Senior HR & Administration Manager

Building dreams of the future

This organization is a newly established contracting business headquartered in Abu Dhabi created as part of a respected regional real estate and housing development group with a long-standing track record in delivering high-quality large-scale projects. While the business operates with the agility and entrepreneurial mindset of a start-up it benefits from the financial strength governance standards and project expertise of its parent group.

With a clear focus on civil and infrastructure development across the UAE the company is building its core leadership and delivery teams to support ambitious growth plans. The environment combines strong structure and discipline with the opportunity to shape processes culture and ways of working from an early stage.

Senior HR & Administration Manager

About the company

Youll be joining an ambitious start-up subsidiary of a well-established construction and housing development group in the UAE. While operating independently youll benefit from the credibility financial discipline and operational excellence of a trusted parent organization. Here your work will have a real impact on high-profile civil and infrastructure projects across Abu Dhabi and the UAE combining innovation with a strong focus on compliance quality and efficiency.

This is your chance to be part of a fast-growing team where your contributions directly support project success and help shape how operations run across multiple sites.

About the role

This is a senior leadership opportunity within a newly established contracting organization based in Abu Dhabi operating as part of a well-known regional development group. The company is entering a key growth phase delivering large-scale civil and infrastructure projects across the UAE with a strong emphasis on governance compliance and long-term value creation.

As Senior HR & Administration Manager you will take full ownership of the HR and administration function. Your role is to build lead and continuously strengthen people and administrative processes that support business growth operational excellence and a positive employee experience in a dynamic project-driven environment.

Your new role

In this role you will act as a trusted partner to senior leadership while remaining closely involved in day-to-day HR and administrative operations. You will be responsible for ensuring compliance with UAE labor law driving HR digitalization and establishing scalable processes that can support the organization as it grows.

You will combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution playing a key role in shaping the organizations culture structure and people practices from the ground up.

Day in the life
Youll start your day by reviewing HR metrics and ensuring compliance across the organization keeping a pulse on key workforce indicators. Youll meet with senior management to align on workforce planning and organizational priorities while guiding your HR and administration team on recruitment progress employee relations matters and process improvements. Throughout the day youll handle escalations related to labor law contracts or employee issues and dedicate time to longer-term initiatives such as implementing new systems developing policies and enhancing the overall employee experience.

Key responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Developing and implementing HR strategies aligned with business objectives
• Leading recruitment onboarding performance management and talent development processes
• Managing compensation benefits payroll and employee records
• Ensuring full compliance with UAE labor law regulations and internal policies
• Driving employee engagement performance management and training initiatives
• Overseeing administrative operations including office management facilities and vendor coordination
• Preparing HR reports and providing insights to senior leadership
• Leading mentoring and developing the HR and administration team
• Driving HR process improvements and digital transformation initiatives

What you bring

We are looking for an experienced and credible HR leader who is comfortable operating in a fast-paced project-based environment and enjoys building structure while supporting growth.

You bring:

• A bachelors degree in HR business administration or a related field (masters preferred)
• 15 years of HR experience including at least 5 years in a senior or managerial role
• Strong hands-on knowledge of UAE labor law and HR best practices
• Experience within construction contracting engineering or similar project-driven industries
• Proven leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Experience working with HR systems ERP tools and digital HR platforms
• Strong communication problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• The adaptability and resilience required to thrive in a growing organization

Professional HR certifications (CIPD SHRM or equivalent) are considered an advantage.

Whats in it for you

This role offers the chance to play a defining role in shaping the people and administrative foundations of a growing organization. You will work closely with senior leadership have real influence on how the business evolves and contribute to projects that have a visible impact across the UAE.

For the right individual this is an opportunity to combine stability and backing from a well-established development group with the autonomy exposure and impact of a start-up environment.