People Partner Trainee - Emiratisation

INSPIRE | EXHILARATE | DELIGHT For over seven decades, Chalhoub Group has been a partner and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East. In its pursuit to excel as a hybrid luxury retailer, the Group has curated a portfolio of over 10 owned brands and strengthened its distribution and marketing expertise for over 400 international names across luxury fashion, beauty, jewellery, watches, eyewear, and art de vivre categories. Every step at Chalhoub Group is taken to build a future where luxury dreams become reality — bridging cultures and crafting memorable experiences for our consumers. Be it by constantly reinventing itself, committing to innovation, or embracing new technologies, the Group is shaping the future of luxury retail. It delivers seamless omnichannel experiences across more than 950 stores, online platforms, and mobile apps. Driving this innovation journey is The Greenhouse — the Group’s innovation hub, incubator, and accelerator for startups and emerging businesses, regionally and globally. Chalhoub Group fosters a people-at-heart culture rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a workplace catalysed by forward thinking and future-proofing. Today, it brings together over 16,000 talented professionals across eight countries in the Middle East, with a presence in LATAM. Sustainability is at the core of the Group’s strategy, guided by a clear commitment to people, partners, and the planet. Chalhoub Group is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, and to have pledged to reach Net Zero by 2040. What You’ll Be Doing As a People Partner Trainee, you'll gain hands-on exposure to the employee journey and discover how People teams partner with the business to create a positive and engaging workplace. You'll work closely with People Partners, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, HR Operations, line managers and employees across the business. From supporting recruitment and onboarding to employee engagement, store visits and UAE National initiatives, this traineeship will give you broad exposure to the People Partner function and the employee experience. Your responsibilities will include: - Support coordination between Talent Acquisition, People Partners and line managers throughout recruitment activities. - Attend selected interviews and recruitment discussions to build your understanding of the hiring process. - Support new joiners throughout their onboarding journey and follow up on required activities. - Participate in store visits and employee check-ins to understand the employee experience first-hand. - Build relationships with UAE National associates and trainees across the business, gathering feedback and supporting regular follow-ups. - Maintain trainee progress records and follow up on agreed actions. - Support employee engagement, recognition and Nationalization initiatives. - Encourage UAE National participation in company activities and engagement opportunities. - Gather feedback from employees and line managers to help identify opportunities to strengthen the employee experience. - Maintain accurate employee information, trackers and follow-up records. - Consolidate data and prepare simple reports, presentations and updates. - Attend selected employee meetings and exit discussions for learning and exposure. - Coordinate with Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, HR Operations and other People teams when required. - Support communication with UAE National representatives across different areas of the business. - Contribute fresh ideas to strengthen the employee experience and UAE National community. - Take ownership of assigned activities and follow through from start to completion. As you develop, you'll be encouraged to take greater ownership, build trusted relationships and gradually work more independently, giving you a strong foundation for a future career within the People function. What You’ll Need to Succeed - UAE National with a Family Book. - A genuine interest in Human Resources, People & Culture and employee experience. - Strong communication skills and confidence interacting with different people. - An approachable personality and positive energy. - Curiosity and a willingness to learn. - Openness to coaching, feedback and continuous development. - Strong organization and attention to detail. - The ability to build relationships with employees, managers and different stakeholders. - Adaptability and comfort working within a fast-paced retail environment. - Creativity and the confidence to contribute new ideas. - A strong sense of ownership, reliability and follow-through. - Comfort working with trackers, employee information and basic reporting. - Willingness to spend time with employees across both stores and offices. - An interest in developing a long-term career across People Partnering or wider HR functions. Success in this role isn't about knowing eve