Manager - Rewards and Workforce Operations

About the Role
Based at the company Head Office, this role combines strong financial analysis with practical rewards expertise and people leadership. It oversees various aspects such as manpower and salary planning, position controls, reward budgets, performance cycles, grading, benefits governance, and workforce reporting across regions including Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, and the Northern Emirates. Collaborating closely with Finance, HR Business Partners, and business leaders, the incumbent will directly manage a team of 3 and coordinate with a larger network of approximately 25 colleagues involved in rewards, payroll, medical insurance, and HR data management. The role is aimed at improving controls, simplifying processes, and designing affordable recognition and incentive solutions.

Responsibilities
The post holder will:

• Own the consolidated workforce budget control framework, partnering with Finance and HRBPs to track approved manpower, people costs, actuals, forecasts, variances, and corrective actions by facility, cluster, and job family.
• Maintain group-wide position management governance using Position Classification Numbers (PCNs); oversee the creation, approval, activation, vacancy tracking, closure, and reconciliation of budgeted and unbudgeted positions against authorized establishment and funding.
• Lead budgeting, workforce planning, and phasing of existing employees, joiners, leavers, replacements, and approved pipeline; reconcile recruitment plans, onboarding dates, and expected payroll impact with budget and forecast assumptions.
• Manage annual salary planning, increment and adjustment cycles, and the Annual Review Cycle (ARC) budget, including allocation, utilization, approval controls, scenario modeling, and financial impact reporting.
• Analyze payroll and people cost trends with Finance and operational stakeholders, explaining drivers such as staffing mix, vacancies, increments, allowances, overtime, and incentive expenditure.
• Administer and continuously improve group-wide performance management processes, including goal setting, review cycles, calibration support, reporting, governance, and linkage to recognition and reward decisions.
• Design and evaluate affordable employee recognition initiatives and support financially sustainable clinical and nonclinical incentive or bonus schemes, including eligibility, performance metrics, cost simulations, controls, and post-implementation evaluation.
• Oversee job evaluation, grading, salary structures, market benchmarking, pay equity, and grade-linked benefits; review business unit practices for consistency with approved policies and commercial constraints.
• Develop frameworks for inter-business unit transfers across job families, grades, allowances, and benefits, ensuring employee terms, position approvals, and receiving/sending unit budgets are properly aligned.
• Maintain and periodically review reward, grading, mobility, and workforce policies, tracking relevant UAE federal and emirate-specific employment requirements and coordinating with Legal/Compliance on regulatory interpretation.
• Deliver accurate management dashboards and periodic reporting on attrition, headcount, recruitment progress, vacancy aging, position utilization, workforce movements, reward spending, and forecast to budget performance.
• Improve data quality and reporting controls across HRIS, position management, payroll, and planning systems; drive Excel/Power BI automation and responsible AI-enabled process improvements with appropriate data confidentiality safeguards.
• Prepare concise, financially grounded business cases, executive presentations, and recommendations for HR and business leadership, challenging unsupported requests and identifying sustainable alternatives.
• Lead, coach, and develop 3 direct reports, allocate responsibilities, maintain service standards, and collaborate effectively with the broader Rewards & HR Operations network across company entities.
• Support organizational restructuring, new facilities, and service changes through position, grade, workforce, and cost impact assessment.

Qualifications

Education and Certification

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related discipline (mandatory).
• Master’s degree or MBA preferred; CCP/GRP or equivalent rewards qualification advantageous.

Knowledge and Skills

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills are essential: complex models, reconciliations, scenario analysis, and financial forecasting; strong PowerPoint and executive storytelling skills.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including manpower budgets, cost to company, variance analysis, financial controls, and return on investment assessments.
• Practical knowledge of compensation, job grading, grade-based benefits, workforce planning, PCN/position controls, performance management, and incentives.
• Proficiency in HRIS and workforce systems (Oracle preferred), Power BI, and data visualization; demonstrated interest in automation and responsible AI.
• Working knowledge of UAE employment legislation and relevant emirate-specific requirements, with the ability to identify changes and seek specialist interpretation.
• Confident, assertive communicator with strong business judgment, stakeholder influence, analytical rigor, and attention to detail.
• Effective people manager capable of developing a small specialist team and coordinating delivery through a broad matrix network.

Experience

• 10–15 years of relevant progressive experience across rewards, compensation and benefits, workforce planning, HR operations or people cost management, including team leadership.
• Experience in a large multisite or multi-entity UAE organization; healthcare sector experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in management consulting or rewards advisory desirable; proven partnership with Finance and senior business stakeholders preferred.