Head of Talent Acquisition

Job description / Role Job Type Full Time Job Location Dubai, UAE Nationality Any Nationality Salary 70000 - 100000 AED Gender Not Specified Arabic Fluency Not Specified Job Function HR, Recruitment & Training Company Industry Government & Public Sector Head of Talent Acquisition

• Emiratisation (UAE) A leading organisation in the UAE is hiring a Head of Talent Acquisition (Emiratisation) to own and scale their national hiring strategy. This is a senior role for someone who can build a credible pipeline of UAE National talent, partner confidently with the business, and deliver measurable outcomes against Emiratisation targets—without compromising quality. What you’ll be doing
• Own the Emiratisation hiring strategy end-to-end (workforce planning, sourcing, selection, offers, onboarding)
• Partner with senior stakeholders to define priority roles, hiring plans, and realistic timelines
• Build strong UAE National talent pipelines across early careers and experienced hires
• Strengthen employer brand and candidate experience for UAE Nationals
• Lead relationships with relevant external partners (universities, training providers, job boards, community networks)
• Ensure compliance with UAE labour requirements and reporting expectations
• Build a high-performing TA team and operating rhythm (SLAs, governance, dashboards)
• Track and report performance: pipeline health, conversion rates, time-to-hire, quality-of-hire, retention signals What we’re looking for
• Proven leadership in Talent Acquisition with a clear track record in Emiratisation delivery
• Strong stakeholder management: able to influence hiring managers and drive decision-making
• Deep expertise in sourcing UAE National talent and building long-term pipelines
• Data-led approach to TA: you can run dashboards, diagnose bottlenecks, and improve conversion
• Comfortable balancing speed, quality, and compliance
• Excellent communication—credible, direct, and culturally aware Nice to have
• Experience in large, multi-site or high-volume environments
• Sector experience in government-linked, industrial, logistics, retail, banking, tech, or healthcare
• Exposure to TA tech/ATS optimisation and process redesign Package
• Competitive salary + benefits (based on experience)
• Location: UAE (details shared with shortlisted candidates) Requirements: You’re a senior talent acquisition leader with a proven track record of delivering Emiratisation outcomes in the real world—building credible UAE National pipelines, partnering with the business at senior level, and hitting targets without lowering the bar on quality. You understand that Emiratisation isn’t a “TA campaign”; it’s a long-term workforce strategy. You can translate organisational goals into practical hiring plans, prioritise the right roles, and set clear expectations with hiring managers on timelines, selection criteria, and what a strong process looks like. You’re confident challenging stakeholders when requirements are unrealistic, and you