Head of HR

International Community Schools (ICS) is a well-established and growing educational group in Abu Dhabi delivering high-quality British and American curricula across six school branches.

We are seeking a highly experienced strategic and results-driven Head of Human Resources to lead the Groups HR operations strengthen organizational effectiveness develop talent strategies and build a high-performance workplace culture across all ICS branches.

This is a senior leadership position requiring a professional who can go beyond traditional HR administration to drive strategic workforce planning organizational development employee engagement and HR transformation.

Strategic HR Leadership

• Develop and execute the Groups HR strategy in alignment with organizational objectives and long-term growth plans.
  

• Serve as a strategic HR advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team.
  

• Lead workforce planning organizational restructuring succession planning and talent development across all six branches.
  

• Establish standardized HR policies procedures and performance management frameworks across the Group.
  

• Provide data-driven recommendations to support executive-level workforce and organizational decisions.
  

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Management

• Oversee end-to-end recruitment strategies for academic administrative and leadership positions.
  

• Develop effective talent acquisition retention and succession planning programs.
  

• Ensure timely staffing and workforce readiness across all schools.
  

• Oversee employee onboarding contract management renewals and employee lifecycle processes.
  

• Collaborate with school principals and department heads to identify staffing requirements and optimize workforce allocation.
  

HR Governance Compliance & Employee Relations

• Ensure compliance with UAE Labour Law ADEK requirements and other applicable education-sector regulations.
  

• Oversee employee relations grievances disciplinary procedures and conflict resolution.
  

• Maintain strong HR governance confidentiality and consistent policy implementation.
  

• Supervise employee documentation visa-related coordination payroll administration and statutory HR requirements.
  

• Identify and mitigate HR-related legal operational and organizational risks.
  

Performance Management & Organizational Development

• Design and implement effective performance appraisal systems and measurable HR KPIs.
  

• Establish employee engagement professional development and leadership development initiatives.
  

• Strengthen employee accountability productivity and organizational culture.
  

• Develop compensation and benefits strategies aligned with market competitiveness and financial sustainability.
  

• Drive HR digitalization HRMS/ERP optimization automation and process improvements.
  

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead mentor and develop HR teams across all six branches.
  

• Collaborate closely with executive management school principals finance operations and other departments.
  

• Present HR performance reports workforce analytics strategic recommendations and organizational risk assessments to senior leadership.
  

• Promote a professional ethical collaborative and high-performance workplace culture across the Group.
  

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources Business Administration Management or a related discipline.
  

• Masters degree in HR Management MBA or professional HR certifications such as CIPD SHRM-SCP or SPHR are strongly preferred.
  

• Minimum 1215 years of progressive HR experience including substantial experience in senior HR leadership positions.
  

• Previous HR leadership experience within the UAE education sector particularly in a school group or multi-campus environment is essential.
  

• Proven track record in strategic HR management organizational development workforce planning and employee relations.
  

• Strong working knowledge of UAE Labour Law ADEK regulations and education-sector HR compliance.
  

• Demonstrated experience managing HR operations across multiple locations and diverse employee groups.
  

• Strong knowledge of HRMS/ERP systems HR analytics compensation management and performance management frameworks.
  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Arabic language proficiency is a strong advantage.
  

We are looking for a strategic HR leader not simply an HR administrator someone who demonstrates:

• Strong leadership capabilities with the confidence to make independent well-informed HR decisions.
  

• A proactive and solution-oriented approach to workforce and organizational challenges.
  

• The ability to balance employee well-being organizational effectiveness and financial sustainability.
  

• Exceptional interpersonal negotiation conflict resolution and stakeholder-management skills.
  

• The ability to introduce modern HR practices challenge inefficient processes and drive meaningful organizational transformation.
  

• High standards of professionalism integrity confidentiality and accountability.
  

This is an opportunity to join an established and growing educational group influence strategic leadership decisions lead HR transformation across multiple school campuses and contribute to building an exceptional workforce that supports educational excellence. Salary and benefits are as per UAE Labor laws and job title.