People & Operations Manager

The Exploration Company

In your capacity as UAE People & Operations Manager, your role will be continuously evolving, but day to day your duties will include:

• Acting as the primary HR contact for UAE-based employees, handling all HR, people, and business operational inquiries.
• Managing the full UAE employee lifecycle onboarding, contracts, payroll coordination, benefits administration, offboarding.
• Coordinating with PRO services and/or directly managing government and free zone processes, including visas, work permits, Emirates IDs, labor cards, and trade license renewals.
• Overseeing office administration, vendor relationships, , and day-to-day operational needs.
• Enabling local business setup and compliance activities, ensuring alignment with UAE labor laws, free zone regulations, and corporate governance requirements.
• Partnering with leadership on organizational culture initiatives, employee engagement, and well-being programs.
• Ensuring timely and accurate monthly payroll operations in coordination with Finance, including updates to personal and employment data, time off, and absence tracking.
• Maintaining and optimizing HRIS (Personio) and other operational systems for UAE operations.
• Formulating and updating HR policies, procedures, and operational guidelines to ensure compliance and efficiency within the UAE.
• Coordinating internal and external events in the UAE for team building, client engagement, and business development.

What we would love to see from you

In the role of UAE People & Business Operations Manager, ideally, you will have the following:

• Minimum 4 5 years of experience in HR / People Operations, Admin, or Operations roles within the UAE.
• Strong working knowledge of UAE labor law, free zone regulations, and PRO/government processes.
• Proven experience managing visas, work permits, Emirates IDs, and other government-related services.
• Track record of managing payroll operations in the UAE, including statutory compliance and benefits administration.
• Hands-on experience in office management, vendor procurement, and operational coordination.
• Ability to manage end-to-end HR and business operations autonomously, with minimal day-to-day supervision.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with HRIS systems (Personio a plus) and MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent communication skills in English; Arabic is a plus
• Comfort working in a startup or high-growth environment, where flexibility and adaptability are key.