Manager - People & Culture Aldar Academies

Manager - P&C will oversee and lead the HR function across the school. This strategic business partner role requires balancing daily operational HR needs with long-term workforce planning and culture-building initiatives. The P&C Manager will partner with School Principals and senior leadership teams to support all aspects of the employee lifecycle, while also ensuring alignment with Aldar Education s group-wide P&C strategies and compliance standards.

Minimum Qualification:

• Minimum diploma / degree of higher education in Human Resources or related field.
• Related industry qualification, of graduate level, for the assigned functional area(s).
• Recognized HR Qualification and/or professional subscription (eg CIPD) desirable

Job Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong organizational and prioritisation skills.
• Experience liaising with government bodies in the UAE as well as a working knowledge of HAAD and Immigration requirements and processes.
• Enables a working environment that promotes trust, equality and fairness
• Fluent English communication skills, written and oral (Arabic proficiency is highly advantageous)
• Attention to detail with diligent follow up, and able to execute in a timely manner.
• Skilled in multi-tasking and handling pressure.
• Organizational ability, of self and others.
• Works with team members to ensure targets are met, focusing on priorities for Aldar Education
• Forethought and forward planning (particularly as this relates to local Government compliance matters).
• Capable of influencing people and talented in networking with cultural sensitivity.
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Main Duties:

• Support SLT in the effective attraction and recruitment of school-based staff
• Manage the onboarding process for all incoming staff, including pre-employment communication to ensure new starters are aware of the requirements for their role and for working and living in the UAE
• Coordinate and manage employee exit processes, liaising with the Operations teams
• Ensure adherence to updated Employment Law at all times
• Coordinate the school s probationary processes in accordance with group-wide policies and processes
• Coordinate performance review and appraisal cycles in accordance with group-wide policies and processes to support the SLT in achieving a high-performance culture
• Training & Development; Ensuring all employees in the school are trained on new processes, policies and their implementation in the school
• Health and Safety: work closely with Operations Team to ensure risks are mitigated, and communications are distributed
• Ensure all personnel files are up to date, absence management, contract updates and offers
• Conducting annual P&C audit for related school to ensure files are updated and compliant
• Lead retention & Employee Engagement for respective school employees
• Assist in guiding junior HROs or P&C Assistant on daily operational matters

Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

• Utilise company s careers website and subscribed job boards to advertise and manage vacancies and candidate lifecycles
• Drive pro-active recruitment at school level for following Academic Year
• Conduct pre-employment safer recruitment checks for all staff, including references and suitability/police clearances and ensuring appropriate follow-up based on each case
• Ensure the school s recruitment activity is in line with the staffing headcount, with the School s Ops Manager and HQ People & Culture
• Check employment contracts against budget and headcount before it reaches the line manager for signature
• Coordinate new starter induction in school, and ensure communication takes place pre-employment
• Ensure ADEK pass applications and processing for new staff, ensuring clarity of timelines and providing guidance and support where required
• Ensure the visa and work permit applications and processing for new staff, ensuring they are aware of their requirements, in line with group-wide guidance and in collaboration with the HQ People & Culture & Public Relations teams
• Create and issue contracts, contract renewals and associated documentation in line with the group wide terms and conditions and policies
• Responsible to organize potential onboarding flights/hotel and raise relevant PRs
• Coordinate new starter induction in school, and ensure communication takes place pre-employment
• Drive, track and advise SLT team and OSM/OMs on schools Emiratization target to ensure KPI achievement
• Manage the onboarding of school-based staff, liaising with IT for relevant systems / email set-up and processing staff ID cards
• Liaise with government relations to ensure new staff are ADEK compliant before the start of the Academic Year
• Assist Principal, HQ P&C and Finance in setting up the Manning budget suggestion and related expenses

Performance Enablement

• Coordinate performance review and appraisal cycles in accordance with group-wide policies and processes to support the SLT in achieving a high performance culture
• Track and provide reports to HQ P&C on all key performance cases
• Create and update Job Descriptions inline the performance enablement process and competency frameworks based on schools roles
• Professional development monitor, book and track PD for school staff and provide reports as requested by the SLT, School Ops Manager and HQ P&C Operations