer acceptance, visa/labor card coordination with PRO/government relations teams, document collection, and Day 1 readiness.
• Prepare onboarding schedules, welcome materials, and system access requests in coordination with IT, Facilities, and hiring managers.
• Check in with new hires during the first 30/60/90 days to support a smooth transition and early engagement.

Employee Relations & Engagement

• Serve as the first point of contact for employee relations, engagement, and welfare matters.
• Support the resolution of grievances and performance or conduct concerns, escalating to legal/senior HR leadership as appropriate.
• Plan and support employee engagement initiatives, town halls, and welfare programs.

Admin & Office Oversight (~10%)

• Provide oversight to the admin team (reception, travel, office upkeep), ensuring day-to-day support runs smoothly.
• Ensure consistent office protocols and basic facility management.
• Own vendor relationships for HR and office-related services (recruitment agencies, payroll and benefits providers, travel agencies, and facilities/office suppliers), managing service levels, renewals, and escalations.
• Step in on executive support, travel logistics, or coordination tasks as needed — including business travel and flight bookings for employees and candidates (interviews, mobilization, relocation), liaising with the corporate travel agent/portal on itineraries, fares, and approvals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or a related field.
• 4–5 years of progressive HR experience covering full-cycle recruitment, HR operations, and employee relations, ideally in a standalone or country HR lead capacity.
• Working knowledge of UAE Labour Law, visa/immigration requirements, and standard employment practices in the UAE/GCC market.
• Experience coordinating payroll inputs, leave management, and employee benefits administration.
• Hands-on experience with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and/or HRIS platform.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders — local and global — simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior recruitment or HR experience in the energy, oil & gas, LNG, EPC, construction, or infrastructure sector.
• Experience operating as the sole or lead HR presence in a local office while reporting into a global/regional HR structure.
• Experience coordinating with PRO/government relations teams on visa processing, or overseeing office administration/facilities.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and contracts (recruitment agencies, benefits/insurance providers, travel agencies, or office suppliers).
• Professional certification such as CIPD, PHR, or SHRM-CP.
• Arabic language skills are an advantage but not required.

Technical and Soft Skills

Technical

• ATS/HRIS systems (e.g., SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, Workday, or similar).
• LinkedIn Recruiter and Boolean search techniques.
• MS Office 365 (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) for reporting and documentation.
• Familiarity with UAE employment documentation (offer letters, labor contracts, MOHRE processes) and payroll/WPS coordination.
• Working knowledge of corporate travel booking portals/agencies for flight, hotel, and itinerary management.
• Comfortable using AI productivity tools such as Claude to support drafting, summarizing, and HR documentation work.

Soft Skills

• Excellent stakeholder management and consultative partnering with hiring managers, employees, and global HR counterparts.
• Confident vendor management and negotiation skills, with the ability to hold external providers to agreed service levels.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities under tight timelines.
• High attention to detail and discretion when handling confidential employee data and sensitive employee relations matters.
• Warm, professional communication style that creates a positive candidate and employee experience.
• A proactive, ownership-driven mindset with sound judgment and problem-solving ability, comfortable being the go-to HR presence on the ground.