Senior Manager Talent Acquisition

Title: Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition (National Operations Recruitment)

Location: Dubai (bordering Abu Dhabi)

Reporting to: Head of Human Capital

About the Role

Our client, a leading organization within the manufacturing sector, is seeking a Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition to lead and drive National (Emirati) recruitment across its operational footprint. This is a strategic leadership role responsible for delivering Emiratisation hiring objectives across plant, production, and large-scale industrial environments.

The successful candidate will combine strong operational recruitment expertise with a deep understanding of workforce nationalization strategy, compliance requirements, and stakeholder partnership at senior levels.

Key Responsibilities

National Recruitment Strategy & Delivery

• Lead and execute the national operations recruitment strategy aligned with Emiratisation targets and broader workforce plans.
• Drive end-to-end recruitment for operational roles including plant, production, technical, and large-scale industrial functions.
• Ensure robust pipeline development for Emirati talent across multiple operational sites.
• Monitor hiring performance metrics and continuously enhance recruitment processes for efficiency and impact.

Emiratisation & Compliance

• Demonstrate strong knowledge of UAE Emiratisation frameworks, targets, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure compliance with national workforce policies and reporting obligations.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to forecast national workforce needs and proactively plan hiring initiatives.
• Develop initiatives to attract, engage, and retain national talent within operational environments.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a trusted advisor to Operations Leadership across sites.
• Provide strategic workforce insights to support operational growth and production demands.
• Influence hiring decisions through market intelligence, salary benchmarking, and talent availability insights.

Team Leadership & Governance

• Lead and develop the national recruitment function within operations.
• Implement best-practice recruitment standards, assessment frameworks, and selection methodologies.
• Ensure candidate experience excellence and strong employer brand positioning within the national talent market.

Candidate Profile

• Senior Manager-level experience within Talent Acquisition.
• Strong background in national / Emirati recruitment, ideally within manufacturing, industrial, plant, or large-scale operational environments.
• Demonstrated expertise in Emiratisation targets, compliance frameworks, and workforce nationalization strategy.
• Proven ability to partner effectively with senior operational stakeholders.
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing recruitment teams and complex hiring programs.
• Strategic thinker with hands-on delivery capability.

Mandatory requirements:

• UAEN Applicants only please
• minimum of 8 years in Talent Acquisition
• Must specialise in Emiratization
• Bachelors degree minimum qualification
• Must have experience in large headcount companies