Head of People

About the Company

Messe Frankfurt Middle East is a respected force in the region’s B2B exhibition sector, known for creating trade shows that influence industries and support business expansion. Operating from Dubai as the regional business of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the company is part of one of the world’s largest exhibition organizers, backed by a long-standing heritage of more than 800 years. Its international reach, sector knowledge, and innovation-led approach help connect suppliers, buyers, and industry leaders across markets.

Role Overview

The organization is hiring a people-oriented Head of People to lead the generalist People & Culture agenda and employee engagement efforts. This senior position will help ensure people practices, workplace culture, and the employee journey continue to develop alongside the company’s growth and transformation.

This leader will serve as a dependable partner to managers and senior leaders, offering practical, business-minded guidance across the full employee lifecycle. Key areas of ownership include employee relations, engagement, policy development, organizational change, and ongoing enhancement of the employee experience.

People Leadership and Business Partnership

• Take ownership of the generalist People function and ensure reliable people support across the organization.
• Coach managers so they can build stronger people-management skills.
• Advise senior leaders and managers on people issues, business priorities, and workforce challenges with a commercial lens.
• Develop strong cross-functional relationships to understand operational needs and convert them into effective people solutions.
• Work closely with colleagues in Talent, Compensation & Benefits, and Employee Experience to deliver a joined-up People & Culture approach.

Employee Lifecycle and People Operations

• Oversee the quality and consistency of employee lifecycle activity, including onboarding, probation, development, progression, internal movement, and exit processes.
• Ensure new joiners receive a structured and engaging onboarding experience that helps them settle in quickly.
• Partner with managers to handle probation reviews, employee changes, internal transfers, and departures in a professional and consistent way.
• Look for ways to streamline people processes, reduce unnecessary complexity, and improve efficiency for employees and managers.
• Maintain People & Culture records, documents, and processes to a high standard, aligned with organizational and compliance expectations.

People Insights and Workforce Planning

• Use workforce data and organizational insights to spot patterns, risks, and opportunities.
• Track key indicators such as headcount, turnover, retention, engagement, absence, performance trends, and organizational movement.
• Give leadership actionable insights and recommendations to support informed workforce decisions.
• Support annual workforce planning and budgeting by helping leaders assess future capability and resourcing needs.
• Keep oversight of organizational structures and workforce changes to support planning and decision-making.

Employee Relations and Governance

• Lead employee relations activity and make sure issues are handled fairly, consistently, and in line with company policy and employment law.
• Manage complex and sensitive employee cases with proper documentation, consistency, and risk awareness.
• Keep people policies, procedures, and practices practical, current, and aligned with the organization’s evolving needs.
• Help foster a workplace built on trust, accountability, respect, and open dialogue.

Communication and Change Management

• Work with leaders to support clear communication during growth, change, and transformation.
• Create engaging people communications around organizational initiatives, policy updates, employee programmes, and workplace changes.
• Support the delivery of town halls, employee forums, leadership communications, and other internal engagement activities.
• Make sure organizational change is backed by strong people planning, transparent communication, and suitable support for managers and employees.

Why Join

You will join a collaborative, high-performing team and play an important role in shaping the employee experience while supporting business success. The position offers the chance to act as a true business partner, influence organizational direction, and help deliver meaningful people initiatives in a dynamic international environment.