Role Overview
A client of byteSpark.ai is seeking an experienced Senior People Partner to join a well-established oil and gas services company based in Abu Dhabi. Reporting into the HR Director, this is a senior individual contributor role responsible for acting as a trusted advisor to business leaders across the organisation, covering the full employee lifecycle from workforce planning and performance management through to complex employee relations and organisational change. The business operates with a mixed national and expatriate workforce, and the successful candidate must bring a strong working knowledge of UAE labour law, Emiratisation requirements, and the interpersonal range to operate credibly across a diverse and technically oriented environment. Candidates must have a minimum of seven to ten years of HR experience with at least four to five years in a dedicated business partnering role. Experience in oil and gas, energy, or a technical services environment is preferred and will strengthen an application considerably. This role is not suitable for candidates who have operated purely in a generalist or transactional HR capacity and cannot demonstrate a track record of advising and influencing senior business leaders independently.
Requirements
- A minimum of 7 to 10 years of HR experience with at least 4 to 5 years in a dedicated HR business partnering role
- Strong working knowledge of UAE labour law and Emiratisation requirements
- Proven ability to partner with and influence senior business leaders across a complex or technically oriented organisation
- Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations cases including grievances, disciplinaries, and separations
- Experience supporting performance management cycles and contributing to wider talent processes
- Ability to use people data and metrics to identify trends, surface risks, and present recommendations to leadership
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work effectively across a diverse national and expatriate workforce
Desirable
- Experience working within an oil and gas, energy, or technical services environment
- Familiarity with HRIS platforms and people analytics tools
- Bilingual proficiency in English and Arabic
- Experience supporting organisational change or restructuring programmes
- CIPD, SHRM, or equivalent professional HR qualification