Senior HR Manager

Job description / Role

As HR Manager based in our Qatar office, you will be responsible for providing comprehensive HR services to the region’s businesses in Qatar and Kuwait.

It is the intention of the business to modernise the delivery of HR services and to strengthen the Regional Centres of Expertise in Reward, Resourcing and Learning and development, as well as investing in our systems and technology to create a best in class admin and support function. The Senior HR Manager will play a critical Business Change Management roles in affecting these changes.

Measures of Responsibility:

This role is responsible for the Qatar and Kuwait HR operations and as a key member of the Middle East HR team will also support the Middle East business as a whole.

The following metrics describe the size of the Middle East organisation and the context within which the role operates:

-Revenue of circa £160 million
-Operating profit of circa £15 million
-Margin – circa 10%
-Current Staff in ME – circa 2,000
-Current Staff in Qatar – circa 300 (with substantial growth projections)
-Current Staff in Kuwait – 30 (with growth targets)
-7 main Business Streams across the ME

Principal Accountabilities

The role reports functionally to the HR Director Middle East and directly to the Managing Director in Qatar. The role also has responsibility for the smaller Kuwait business and in this respect, will report to the MD in Kuwait.

As a key a member of the Middle East HR team and the Qatar Senior Leadership Team, the incumbent will have strategic, operational and project related responsibilities, ensuring that business critical issues are prioritised and managed as well as developing the Atkins brand as an Employer of Choice.

Principal Accountabilities are:

-Provide a comprehensive range of HR services to the Qatar and Kuwait businesses and work within Middle East HR Policy to engender a Middle East identity.
-As a member of the Qatar Senior Leadership Team, drive the HR and People agenda for effective resource and business planning.
-Manage the Qatar Government Relations function to ensure all necessary work permits and Residence Visas are planned for and procured.
-Working with the Head of L&D, develop and implement a Learning and Development Strategy for the Qatar business, including the delivery of innovative L&D solutions.
-Travel regularly and frequently as needed to other ME offices to ensure HR service is delivered to meet business needs.
-Work closely with business heads to convert plans to actions and deliver to meet needs
-Actively engage with Line Managers and staff to influence behaviours and facilitate organisation change
-Proactively manage employee relations issues to enhance the employer/employee relationship
-Actively manage and coach the HR team members
-Develop and manage HR budgets as appropriate
-Manage and contribute to regional and Middle East HR projects as required.

Relationships

-Develop and maintain effective working relationships with the key business stakeholders in order to understand business issues and priorities.

-Develop effective working relationships with colleagues in the UK and Bangalore HR functions as necessary, especially the International Assignment Specialists, Reward Consultants, and Operational HR team members as and when needed.
-Develop effective working relationships with the Qatar Financial Controller so as to understand the financial and commercial issues of the business
-Establish a reputation for being credible, reliable and for getting things done.
-Develop and manage relationships with supply chain partners as appropriate to gain maximum value from such relationships.
-Develop relationships with local schools and Embassy officials as necessary to ensure the Atkins presence in Qatar is recognised.
-Benchmark with peer group HR professionals in the region to keep abreast with current practices.

Decision Making

The role involves company authorisation at Level D, the Limits for Group Authority at this level are:

-Project Expenses (£50k)
-Overhead Transactions (£5k)
-Expenses (£1,000)
-Commercial – Bids/Contracts/Liability (£0)

Requirements

Requirements

Key Attributes:

-Demonstrable successful HR experience at senior managerial level in a complex professional services environment.
-Experience working in a multi-cultural environment would be preferred.
-Academic degree in a relevant discipline.
-Experience in planning, managing and successfully delivering on a large project involving numerous stakeholders.
-Effective communication, presentation and reporting skills.
-A value driven individual who can explicate and influence on HR issues to help achieve clear outcomes, particularly in circumstances where polar opinions may exist.
-The role requires both confidentiality and the ability to use discretion and exercise judgement to offer quality advice.
-Possess a high level of self belief and independence to support difficult but credible challenges during discussions is essential.
-Possess a reputation for being a trusted confidante who is dependable and has integrity.
-Able to manage the complexity of delivering to meet business needs and doing so within Middle East HR Policy framework.

Behaviours

The Senior HR Manager will need to:
-Be resilient and agile to weather and exploit the fast rate of change.
-Be open to others and to uncertainty.
-Maintain an engaging leadership style.
-Assert independent views and challenge when appropriate.
-Work for the overall good of the Company (rather than through silo thinking)
-Encourage and influence the behaviours of others to adopt a collaborative style

Rewards & Benefits

We offer an excellent package which includes:

-A competitive salary
-Accommodation allowance
-Transportation allowance
-22 calendar days annual leave (based on 5 day working week)
-Medical and life insurance cover
-Company gratuity scheme
-Discretionary bonus scheme
-Annual flight allowance to point of origin
-Employee Well-Being Programme – 24 hour free advice on financial, legal and family care specialists and also access to personal health, fitness and nutrition consultants

About the Company

Atkins is one of the leading providers of professional, technology based consultancy and support services to the industry, commerce and governments in all of the worlds major economies. With over 17,000 staff operating in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas, Atkins has a broad range of skills and resources and provides Clients with a comprehensive service throughout the entire life cycle of the projects in the built environment.

We aim to be the international first choice supplier of technical and integrated services. Shaped by our customers' needs, our vision is to:

• focus on quality
• seek world class design and excellence
• strive to add value
• be flexible to the evolving needs of a changing society

Atkins first carried out design and supervision commissions in the Gulf area in 1967. From its regional head office in Dubai, U.A.E. Atkins Middle East now employs over 2000 staff located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman (Muscat ), Qatar (Doha) Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait (Kuwait City) and India (Bangalore).