Director, Middle East People Lead

Description

Company Overview

Privately held since its founding in 1983, A&M is a leading global professional services firm that provides advisory, business performance improvement and turnaround management services.

A&M is rapidly growing in the Middle East and seeking to hire a Director, Middle East People Lead within our Global People organisation to serve as a key member of our broader Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) People Organisation. This person will report to our EMEA People lead and work closely with senior leadership, advising and leading people-centric initiatives across the region. This person will play a pivotal role in driving employee engagement, workforce planning, and operational excellence while ensuring compliance with all relevant labor laws and regulations. This is an exciting opportunity to support the fast-growing region and work with more than 120 talented colleagues across EMEA.

A&M Culture

A&M has a fast-paced environment with a highly dynamic culture which emphasizes collaboration to deliver the best results for our clients, underpinned by meritocracy. Our entrepreneurial culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who positively impact our clients and shape our industry.

The collaborative, supportive environment, and engaging work—guided by A&M’s core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are the main reasons our people love working at A&M.

We strive to constantly improve our culture and foster an inclusive environment where every colleague can bring their true selves to work. It runs through how we recruit, develop employees, conduct business, support clients, and partner with vendors. It is the A&M way.

Key Responsibilities

This is a generalist and hands-on role where you will be experienced in scaling functions for growth and providing outstanding advisory services to Leadership and their teams, as well as:

• Serve as the trusted advisor to senior leaders on all people-related matters, including all elements of the employee life cycle.
• Collaborate with global and regional People leadership teams to design, implement, and execute comprehensive People strategies that support business goals and enhance employee performance and development within the region.
• Design and execute key People projects specific to the Middle East region.
• Oversee the professional development of the regional People teams, through coaching and mentorship ensuring they are equipped with the skills and tools necessary to support the business effectively.
• In partnership with global and regional leadership, develop and enforce people policies, procedures and best practices across the region.
• Ensure compliance with local labor laws, industry standards and organizational policies, mitigating legal and operational risks.
• Advise the local people team on all employee relations matters, with support from global or regional leadership, as necessary (e.g. probations, performance issues, terminations, absences, grievances, etc.).
• Foster a culture aligned with A&M’s global vision and values, focusing the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and innovation tailored to the local work environment.
• In partnership with global and regional leadership, oversee People operations including Workday, payroll and queries in alignment with SLAs.
• Support automation of workflows and operational efficiency improvements where possible.
• Excellent collaboration across support functions (locally and EMEA).

Candidate Requirements:

• 10+ years of HR experience, with at least 5 years in leadership roles managing multi-regional teams.
• Significant experience in the professional services sector.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
• Professional HR certifications (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR) highly desirable.
• Proven track record of success in global HR operations and service delivery.
• Strong understanding of HR practices and labour laws across multiple countries.
• Experience in change management and organizational development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to influence at all levels.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively in diverse environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Fluent in Arabic and English.

Diversity & Inclusion

A&M’s entrepreneurial culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who can positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M’s core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are the main reasons our people love working at A&M. Inclusive Diversity means we embrace diversity, and we foster inclusiveness, encouraging everyone to bring their whole self to work each day. It runs through how we recruit, develop employees, conduct business, support clients, and partner with vendors. It is the A&M way.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is Alvarez & Marsal’s practice to provide and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sex or gender, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, family medical history, genetic information or other protected medical condition, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by and in accordance with applicable laws. Employees and Applicants can find A&M policy statements and additional information by region here.

Unsolicited Resumes from Third-Party Recruiters

Please note that as per A&M policy, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters are engaged to provide candidates for a specified opening and in alignment with our Inclusive Diversity values. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that A&M will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.