Job Description
Our Client
A soon-to-be opened college in Dubai. The institution is entering an exciting start-up phase, with a mandate to build strong academic foundations, robust governance, and a high-performance culture from day one.
Your Role
As HR Lead, you will set up and run the HR function for the new college, ensuring the right people, policies, and culture are in place for launch and scalable as the institution grows.
You will play a hands-on, strategic role during the start-up phase, partnering closely with the Dean, Assistant Dean, AQC, PMO, and central corporate functions.
Key responsibilities include:
- Building and implementing the HR set-up plan aligned with the overall college launch masterplan
- Leading workforce planning across academic, professional, and support staff
- Driving end-to-end recruitment: job descriptions, sourcing, interviews, offers, and onboarding
- Developing core HR policies and procedures in line with UAE Labour Law and corporate standards (contracts, probation, performance management, grievance/discipline, leave, code of conduct)
- Designing and managing onboarding and induction frameworks for faculty and staff
- Implementing a performance management framework suitable for both academic and non-academic roles
- Supporting compensation & benefits benchmarking to ensure internal consistency and fairness
- Leading core HR operations and systems (HRIS, personnel files, compliance records)
- Acting as a trusted advisor on employee relations, engagement, and culture during start-up and growth phases
- Coordinating with central functions to ensure smooth integration into wider people frameworks
This is a rare opportunity to build an HR function from the ground up within a higher education launch environment.
Must-Have
- 7–12 years of HR experience, with at least 3–5 years in UAE-based education (higher education exposure is a strong plus)
- Strong generalist HR background with experience setting up processes from scratch
- Solid understanding of UAE Labour Law and local employment practices
- Experience partnering with senior leadership and managing change in fast-moving, high-growth environments
- Hands-on, pragmatic, and comfortable operating in a start-up setting
Next Steps
Please upload your resume via our ATS portal. We review applications within 5–7 working days. Due to high application volumes, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.