Lead - HR Operations

Role purpose

Employee and payroll operations

• Manage onboarding, employee movements, offboarding, employee documentation, exit interviews, clearances, settlements, and gratuity calculations.
• Prepare and validate monthly payroll inputs and coordinate timely, accurate payroll processing and local statutory requirements.
• Administer medical insurance, claims, air tickets, allowances, and annual benefit renewals.

Immigration and shared services

• Oversee employment and dependent visas, identity documents, permits, renewals, government portals, and document-expiry tracking across relevant countries.
• Design the global shared services centre, including operating model, location, service tiers, team structure, catalogue, SLAs, process maps, and SOPs.
• Standardise processes while respecting local laws; implement case management, helpdesk, knowledge base, and phased transition plans.

Global HRIS and reporting

• Lead global HRIS selection and implementation from requirements and vendor evaluation through design, build, testing, and go-live.
• Own project plan, budget, risks, steering updates, data cleansing and migration, configuration, training, adoption, and post-launch stabilisation.
• Maintain HRIS accuracy, workflows, access controls, integrations, upgrades, and governance; publish monthly dashboards and operational analytics.

Policy, compliance, and leadership

• Update HR policies, SOPs, and employee handbook in line with applicable UAE, KSA, India, and China requirements.
• Lead audits, close findings, maintain controls and audit-ready records, and ensure privacy, statutory filing, and localisation compliance.
• Drive automation and process improvement; lead and coach the HR Operations team and resolve employee escalations.
• Partner with HR, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Legal, and IT; manage HR service and technology vendors.

Experience and education

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field required; MBA/PG in HR preferred.
• 8–12 years of HR experience, including at least 5 years in HR operations and 3+ years leading a team.
• Multi-country HR operations experience and GCC experience are essential; India and China exposure is an advantage.
• Experience establishing or scaling shared services, managing vendors and transformation, and leading a multi-country HRIS implementation through go-live.
• Fast-paced e-commerce, retail, or technology experience is preferred; CIPD Level 5+ or SHRM-CP/SCP is an advantage.

Skills and knowledge

• Strong UAE and KSA labour law, WPS, gratuity, visa, and immigration knowledge; working knowledge of China and India employment regulations.
• Knowledge of statutory compliance and data privacy across GCC, India, and China; experience with HRIS and payroll systems.
• Advanced Excel, HR reporting, project and change management, process improvement, and automation skills.
• Demonstrated accuracy, discretion, service orientation, stakeholder management, team leadership, and ability to manage competing deadlines.
• PMP or similar project management certification is a plus.