Human Resources Director

HR Director – Military & Defence Sector

Location: Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaSector: Military, Defence & AerospacePosition: HR DirectorReporting to: CEO / Managing Director

Employment Type: Full-timeAbout the RoleWe are seeking an experienced HR Director to lead the human resources function for an established and growing company operating within the military and defence sector in Saudi Arabia.Based in Riyadh, the HR Director will be responsible for developing and executing the company's people strategy, supporting organisational growth, and ensuring the business has the talent, structure and HR infrastructure required to support its long-term objectives.The successful candidate will ideally have experience working within defence, aerospace, military, engineering, manufacturing or another highly regulated technical environment, with a strong understanding of the Saudi employment landscape and localisation requirements.Key ResponsibilitiesHR Strategy & LeadershipDevelop and implement the company's overall HR strategy in line with business objectives.Provide strategic HR advice to the CEO, executive leadership team and senior management.Build and develop a high-performing HR function appropriate to a growing defence organisation.Develop organisational structures, workforce plans and succession strategies.Establish HR policies, procedures and governance frameworks.Talent Acquisition & Workforce PlanningLead strategic recruitment across corporate, technical, engineering, manufacturing and operational functions.Develop workforce plans to support business growth, new programmes and future projects.Build strong talent pipelines for specialist and hard-to-find defence and engineering positions.Develop succession planning and talent-management programmes for critical positions.Support the recruitment and development of senior leadership and key technical personnel.Saudiisation & Local Talent DevelopmentDevelop and implement strategies to increase the employment and development of Saudi national talent.Ensure HR practices support the company's Saudiisation and localisation objectives.Develop graduate, trainee, apprenticeship and early-career programmes where appropriate.Establish career-development pathways for Saudi employees.Work with management to identify opportunities for knowledge transfer and localisation of specialist capabilities.Employee Relations & PerformanceOversee employee relations, disciplinary procedures and workplace policies.Develop effective performance-management and appraisal systems.Establish compensation, benefits and reward structures appropriate to the organisation.Promote employee engagement, retention and professional development.Ensure HR policies are consistently implemented across the business.Compliance & GovernanceEnsure compliance with Saudi labour legislation, employment regulations and applicable HR requirements.Maintain appropriate HR documentation, policies and processes.Work closely with legal, finance and senior management on employment-related matters.Ensure HR practices meet the governance and compliance requirements associated with operating within the defence sector.Organisational DevelopmentSupport organisational transformation and business expansion.Develop training and development strategies for technical and non-technical employees.Introduce HR systems, processes and metrics to improve organisational effectiveness.Establish HR reporting and KPIs for senior management.Develop a strong organisational culture focused on professionalism, accountability, performance and continuous development.Candidate ProfileThe ideal candidate will have:10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience at HR management/director level.Experience working in Saudi Arabia, preferably within a Saudi or GCC-based organisation.Experience within defence, military, aerospace, engineering, manufacturing, industrial or another technically complex environment is highly desirable.Strong knowledge of Saudi employment legislation and HR practices.Demonstrable experience in Saudiisation/localisation and Saudi national talent development.Experience managing recruitment, workforce planning, performance management and organisational development.Experience working directly with CEOs, executive teams and senior stakeholders.Strong leadership and people-management capabilities.Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on when required.Desirable ExperiencePreference may be given to candidates with experience in:Military or defence organisationsDefence manufacturing and productionAerospaceEngineering and precision manufacturingGovernment or government-related organisationsJoint ventures involving international defence companiesNew manufacturing facilities or organisational start-upsLarge-scale workforce localisation programmesTechnical and engineering recruitmentSaudi Vision 2030 localisation initiativesQualificationsBachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management or a related discipline.Professional HR qualification such as CIPD, SHRM or equivalent would be advantageous.Strong working knowledge of HR systems and modern HR technology.Personal AttributesThe successful candidate will be:Strategic and commercially mindedHighly credible with senior managementComfortable operating in a technically complex environmentDiscreet and professionalStrong in stakeholder managementStructured and analyticalCulturally aware and experienced in the Saudi business environmentCapable of building processes and teams while supporting rapid organisational growthWhat the Role OffersThis is a senior HR leadership opportunity within a growing Saudi military and defence organisation, with the opportunity to shape the company's people strategy, organisational structure and localisation programme as the business continues to develop.

Location: Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaSalary: Competitive and dependent on experience

Benefits

To be discussed with shortlisted candidates