Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)

Position Overview

A well-established Saudi firm seeks a seasoned Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to spearhead its HR department and craft a cohesive people strategy that aligns with the organization's business, operational, and investment goals. This role is integral to shaping workforce planning, organizational growth, talent management, compensation, employee relations, HR governance, and driving digital transformation across HR functions. Serving as a trusted strategic partner, the CHRO will counsel senior leadership on talent priorities, organizational capabilities, cultural development, and people risks.

Primary Duties

• Formulate and execute human capital strategies that support the company's overarching objectives.
• Advise executive management regarding workforce needs, organizational strengths, talent risks, and succession planning.
• Design and assess effective organizational structures, workforce plans, Saudization initiatives, and job architectures.
• Manage recruitment and control manpower expenses within budgeting guidelines.
• Lead hiring efforts targeting executives, leadership talent, professionals, and specialists.
• Govern policies and procedures concerning recruitment, selection, onboarding, and appointments.
• Establish programs for talent management, succession, critical role retention, and employee engagement.
• Create an integrated performance management system aligned with strategic objectives and key performance indicators.
• Supervise leadership development, capacity building, training, and career progression initiatives.
• Assess the impact and ROI of employee and leadership growth programs.
• Review compensation structures, grading, incentives, benefits, and reward frameworks to ensure competitiveness.
• Oversee the HR budget, payroll governance, and employee-related expenditures.
• Recommend executive-level appointments, promotions, salary adjustments, and rewards within established policies.
• Ensure full compliance with Saudi labor laws, Saudization regulations, company policies, and applicable standards.
• Manage employee relations including grievances, disciplinary issues, investigations, and labor disputes.
• Collaborate with legal and government affairs teams on employment law and regulatory matters.
• Enhance company culture, uphold core values, and promote professionalism, accountability, and employee engagement.
• Initiate programs to improve the work environment, organizational effectiveness, satisfaction, and retention.
• Drive digital transformation efforts to automate and optimize HR services and processes.
• Manage HRMS platform implementation and integration with business systems.
• Utilize workforce analytics and performance data to guide decisions on headcount, productivity, costs, and turnover.
• Prepare regular HR reports and actionable insights for the CEO, executives, and Board of Directors.
• Establish and maintain HR governance frameworks, policies, controls, authorities, and reporting standards.
• Identify potential human capital risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Oversee coordination with HR service providers including recruitment, training, and medical insurance vendors.
• Lead strategic HR projects and initiatives as directed by executive leadership.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or equivalent.
• Master’s degree in HR Management, Business Administration, or related field is preferred.
• Professional HR certification such as CIPD Level 5+, SHRM-SCP, or SPHR is highly desirable.
• Minimum of 18 years progressive experience in HR, including at least 5 years in a senior HR leadership capacity (CHRO, CPO, HR VP, or Director).
• Demonstrated success managing HR functions within medium to large firms.
• Expertise in HR strategy, organizational development, workforce planning, and change management.
• Proven skills in talent acquisition, succession planning, leadership development, and retention.
• Strong background in performance management, competency models, and HR KPI frameworks.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Saudi labor regulations, Saudization policies, and labor relations compliance.
• Experience managing compensation and benefits, budgeting, payroll, and manpower cost control.
• History of leading digital transformations in HR, including HRMS implementations and workforce analytics.
• Experience in sectors such as real estate development, investment, construction, or holding companies is strongly favored.
• Outstanding leadership, executive communication, decision-making, change management, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Fluent in both Arabic and English languages.