Table of Contents
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Job Overview
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About the Company
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Available Jobs
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Job Description
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Job Responsibilities
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Why This Role?
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Requirements
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How to Apply
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FAQs
Job Overview
Job Title: HR Director – Middle East & Africa
Company: Thales
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Employment Type: Full-time
Posted Date: 2025-12-22
Start Date: As soon as available (based on hiring process and notice period)
Opportunity Summary:
Thales is hiring a senior Human Resources leader to serve as the regional HR “number one” for the Middle East & Africa scope. You’ll lead a team of around 30 HR professionals, covering 20 countries and 1,800 employees organized across multiple regional structures. In addition, you will personally oversee HR for the UAE—approximately 600 employees—a country identified as strategically important for Thales’ long-term regional strategy.
About the Company
Thales is a global technology leader where teams design innovative systems across industries that shape national infrastructure and security. In the UAE, Thales has built a strong footprint for decades and supports major national and commercial programs—spanning transportation networks, secure payments, cybersecurity, airport security, air traffic management, and complex defense capabilities.
What makes Thales especially compelling for senior HR professionals is the combination of:
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A long-term presence in strategic markets
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Large-scale, mission-critical programs
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High accountability environments with strong governance, compliance, and ethics
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A strong culture of mobility and career development across a global workforce
This isn’t “HR as support.” This is HR as a strategic engine—embedded in leadership decisions, transformation planning, and performance outcomes.
Available Jobs
If you’re exploring Thales opportunities in Dubai and the wider region, here are related roles that often align with large-scale transformation, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration (and can broaden your search keywords):
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Senior Logistics and Stores Officer – Dubai
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Customer Service Representative (UAE National) – Dubai
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AI/ML Intern – Dubai
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Field Technician – Communication Systems (Military Project) – UAE
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Business Development / Sales Roles – Dubai & Regional Markets
If you’re targeting senior HR leadership, you can also search for related executive-level roles such as Regional HR Business Partner, Talent Management Lead, HR Transformation Lead, and Organizational Development Manager.
Job Description
The HR Director Middle East & Africa Dubai role is a strategic leadership position designed for a high-caliber HR generalist who can operate confidently across business strategy, workforce planning, employee relations, talent development, and HR governance.
You’ll be the primary HR partner to leadership across a diverse geographic footprint—supporting managers and employees while ensuring that HR policies, compliance standards, and people processes are executed consistently and effectively across different legal and cultural contexts.
Who this role is ideal for:
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Senior HR leaders with deep experience managing HR across multiple disciplines
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Leaders who thrive in complex, regulated environments (defence, aerospace, security, critical infrastructure)
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HR executives who can combine strategic vision with operational execution
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Professionals comfortable balancing regional consistency with local legislative requirements
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Candidates who enjoy leading teams at scale and influencing leadership behavior and culture
Job Responsibilities
This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on accountability. Key responsibilities include:
Business Strategy Enablement
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Activate HR levers—recruitment, learning, mobility, promotions, and social relations—to support regional business performance
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Translate growth goals and transformation plans into practical HR action plans
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Align HR priorities with evolving organizational needs, new programs, and workforce scaling
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Support leaders with structured change management and workforce planning
HR Policy Deployment and Process Excellence
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Deploy Group HR policies and ensure effective implementation of core HR processes
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Coordinate international HR delivery across shared and local HR teams (payroll/admin, training, recruitment)
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Drive quality and consistency of HR deliverables across the region
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Ensure HR practices support compliance, ethics, and governance expectations
Advice and Support to Leaders
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Advise senior managers on leadership, performance, career development, and team motivation
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Guide leadership practices aligned to Thales’ leadership model and people standards
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Support organizational design, restructuring, and transformation initiatives
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Provide leadership support during crisis management and complex employee issues
Work Environment and Employee Relations
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Serve as the preferred HR contact for employees across scope on key HR matters
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Strengthen the social climate and employee experience across diverse environments
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Manage conflict resolution, disciplinary matters, ethics topics, and sensitive HR cases
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Ensure a safe, inclusive work environment and consistent practices across business lines
Talent Management and Succession
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Lead Talent Reviews with a focus on succession planning and identifying key talent
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Strengthen attraction and retention strategies across countries and talent segments
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Build capability development pathways and monitor execution
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Lead HR team performance through objectives, check-ins, coaching, and hiring
Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Leadership
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Promote safety-first behaviors and compliance with local HSE legislation
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Lead by example on workplace safety and sustainable practices
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Encourage responsible resource use and waste reduction in daily operations
Why This Role?
This position stands out because it offers rare strategic scope and influence.
1) You lead HR at a truly regional scale
Managing HR across 20 countries and 1,800 employees gives you a platform few roles can match. You’ll influence people strategy across diverse legal frameworks, cultures, and growth conditions—an invaluable leadership credential.
2) You own HR for the UAE, a strategic growth country
Beyond regional leadership, you directly handle HR for the UAE workforce—positioning you close to high-stakes leadership decisions and major programs.
3) You’ll drive transformation, not just operations
This is a role for leaders who can modernize HR systems, simplify processes, strengthen leadership capability, and deliver measurable improvements in employee experience and performance.
4) Global mobility and career pathways
Thales emphasizes careers and long-term growth. For executive HR leaders, this often translates into future roles across regions, business lines, or global HR projects.
5) High credibility environment
Thales operates in mission-critical sectors where ethics, compliance, security, and governance are taken seriously. If you value structured leadership and principled decision-making, this environment can be a strong fit.
Requirements
To succeed as HR Director Middle East & Africa Dubai, candidates typically need strong breadth plus proven leadership maturity.
Experience
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15+ years of HR experience with strong exposure across multiple HR disciplines
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Proven experience leading HR teams (leadership of sizable teams is essential)
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Experience in a large international group is preferred
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Middle East, KSA, and/or Africa regional HR exposure is a strong advantage
Education
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Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management (or closely related discipline)
Core Skills
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Ability to lead HR transformation projects with strategic clarity and operational execution
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Strong interpersonal skills and executive communication presence
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Political acumen, adaptability, and strong field orientation
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Strong capability in change management, leadership coaching, and stakeholder alignment
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Ability to maintain consistency across countries while navigating local legislation
Language
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Fluent English (spoken and written)
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Arabic is a plus
Work Environment Expectations
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Comfort working in multi-country, matrixed organizations
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Confidence dealing with sensitive employee relations, ethics topics, and complex cases
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Ability to influence senior leaders and shape leadership behavior across the region
How to Apply
To apply for the HR Director Middle East & Africa Dubai role:
FAQs
1) Is the HR Director Middle East & Africa Dubai role a regional position or UAE-only?
It’s a regional leadership position covering 20 countries, and it also includes direct HR accountability for the UAE, the largest country within the scope.
2) How many employees fall under this HR Director role?
Approximately 1,800 employees across the Middle East & Africa scope, with around 600 employees in the UAE component.
3) What level of experience is required for this Thales HR Director role?
Thales is seeking an experienced HR leader with around 15 years of HR experience and proven track record leading HR teams and multi-discipline HR work.
4) Do I need Arabic to apply for HR Director jobs in Dubai at Thales?
Arabic is listed as a plus, not a strict requirement. Fluent English is essential.
5) What types of projects will the HR Director Middle East & Africa lead?
Expect strategic and operational projects covering HR transformation, talent reviews, succession planning, workforce planning, leadership coaching, employee relations, and policy deployment across different countries.