Job description

Job Summary

As the Head of Human Resources for Qatar, you will serve as a crucial member of the Country Management Team, acting as the strategic link between the business units and the HR function. Your role involves shaping and executing the HR agenda in Qatar, harmonizing it with the broader Group HR strategy and the specific strategic goals of the Qatar market.

You will act as the HR Subject Matter Expert for Qatar, collaborating closely with functional HR Business Partners for the Asia, Middle East (AME) region, HR Service Delivery teams, and specialists, as well as with the Country CEOs of Standard Chartered Bank Qatar. Your focus will be to ensure that Qatar-specific HR considerations are seamlessly integrated with global business and HR policies to foster a highly effective and efficient organization committed to maximizing employee performance and engagement in every interaction.

Partnering with senior leadership, business heads, functional stakeholders, and HR colleagues, you will champion sustainable business performance through innovative talent management and people strategies. You will oversee critical people processes including performance management, reward practices, resourcing efforts, and talent identification to ensure the organization meets its current and future business needs.

Strategic Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead initiatives that influence and enhance business outcomes by embedding robust HR frameworks and practices across all staff levels.
• Drive the development and strengthening of Line Manager capabilities bank-wide, ensuring managers are equipped to lead, engage and support their teams effectively.
• Ensure all employee-related policies and procedures adhere strictly to local labor laws and standards of fair treatment, promoting a compliant and ethical workplace environment.
• Take a proactive role in advising and leading on all matters related to employee relations, ensuring issues are managed fairly and decisively to foster a positive organizational culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive HR strategies that align with the business objectives and enhance organizational capability in Qatar.
• Collaborate with global and regional HR teams to adapt best practices to the local context, while maintaining alignment with the Group’s policies and values.
• Lead talent acquisition efforts to attract, retain, and develop high-caliber individuals capable of driving business success and innovation.
• Champion diversity, inclusion, and employee engagement programs, ensuring a supportive culture that embraces difference and encourages collaboration.
• Monitor workforce trends and labor market developments to anticipate challenges and opportunities, implementing proactive solutions for workforce planning.
• Oversee HR compliance and risk management, working with legal and compliance teams to safeguard both employee rights and the organization’s interests.
• Lead coaching and development initiatives to nurture leadership and professional growth among employees at all levels.

Leadership and People Management

• Provide inspirational leadership to the HR team and broader business to foster a culture of high performance, accountability, and mutual respect.
• Manage key stakeholder relationships across the business to facilitate open communication, partnership, and alignment on HR initiatives.
• Promote a collaborative working environment, encouraging innovation and continuous improvement within the HR function and across the organization.
• Ensure effective succession planning and talent development programs are in place to support organizational continuity and growth.

Organizational Development & Employee Experience

• Drive initiatives to enhance employee experience and engagement, leveraging data insights and employee feedback to implement tailored action plans.
• Lead programs supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, ensuring the organization reflects and celebrates its diverse workforce.
• Implement effective change management strategies to support organizational transformations with minimal disruption and maximum adoption.
• Monitor and manage the wellbeing and mental health initiatives to provide sustained support for employee welfare.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and expertise:

• Human Resources Consulting: Demonstrated experience advising business leaders on complex HR matters and delivering practical solutions aligned with business objectives.
• Influencing Through Expertise: Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels by providing credible HR insights and strategic counsel.
• Talent Management: Proven track record of designing and implementing talent strategies encompassing recruitment, development, retention, and succession planning.
• Performance Management: Expertise in managing performance frameworks that drive accountability and development, including coaching managers and employees.
• HR Legal and Regulatory Environment: Comprehensive knowledge of local labor laws, employment regulations, and compliance requirements pertinent to Qatar.
• Employee Relations: Experience leading employee relations initiatives to foster a positive work environment, managing conflicts, and ensuring fair treatment.

To be considered for this role, candidates should meet the following qualifications:

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Professional Certification: A recognized HR professional qualification such as Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) or Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification is essential.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in both English and Arabic is required to effectively communicate within the diverse Qatar workforce and with regional stakeholders.
• Experience: Extensive experience in a senior HR role within a multinational organization, preferably in the financial services sector, demonstrating leadership and operational excellence.

We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us.

Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.

Together we:

• Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
• Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
• Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term

In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.