HR Manager (People & Culture)

JOUD Coffee

Job Description

About Joud Coffee

Joud Coffee is a homegrown Abu Dhabi brand built on generosity, craft, and real hospitality. We’ve grown fast—and now we’re focused on the next phase: stronger culture, higher engagement, better leadership, and consistent guest experience across every outlet.

The role (read this carefully)

We’re hiring an HR Manager (People & Culture) who is a builder and a floor operator—not a policy-only, behind-the-desk HR person. You will spend real time in outlets, coaching managers, listening to teams, and turning culture into daily behaviors.

You will also own Employer Branding & Talent Attraction, including building our LinkedIn presence to attract top talent. And you must be strong on UAE labour compliance and have hands-on Emiratization experience.

Arabic & English fluency is required (spoken and written).

What you’ll own

1) Culture & Engagement (your #1 mission)

Translate our values into clear frontline behaviors (how we speak, serve, lead, and solve problems)

Build practical culture routines: recognition, manager coaching, “wins of the week,” team rituals

Run engagement systems that lead to action: listening sessions, pulse checks, feedback loops, action plans

Protect a “no ego / high ownership” environment—resolve conflicts early and keep standards high

2) Field HR — be on the floor, not behind the desk

Build a structured outlet visit cadence (weekly/bi-weekly) with check-ins

Coach outlet leaders on people topics: attendance, attitude, teamwork, service behavior, discipline, escalations

Train managers on tough conversations + documentation (firm, fair, consistent)

Detect issues early (culture drift, burnout, poor leadership) and fix them with real interventions

3) Hiring & workforce growth (multi-site)

Own recruitment end-to-end: role scorecards, structured interviews, selection standards, offers, onboarding

Build workforce plans with Ops: staffing models by outlet/format and peak season planning

Raise hiring quality and retention through better screening, onboarding, and manager capability

Build referral programs and partnerships to keep the pipeline warm

4) Employer Branding & LinkedIn (you own it)

Build and manage our LinkedIn company page (setup/refresh, access control, brand consistency)

Create an employer brand content plan: team stories, promotions, training, culture moments, behind-the-scenes

Run hiring campaigns and build a talent community (followers → applicants → hires)

Track simple results: follower growth, engagement, applicant quality, conversion rates

Coordinate with Marketing for brand guidelines—but HR owns the talent narrative

5) Emiratization (must-have experience)

Lead Emiratization planning and execution: sourcing, hiring, onboarding, retention, development pathways

Build relationships and pipelines for Emirati talent (universities, programs, local networks)

Manage relevant reporting/requirements and ensure ongoing compliance with Emiratization initiatives

Design career paths and support plans to help Emirati employees succeed and grow in operations and HQ roles

6) UAE Labour Law & HR compliance (must-have)

Ensure strong compliance with UAE labour law and MOHRE-related processes

Own contracts, policies, employee relations, investigations, disciplinary actions and terminations (proper process + documentation)

Coordinate visa/work permit administration with PRO / government portals where relevant

Maintain accurate employee records and HR reporting (headcount, turnover, attendance, leave, etc.)

Requirements (must-have)

Fluent Arabic & English (spoken + written)

5–8+ years HR experience, ideally in hospitality/retail with multiple locations

Strong UAE labour law knowledge + hands-on HR compliance experience (ER, documentation, terminations, contracts)

Proven Emiratization experience (implementation, hiring pipelines, onboarding/retention, reporting/requirements)

Experience building employer branding / talent attraction, including LinkedIn company page + hiring campaigns

Field/operator mindset: you enjoy being in outlets and solving real people problems

High integrity, calm under pressure, strong judgment and confidentiality

Nice to have

Experience in a fast-scaling, founder-led brand

Built onboarding/training systems for frontline teams

HRIS/LMS exposure (training platforms a plus)

Location & work style

Abu Dhabi-based. Regular travel to outlets is essential (this is part of the job, not optional).