Group Human Resources Director

About j. awan & partners j. awan & partners (JAP) is an international Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) consultancy headquartered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), with offices across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, Portugal, Pakistan, and South Africa. JAP serves financial institutions, governments, and professional services firms across the GCC and beyond, providing regulatory advisory, outsourced compliance and AML/KYC functions, risk management, financial reporting, and recruitment services. azakaw, JAP's RegTech platform, delivers KYC/KYB onboarding, AML screening, transaction monitoring, and corporate compliance solutions to regulated firms globally. As part of our continued expansion, we are seeking an exceptional people leader to join the Group. The Role The Group HR Director (People & Culture) is accountable for ensuring JAP Group has the right people, in the right roles, performing at the right level. This is a senior leadership role combining strategic design with direct operational execution across all JAP jurisdictions. Recruitment and retention are the primary mandate. As the business scales across multiple jurisdictions, the role-holder personally owns end-to-end hiring pipelines, employer brand, and the talent systems that make growth possible. This is not a policy or advisory position — candidates must demonstrate a track record of measurable hiring outcomes, performance systems that have been enforced, and cultures that can be evidenced through data. Performance is tracked quarterly in ClickUp against the mission outcomes below, with variable compensation directly tied to results (green status across all areas required for full bonus; no discretionary adjustments). 12–18 Month Mission Outcomes 1. Talent Acquisition & Recruitment (Primary Mandate) • Qualified candidate pipeline in place within 14 days of headcount signoff for all approved roles • Time to offer: 30 days or fewer. Time to productive: 60 days or fewer • A Player hire rate of 80%+ at 90-day assessment (hiring manager scorecard 4/5 +) • Zero approved roles open beyond 60 days without a CEO-signed escalation plan • Offer acceptance rate above 85%; candidate experience score 4.0/5+ at offer stage • JAP EVP documented and live across all sourcing channels within 90 days of appointment 2. Performance Management • 100% of employees have a signed, live KPI scorecard by end of Q1 each year • All four quarterly review cycles completed in full and on time, zero missed reviews • Underperformers on formal PIPs within 30 days of the relevant review; outcome documented within 90 days • Line managers trained in KPI setting and performance conversations; minimum one calibration session per review cycle 3. Culture & Retention • Voluntary attrition below 10% annually, reported quarterly by office, tenure band, and role family • eNPS (or equivalent) score of 85+ in each biannual pulse survey • Written action plan delivered to ExCo within 14 days of any sub-threshold pulse score • Exit interview completion rate of 100%; root cause report to CEO within 5 days of each departure • All new hires complete structured onboarding within 30 days, with 30/60/90-day manager check-ins 4. HR Operations & Technology • Group HRIS selected, implemented, and live by end of Q2, with all core HR processes migrated and zero manual workarounds • All HR workflows automated via HRIS or connected firm systems; exceptions documented and remediated within 30 days • Weekly timesheet compliance at 100%; monthly payroll processed on time at 99.5%+ accuracy • Quarterly HR technology health check delivered to ExCo; employee records at 98%+ data accuracy at each audit Key Accountabilities Talent Acquisition & Recruitment • Own all Group hiring end to end — every approved role has a live job scorecard, an active sourcing campaign, and a named hiring manager accountable for interview completion within 5 business days of a qualified submission • Implement Topgrading's 12-step methodology as the firm's standard hiring process across all jurisdictions; train all hiring managers within 60 days; conduct tandem interviews for all Director-level+ roles • Deploy and operate an ATS alongside AI-assisted sourcing and structured assessment tools • Own and develop JAP's employer brand; build and sustain talent pipelines through universities, professional bodies, and executive search partnerships Performance Management • Own the quarterly KPI review cycle end to end: set the calendar, brief all line managers, quality-check every completed review, report completion to the CEO • Ensure every employee has a live, SMART KPI scorecard signed off before each review cycle begins • Identify and escalate underperformers within 5 days of the relevant review; own the PIP process through to documented outcome • Train all line managers in KPI setting and performance conversation skills Culture & Retention • Define and operationalise JAP's culture in measurable terms: named values, observable behaviours, at least three culture KPIs tracked quarterly • Run a biannual eNPS (or equivalent) pulse survey; present results to ExCo within 10 days with a written action plan for any score below 85 • Ensure 100% exit interview completion; submit root cause analysis of every departure to the CEO within 5 days • Design and maintain a structured onboarding programme with 30/60/90-day manager check-ins • Champion a one-firm culture across all offices; design recognition, wellbeing, and engagement programmes HR Operations & Technology • Own selection, implementation, and go-live of the Group HRIS — vendor selection, project plan, data migration, training, go-live by end of Q2 • Automate all HR workflows via HRIS or connected firm systems; manual processes only as documented, CEO-approved exceptions • Enforce 100% weekly timesheet completion; flag non-compliance weekly • Coordinate with Finance on payroll accuracy and timeliness (99.5%+); correct any error within 3 business days • Deliver a quarterly HR technology health check to ExCo People Strategy & Workforce Planning • Develop and maintain a Group-wide HR strategy aligned to business growth and multi-jurisdiction expansion • Lead annual and rolling workforce planning across all offices, aligned to revenue targets and delivery capacity • Partner with the CEO and ExCo on capability gaps and organisational capacity; own succession planning for Director-level+ roles HR Business Partnering • Act as primary HR adviser to the CEO and ExCo on organisational design, change management, and leadership effectiveness • Partner with office heads and business unit leaders on team design, workforce planning, and performance management • Provide timely, legally sound guidance on complex employee relations matters across all jurisdictiions HR Compliance & Governance • Ensure all HR policies and employment practices comply

Lead Group HR strategy and operations across JAP jurisdictions with a primary mandate on Talent Acquisition and Recruitment, Performance Management, Culture & Retention, HR Operations & Technology, People Strategy & Workforce Planning, HR Business Partnering, and HR Compliance & Governance. Own end-to-end hiring processes, employer branding, and talent systems; implement and optimize HRIS, payroll, timekeeping, and related workflows; drive quarterly KPI reviews, performance conversations, PIPs, onboarding, succession planning, and culture metrics; ensure data-driven HR practices across all offices and partnerships with ExCo and CEO.