HR Business Partner

Job description / Role

Overview of the role

As an HR Business Partner, you will act as a trusted advisor to senior line management on all human capital management matters, ensuring HR strategies align with business objectives for robust growth and performance-focused culture. The role requires a deep understanding of business operations to effectively support the development and implementation of HR policies and practices, emphasizing meritocracy and diversity. Success involves managing organisational development, employee relations, training and development, and workforce optimisation while complying with Group HR policy.

What you will do:

• Create HR strategy and annual HR plan in liaison with Business MD, SHRBP, Group MD, and Group HR Director.
• Communicate HR plans and progress to HR function and business units.
• Support continuous improvement in HR activities within business units.
• Ensure new employees are properly inducted into the business and become productive quickly.
• Develop succession plans and retention strategies for key talent and positions.
• Create and execute learning and development plans to equip individuals with necessary skills.
• Implement performance management plans to improve performance or facilitate exit from the organisation.
• Specify training initiatives required to support the business.
• Liaise with Group Training Department to ensure delivery of appropriate training initiatives.
• Identify and deliver training needs for key and high potential staff.
• Ensure all key positions have identified successors.
• Manage Employee Relations (ER) issues within business units.
• Support creation of a culture of employee engagement based on Al Futtaim Way values.
• Reinforce a culture of meritocracy, performance-focus, and diversity.
• Educate and advise line managers on minimising risk and compliance with local law and Group policy.
• Communicate and implement changes to HR policies and procedures.
• Ensure proper application of disciplinary procedures before exiting employees.
• Act as a trusted business partner and coach to senior line management.
• Consult and support line managers across business units focusing on employee engagement.
• Advise, coach, and mentor management and HR team on people-related issues.
• Act as a change agent and facilitate transitions.
• Monitor incentives structure and compliance with manpower budgets.
• Implement employee engagement action plans.
• Advise on creating and managing a lean and multi-skilled workforce.
• Facilitate business structure reorganisation and consolidation for efficiency.
• Communicate organisational messages and monitor feedback within business units.
• Ensure compliance with localisation policy and targets.
• Improve business unit productivity through necessary actions.
• Ensure adherence to manpower budgeting and Emiratisation targets.
• Provide line management with regular financial reporting of employee costs.
• Conduct annual manpower budgeting exercise accurately and efficiently.
• Manage HR department budget and ensure adherence to financial systems.
• Monitor incentives payouts and communicate manpower performance within divisions.
• Attend board and financial meetings.
• Ensure compliance to HR policy and strengthen internal controls.
• Lead process and governance adherence, focusing on Emiratisation.
• Educate staff on policies and procedures through SOP trainings.
• Address policy breaches immediately and decisively.
• Safeguard Emirati-only positions.

Required skills to be successful:

• Strategic thinking and solution-oriented approach.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced analytical and financial modeling abilities.
• Teamwork and mentoring/coaching competencies.

What qualifies you for the role:

• Human Resource, Psychology or Business Management degree required.
• CIPD qualification is desirable.
• Minimum of five years' experience as an HR Generalist and previous HR Business Partner experience needed.
• Proficiency in Change Management, Organisational Development, Performance/Compensation Management, Recruitment & Selection required.

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions: automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organisation to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day.

We’re here to provide excellent service but a little help from you can ensure a five-star candidate experience from start to finish.

Before you click “apply”: please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global Talent Acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, and excellence.

As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.

About the Company

Established in the 1930's, the Al-Futtaim Group initially operated as a trading enterprise. Rapid development throughout the 1940's and 50's saw it establish itself regionally as an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation, positioning itself one of the leading business houses in the lower Gulf region. Today, it operates collectively over 40 companies bearing the Al-Futtaim name, dominates many market segments in the UAE, and has expanded its sphere of operation to include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.

The Group comprises a diverse range of strategically positioned operating subsidiaries and associate companies, structured to give the Al-Futtaim Group the flexibility and versatility to keep ahead of local competition while keeping pace with the ever-evolving global business scenario. The Groups continued investment in world-class systems technology is clear evidence of its commitment to maintain leading edge performance and service delivery.

The success of the Al-Futtaim Group can be attributed to a business approach that combines the ability to change with the traditional values of integrity, service and social responsibility that define its core business philosophy. This, linked with the Groups belief in decentralisation, gives the heads of the operating companies a high degree of functional autonomy and authority, providing the Group with essential flexibility, and individual employees a clearly defined work culture and sense of responsibility.