The Exploration Company is seeking a UAE People & Operations Manager to oversee HR and business operations for its Dubai office. This role combines HR expertise with business operations leadership, including PRO and government liaison activities, payroll, office administration, and employee engagement, while supporting a fast-growing, global space tech team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as primary HR contact for UAE employees, managing onboarding, contracts, payroll coordination, benefits, and offboarding.

• Handle PRO and government liaison activities, including visas, work permits, Emirates IDs, labor cards, and trade license renewals.

• Oversee office administration, vendor relationships, and daily operational needs.

• Ensure compliance with UAE labor laws, free zone regulations, and corporate governance.

• Partner with leadership on organizational culture, engagement, and well-being initiatives.

• Maintain HRIS (Personio) and operational systems for UAE operations.

• Develop and update HR policies, procedures, and operational guidelines.

• Coordinate internal and external UAE events for team building and business development.

Requirements / Skills:

• Minimum 4–5 years of HR/People Operations, Admin, or Operations experience in UAE.

• Strong knowledge of UAE labor law, free zone regulations, and government/PRO processes.

• Proven experience managing payroll, statutory compliance, and benefits administration.

• Hands-on office management and operational coordination experience.

• Ability to work autonomously and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience with HRIS systems (Personio preferred) and MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

• Excellent English communication skills; Arabic is a plus.

• Startup/high-growth environment experience is desirable.