HR Manager (People & Culture) — Arabic & English

Job Description

About Joud Coffee

Joud Coffee is a homegrown Abu Dhabi brand built on generosity, craft, and real hospitality. We’ve grown fast—and now we’re focused on the next phase: stronger culture, higher engagement, better leadership, and consistent guest experience across every outlet.

The role (read this carefully)

We’re hiring an HR Manager (People & Culture) who is a builder and a floor operator—not a policy-only, behind-the-desk HR person. You will spend real time in outlets, coaching managers, listening to teams, and turning culture into daily behaviors.

You will also own Employer Branding & Talent Attraction, including building our LinkedIn presence to attract top talent. And you must be strong on UAE labour compliance and have hands-on Emiratization experience.

Arabic & English fluency is required (spoken and written).

What you’ll own

1) Culture & Engagement (your #1 mission)

• Translate our values into clear frontline behaviors (how we speak, serve, lead, and solve problems)

• Build practical culture routines: recognition, manager coaching, “wins of the week,” team rituals

• Run engagement systems that lead to action: listening sessions, pulse checks, feedback loops, action plans

• Protect a “no ego / high ownership” environment—resolve conflicts early and keep standards high

2) Field HR — be on the floor, not behind the desk

• Build a structured outlet visit cadence (weekly/bi-weekly) with check-ins

• Coach outlet leaders on people topics: attendance, attitude, teamwork, service behavior, discipline, escalations

• Train managers on tough conversations + documentation (firm, fair, consistent)

• Detect issues early (culture drift, burnout, poor leadership) and fix them with real interventions

3) Hiring & workforce growth (multi-site)

• Own recruitment end-to-end: role scorecards, structured interviews, selection standards, offers, onboarding

• Build workforce plans with Ops: staffing models by outlet/format and peak season planning

• Raise hiring quality and retention through better screening, onboarding, and manager capability

• Build referral programs and partnerships to keep the pipeline warm

4) Employer Branding & LinkedIn (you own it)

• Build and manage our LinkedIn company page (setup/refresh, access control, brand consistency)

• Create an employer brand content plan: team stories, promotions, training, culture moments, behind-the-scenes

• Run hiring campaigns and build a talent community (followers → applicants → hires)

• Track simple results: follower growth, engagement, applicant quality, conversion rates

• Coordinate with Marketing for brand guidelines—but HR owns the talent narrative

5) Emiratization (must-have experience)

• Lead Emiratization planning and execution: sourcing, hiring, onboarding, retention, development pathways

• Build relationships and pipelines for Emirati talent (universities, programs, local networks)

• Manage relevant reporting/requirements and ensure ongoing compliance with Emiratization initiatives

• Design career paths and support plans to help Emirati employees succeed and grow in operations and HQ roles

6) UAE Labour Law & HR compliance (must-have)

• Ensure strong compliance with UAE labour law and MOHRE-related processes

• Own contracts, policies, employee relations, investigations, disciplinary actions and terminations (proper process + documentation)

• Coordinate visa/work permit administration with PRO / government portals where relevant

• Maintain accurate employee records and HR reporting (headcount, turnover, attendance, leave, etc.)
  
  Requirements (must-have)

  • Fluent Arabic & English (spoken + written)

  • 5–8+ years HR experience, ideally in hospitality/retail with multiple locations

  • Strong UAE labour law knowledge + hands-on HR compliance experience (ER, documentation, terminations, contracts)

  • Proven Emiratization experience (implementation, hiring pipelines, onboarding/retention, reporting/requirements)

  • Experience building employer branding / talent attraction, including LinkedIn company page + hiring campaigns

  • Field/operator mindset: you enjoy being in outlets and solving real people problems

  • High integrity, calm under pressure, strong judgment and confidentiality
    
    Nice to have

    • Experience in a fast-scaling, founder-led brand

    • Built onboarding/training systems for frontline teams

    • HRIS/LMS exposure (training platforms a plus)
      
      Location & work style

      Abu Dhabi-based. Regular travel to outlets is essential (this is part of the job, not optional).

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      How to apply

      Send your CV and a short note answering:

      1. What did you personally do to improve culture/engagement in a frontline business?

      2. Share one Emiratization initiative you led and the outcome.

      3. What LinkedIn/employer brand work did you own and what results did you achieve?