Head of Strategic Workforce Planning

The Head of Strategic Workforce Planning is responsible for leading Abu Dhabi Airports’ centralized Strategic Workforce Planning function, providing a single, accountable governance framework for both in-house (FTE) employees and outsourced manpower. The role integrates workforce planning, cost control, governance, and reporting across the total workforce to ensure headcount and contingent labor are effectively planned, justified, managed, and aligned with business objectives. The position delivers full visibility of workforce cost, headcount, utilization, and efficiency to management while supporting organizational strategy and operational requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Governance & Oversight

• Provide a single line of governance and oversight for both in-house and outsourced manpower across the organization.
• Ensure workforce controls and monitoring processes are consistently applied and not fragmented across functions.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve the end-to-end operating framework for outsourced manpower, including: 
  • Demand review
  • Due diligence
  • Approval processes
  • Onboarding
  • Reporting
• Develop and manage the outsourcing policy, including standards, decision-making authorities, and accountability frameworks.

Workforce Planning & Strategy

• Lead strategic workforce planning across the total workforce, aligning FTE and outsourced manpower with business demand, operating plans, and long-term organizational strategy.
• Establish manpower demand validation standards, ensuring resource requests are assessed based on business necessity.
• Lead scenario modelling, workforce analytics, and capacity planning to support leadership decisions regarding organizational structure, sourcing strategies, and workforce costs.

Cost & Budgetary Control

• Ensure total workforce costs (in-house and outsourced) remain within approved operating expenditure (OpEx) budgets.
• Lead manpower budget governance, including workforce planning cycles and reviews of business-unit manpower budgets.
• Partner with Finance to consolidate contingent workforce spending and provide transparent reporting on workforce costs, headcount, and efficiency.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a specialist team covering: 
  • Planning & Systems
  • People Analytics
  • Manpower Planning
• Act as a strategic advisor to business units and HR Centers of Excellence on: 
  • Workforce structure
  • Sourcing strategies
  • Rate-card governance
• Deliver accurate and actionable workforce reports to management and governance committees.
• Perform additional duties assigned by the line manager to support divisional objectives.

Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)

• Promote a safe and healthy workplace through collaboration with HSE and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure team participation in mandatory HSE training and awareness initiatives.
• Encourage reporting of incidents, hazards, and unsafe conditions.
• Monitor and ensure timely closure of corrective actions and compliance with HSE and Quality requirements.

REQUIREMENTS & SKILLS

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Relevant postgraduate qualification preferred (e.g., CIPD, MBA).

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Significant experience in: 
  • Workforce Planning
  • Organizational Effectiveness
  • Total Rewards
  • HR or Commercial functions
• Proven leadership experience managing teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing both in-house and outsourced/contingent workforce populations.
• Strong workforce planning and cost management expertise.
• Experience within aviation, airports, or other large asset-intensive operating environments is preferred.
• Familiarity with: 
  • GCC labor market practices
  • Outsourcing and manpower supply models
  • Job evaluation and grading frameworks (e.g., Korn Ferry, Hay)

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strategic Thinking – Links workforce decisions to business strategy and financial outcomes.
• Governance & Control – Establishes and enforces standards with strong risk and compliance judgment.
• Commercial & Analytical Acumen – Uses workforce and cost data to support effective decision-making.
• Influence & Stakeholder Management – Builds credibility and partnerships with senior leaders, Finance, and business-unit heads.
• Leadership – Develops and leads high-performing specialist teams.