Assistant Manager, HR & Administration

Role overview

HR and employee lifecycle

• Prepare, validate, and coordinate monthly payroll inputs with ADP, Finance, local partners, and Group HR; resolve queries and support compensation adjustments, reporting, and audits.
• Manage daily HR operations and employee relations, including grievances, investigations, discipline, performance concerns, absenteeism, and exits.
• Administer promotions, transfers, leave, attendance, overtime, claims, medical insurance, and timely, accurate HRIS records.
• Manage recruitment with hiring managers, onboarding and mobilization, employment documentation, and offboarding processes.
• Prepare and administer contracts, salary certificates, transfer letters, NOCs, work permits, MOHRE/WPS requirements, final settlements, visa cancellations, clearance, and exit interviews.
• Maintain fair treatment, complete documentation, data accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance with UAE law and company policies.

Office administration

• Manage daily office administration and supervise the administrative support staff and receptionist.
• Process invoices, expenses, payment submissions, and supporting records with Finance; monitor the administration budget and costs.
• Coordinate business travel, including itineraries, flights, hotels, visas, and ground transport.
• Manage reception, visitors, calls, couriers, mail, meeting rooms, office supplies, and general office support.
• Support expatriate employees with housing searches, tenancy documents, renewals, utilities, and move-in or move-out coordination.
• Manage facilities, maintenance, service providers, vendors, health and safety, and emergency or evacuation arrangements.
• Handle government and PRO matters, trade licence, establishment card and immigration renewals, office tenancy, lease renewals, and landlord coordination.
• Coordinate external customer events and train administration staff, setting priorities, service standards, and coverage arrangements.

Experience and qualifications

• Requires at least seven years of progressive HR and office-administration experience in the UAE.
• Candidates with more extensive experience, including at least three years in a senior UAE HR generalist and administration role, may be considered at Manager level.
• Requires practical knowledge of UAE employment law, MOHRE, employment contracts, WPS, work permits, visas, discipline, termination, and end-of-service settlements.
• Requires UAE office-administration experience, including facilities, vendors, expenses, and government or PRO processes.
• Requires experience with employee relations, workplace investigations, grievances, disciplinary processes, payroll inputs and controls, and senior-manager advising.
• Requires Workday or a comparable HRIS, strong Microsoft Excel, discretion, interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, organization, and attention to detail.

Languages

• Strong written and spoken English is required.
• Arabic proficiency is highly advantageous, especially for employee-relations and government interactions.