Director of Human Resources

Human Resources Department
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Iris Executives is a leading executive search firm specializing in Emiratisation and senior-level recruitment since 2010. We partner with government entities and strategic organisations across the UAE to identify exceptional leadership and advisory talent.

We are currently supporting a leading UAE federal government entity in the search for an experienced Director of Human Resources.

This is a strategic HR leadership role at the heart of a major national institution. Reporting to senior executive leadership, you will lead the Human Resources strategy of a large, complex organisation through a team of specialised section heads. This is a planning and strategy position — not a day-to-day HR operations role.

Your focus will be the future shape of the workforce. You will own workforce planning and budgeting — analysing the workforce, forecasting the skills needed, and building the position budget alongside the finance team until it is approved. You will lead organisational structuring, designing and reshaping organisation charts across many departments and locations. And you will oversee internal movement of people — transfers and rotations governed by detailed rules and approved by formal committees at the highest level.

Beyond the organisation itself, your work feeds directly into national priorities: growing UAE National talent into critical roles through succession planning, raising employee happiness, and modernising how HR works — including a major push towards AI-enabled HR practices.

We are looking for a UAE National HR strategist who has operated at group level inside a large, multi-entity organisation — someone who builds plans and budgets with finance, shapes structures, and moves people through formal approvals with confidence.

• Lead the organisation's workforce planning: analyse the current workforce and forecast future skills needs.
• Build and defend the annual position budget with the finance team, securing approval before hiring begins.
• Drive succession planning so national talent grows into critical roles.

• Own the design and upkeep of organisation structures across a complex, multi-department entity.
• Lead organisational reviews and restructuring initiatives that improve clarity, efficiency and performance.

• Oversee internal transfer and rotation programmes across many departments and locations, governed by detailed rules.
• Present movement decisions to formal committees and senior leadership for approval.

• Develop HR policies, career paths and job architecture aligned with federal HR frameworks.
• Advise senior leadership on workforce structure, performance philosophy and employee happiness.
• Lead and develop a team of section heads, building strong national HR capability.

Experience:

• This role is open to UAE Nationals (Emiratisation role).
• Minimum 10 years of relevant HR experience with a Bachelor's degree (7 years with a Master's, 4 years with a PhD).
• Proven experience building workforce plans and position budgets with finance teams in a large, multi-entity organisation.
• Track record of designing organisation structures — and ideally leading a real restructuring — across many departments or locations.
• Experience running internal transfer or rotation programmes approved through formal committees and senior leadership.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related field.
• Master's degree or PhD is an advantage.

Professional Background (examples may include):

• UAE federal government entities — HR strategy, policy, planning or OD functions.
• Dubai and other emirate government departments with complex structures.
• Large multi-entity national groups — aviation, logistics, telecommunications, banking or holding groups.
• Semi-government organisations with many departments, units or locations.

Skills:

• Workforce planning and budgeting — from analysis to approved budget.
• Organisation design and restructuring in complex environments.
• Internal mobility and rotation programme management.
• Committee and senior-stakeholder engagement — building cases with data.
• Fluency with HR data, technology and AI-enabled HR is a strong advantage.

This position plays a key role in shaping the workforce of a major national institution for years to come. By deciding how thousands of roles are planned, structured and filled, the Director of Human Resources contributes directly to the organisation's long-term capability — and to the UAE's national talent agenda.

The organisation offers a comprehensive government employment package including a competitive monthly package and federal pension scheme, family medical coverage, generous leave entitlement, and professional development with contribution to nationally significant work. Full compensation details will be discussed confidentially with shortlisted candidates.

Industry: Government | Human Resources Strategy | Organisational Development

Qualified candidates interested in this opportunity are invited to:

• Request the candidate data form
• Submit their updated CV for confidential consideration

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by Iris Executives to discuss the role and compensation details. All applications will be handled with strict confidentiality.