HR Manager- Hospitality

JOB PURPOSE

The Manager – HR Operations will lead and take end-to-end ownership of the HR operations function, overseeing talent acquisition, retention, onboarding and offboarding, and payroll coordination. The role requires a hands-on generalist who can build efficient, compliant HR processes while championing an employee experience suited to a fast-paced, service-driven environment. Candidates with a background in hospitality, restaurants, or leisure and entertainment businesses are strongly preferred, given the operational tempo and people-first culture such backgrounds bring.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

HR Operations

• Own and continuously improve end-to-end HR operations processes, policies, and SOPs across the employee lifecycle.
• Ensure HR data integrity and process compliance within the HRIS/SAP system, including employee records, contracts, and letters.
• Act as the escalation point for employee queries relating to HR policy, benefits, and administration.
• Ensure compliance with UAE Labour Law, visa/immigration requirements, and internal governance policies.
• Prepare and present HR operational metrics and dashboards (headcount, turnover, time-to-hire, etc.) to leadership.

Talent Acquisition

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for operational and corporate roles, partnering with hiring managers to define role requirements.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of hospitality, retail, leisure, and entertainment talent suited to business lines.
• Coordinate interviews, assessments, and offer negotiations, ensuring an efficient and positive candidate experience.
• Track recruitment KPIs and report on hiring progress against workforce plans.

Retention

• Design and drive retention initiatives, engagement programmes, and career development pathways.
• Monitor attrition trends, conduct exit interviews, and translate findings into actionable retention strategies.
• Partner with department heads to address engagement risks and strengthen team culture.

Onboarding & Offboarding

• Own the end-to-end onboarding journey, ensuring new joiners are set up, informed, and integrated smoothly.
• Coordinate pre-boarding documentation, IT/system access, inductions, and probation tracking.
• Manage the offboarding process, including exit formalities, clearance, final settlements, and knowledge handover.

Payroll Coordination

• Coordinate monthly payroll inputs with Finance/Payroll teams, ensuring accuracy of new joiners, leavers, and changes.
• Validate attendance, leave, overtime, and benefit records feeding into payroll processing.
• Respond to and resolve payroll-related employee queries in a timely manner.
• Support WPS compliance and statutory reporting requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; HR certification (CIPD, SHRM, or equivalent) is an advantage.
• Minimum 6–8 years of progressive HR generalist experience, with at least 2–3 years in a managerial capacity.
• Background from the hospitality, restaurant, or leisure and entertainment industry is a strong preference for this role.
• Solid working knowledge of UAE Labour Law and HR compliance requirements.
• Hands-on experience with HRIS/payroll systems (SAP SuccessFactors or similar) preferred.
• Proven experience managing recruitment, retention, and employee lifecycle processes in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
• Hands-on, service-oriented mindset with a bias for action — comfortable operating both strategically and operationally.
• Strong communication skills in English; Arabic is an advantage.
• High attention to detail and discretion when handling confidential employee and payroll data.

LOCATION

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.