HR Director (Mandarin-Speaking)

Location: Dubai, UAE Employment type: Full-time (onsite) Industry: Financial Services About the Role We are seeking an experienced, business-minded HR Director to lead our People function in Dubai and support our growth across the Middle East and international markets. Working closely with senior management, you will shape and deliver people strategies, build a high-performing organization, and lead the full spectrum of HR, including talent acquisition, performance and talent management, employee relations, compensation and benefits, HR operations, and organizational development. The ideal candidate is a confident HR leader with strong commercial judgment and stakeholder-management skills, and a track record of working effectively in fast-paced, multicultural environments. Key Responsibilities People Strategy and Leadership Develop and deliver people strategies that support business priorities and organizational growth. Advise senior management on workforce planning, organizational design, and people-related decisions. Lead and develop the Dubai HR/People team. Provide strategic HR business-partner support to leaders across the organization. Establish and continuously improve HR policies, processes, and systems. Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning Lead regional and international recruitment strategies in line with business needs. Build talent pipelines for critical and leadership roles. Partner with hiring managers to improve hiring quality, efficiency, and candidate experience. Support workforce planning and expansion across markets. Strengthen employer branding and talent-attraction initiatives. Performance and Talent Management Develop and oversee KPI/OKR and performance-management frameworks. Lead probation, confirmation, performance-review, and performance-improvement processes. Build career-development, succession-planning, and talent-management programs. Identify high-potential employees and support leadership development. Employee Relations and Engagement Oversee employee relations, grievances, disciplinary matters, and workplace conflicts. Drive employee engagement and retention initiatives. Promote a professional, collaborative, and performance-driven culture. Ensure company policies and values are applied consistently. Compensation and Benefits Review and develop compensation and benefits structures. Oversee salary reviews, bonuses, and incentive programs. Conduct market benchmarking and advise management on compensation decisions. Keep compensation practices competitive and aligned with business needs. HR Operations and Compliance Oversee onboarding, probation, attendance, leave, payroll coordination, and offboarding. Ensure HR practices comply with applicable UAE employment regulations and company policies. Maintain accurate, confidential employee records. Coordinate with external HR, legal, and professional advisers when needed. Organizational Development Support organizational expansion, restructuring, and change-management initiatives. Identify organizational gaps and recommend practical people solutions. Develop training initiatives to strengthen employee capabilities. Build scalable HR processes to support international growth. Requirements Bachelor’s degree or higher in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or a related field. At least 15 years of HR/People experience, including 8–10 years in senior HR leadership roles. Experience in Dubai/UAE or a multinational organization is strongly preferred. Experience in financial services, fintech, trading, technology, or another fast-paced industry is an advantage. Strong track record across HR business partnering, talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, and organizational development. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English, with strong communication and stakeholder-management skills. Strong understanding of HR operations and UAE employment practices. Excellent leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. High integrity and discretion when handling confidential matters. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multicultural, international environment. What We Offer An international and multicultural working environment. Regional and global exposure. Senior leadership and career-development opportunities. The opportunity to build and shape the People function. Competitive compensation and benefits. A dynamic and collaborative culture. If you are an experienced HR leader who is passionate about building high-performing teams and shaping organizational culture, we would love to hear from you. Show more Show less