Chief Human Resources Officer

About the Group

Legend Holding Group is a diversified business based in Dubai with operations spanning automotive, trading, energy, travel and tourism, and mobility services across the Middle East and Africa. The organization is guided by the values of Loyalty, Excellence, and Progress, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and technology that links physical and digital experiences.

The Group’s long-term aim is to build intelligent, data-led businesses and grow as one team.

Role Overview

The Chief Human Resources Officer will lead the organization’s people agenda at a Group level and ensure it supports the Chairman’s vision and wider business goals. Reporting to the Chairman, this executive will shape HR strategy, strengthen leadership capability, improve workforce productivity, and support large-scale business transformation.

This position carries overall responsibility for talent acquisition, workforce planning, talent and succession management, performance management, HR governance, and the effectiveness of HR operations across all entities.

Key Responsibilities

HR Strategy and leadership

• Build and implement a Group-wide HR strategy that aligns with business priorities.
• Serve as a trusted HR advisor to the Chairman and executive leadership team.
• Guide culture, organizational change, and workforce transformation initiatives.
• Create HR policies, governance standards, and shared practices across all companies in the Group.
• Champion ongoing improvement and digitization within HR.

Talent acquisition and workforce planning

• Define the Group’s talent acquisition approach.
• Oversee executive-level hiring and strategic workforce planning.
• Develop leadership pipelines and succession-ready talent pools.
• Enhance employer branding and recruitment quality.
• Track hiring performance and workforce planning metrics.

Talent management and succession planning

• Create integrated talent management frameworks.
• Set up succession planning for executive and mission-critical roles.
• Identify high-potential employees and support their development.
• Design leadership growth and career progression pathways.
• Lead talent review and succession governance across the Group.

Performance management

• Lead the Group’s performance management framework.
• Establish KPI governance that supports corporate strategy.
• Ensure performance reviews are effective and consistently applied across business units.
• Support leaders in managing both organizational and individual performance.
• Promote a strong, results-driven culture.

Organizational development

• Direct organizational design and restructuring initiatives.
• Develop competency models and role structures.
• Lead change management and strengthen organizational effectiveness.
• Improve productivity through targeted organizational interventions.

Learning and leadership development

• Design leadership development and executive capability programs.
• Build learning strategies that support future business needs.
• Encourage continuous learning and readiness for succession.

HR governance and policies

• Maintain Group HR policies, procedures, and governance structures.
• Ensure compliance with relevant labour laws and corporate governance requirements.
• Standardize HR practices across all business entities.

Executive oversight of HR operations

• Provide executive accountability for recruitment, employee relations, compensation and benefits, payroll governance, HR operations, HR information systems, employee engagement, rewards and recognition, HR compliance, industrial relations where relevant, and HR administration.
• Even when duties are delegated, remain responsible for the performance, governance, and overall effectiveness of the HR function.

Leadership responsibilities

• Lead the overall Group HR function.
• Develop stronger HR leadership capability across all business units.
• Build a high-performing HR team.
• Set HR KPIs and governance standards.
• Partner with executive leadership to achieve business outcomes.
• Encourage accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or a closely related discipline is required. A master’s degree or MBA is preferred. Professional credentials such as CIPD Level 7, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, HRCI, or similar are highly desirable.

Experience

Candidates should bring at least 18 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including a minimum of 8 years in a senior executive HR leadership role. Experience within diversified groups, conglomerates, or multinational organizations is expected. A strong track record in HR transformation, organizational development, talent management, executive recruitment, succession planning, and performance management is essential.

Key Competencies

The role calls for a blend of strategic, leadership, analytical, and stakeholder-management capabilities, with strong business judgment and a focus on outcomes.

Performance Indicators

• Workforce planning accuracy
• Executive and critical-role fill rate
• Time needed to hire
• Succession coverage for leadership roles
• Internal promotion ratio
• Retention of high-potential employees
• Completion of performance reviews
• Organizational productivity
• Employee engagement
• Voluntary attrition
• Leadership capability index
• HR compliance
• Effectiveness of policy implementation
• Improvement in organizational capability

Authority

The CHRO is authorized to define HR strategies, policies, governance frameworks, organizational structures, talent initiatives, workforce planning methods, succession plans, performance systems, and leadership development programs across the Group. This executive also acts as the primary HR advisor to the Chairman and executive leadership and remains accountable for the strategic direction, governance, and effectiveness of HR across all Group companies.