Group Talent Acquisition Director

About the position

Foreground is partnering with a rapidly diversifying regional investment group, headquartered in Dubai, to appoint a strategically-minded and execution-driven Group Talent Acquisition Director. This role is critical to supporting the organizations growth agenda across its portfolio, which includes healthcare, hospitality, education, and digital ventures, and comes at a time when the group is shifting from reactive hiring to a forward-looking, brand-led acquisition strategy.

Role Purpose

To lead and scale a high-performing group-wide talent acquisition function that delivers speed, quality, and brand equity in the recruitment experience, positioning the organization as a destination for high-caliber leadership and specialist talent across the MENA region.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and oversee a centralized group talent acquisition function, including in-house recruiters, search partners, and recruitment marketing resources.
• Define and institutionalize the groups talent acquisition strategy including sourcing models, EVP, employer brand narrative, and workforce planning integration.
• Lead the design and implementation of executive search protocols, assessment frameworks, and interview structures for leadership hiring across all business units.
• Oversee the rollout of a group-wide applicant tracking system (ATS), integrating requisition management, candidate pipeline visibility, and analytics reporting.
• Partner with HRBPs and hiring managers to build proactive talent pipelines for critical and high-volume roles.
• Develop sourcing strategies for niche skill sets and emerging talent pools across healthcare, tech, and education.
• Act as the primary point of contact with external recruitment vendors, negotiating performance-based SLAs and minimizing dependency on third-party spend.
• Deliver dashboards and reports to the CHRO and executive committee on talent metrics, sourcing performance, candidate quality, and hiring velocity.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 12+ years of experience in talent acquisition, recruitment strategy, or workforce planning, with at least 5 years in a group or regional leadership role.
• Proven success in building internal TA functions in fast-growth or multi-industry environments across the UAE or GCC.
• Strong background in executive search and strategic hiring, especially in service-driven or regulated sectors.
• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business, or Psychology; advanced certifications in recruitment or psychometrics are a plus.
• Experience implementing ATS and CRM systems, and leveraging data for recruitment insights and workforce planning.

Preferred Skills & Traits

• Strategic and structured thinker who can simplify complexity and drive clarity across stakeholders.
• Confident communicator with boardroom presence and frontline credibility.
• Results-focused, delivery-minded, and comfortable navigating ambiguity.
• Fluent in English; Arabic is a strong advantage for cross-market sourcing and employer branding in the region.

Place of work