Human Resources Specialist (Saudization)

Role overview

This position sits within the People and Culture function and plays a key role in supporting HR service delivery, HR operations, projects, and government relations across Saudi Arabia. The role partners with the HR Lead and HR Operations Specialist to carry out a wide range of administrative, compliance, and process-driven tasks while ensuring adherence to Saudi labour legislation, Saudization rules, and internal policies.

The role is highly hands-on and involves frequent interaction with employees, managers, external service providers, and government bodies. A major part of the job is handling employee-related transactions accurately and on time through Saudi government systems such as QIWA, GOSI, MUQEEM, and other regulatory platforms. The successful candidate will be expected to support visa matters, documentation, compliance activities, and overall HR operations with a proactive, service-oriented approach.

HR operations and support

• Assist with everyday HR activities, including joining formalities, exit processing, and administration across the employee lifecycle.
• Work with internal teams to make sure new employees are onboarded smoothly and all employment requirements are met.
• Contribute to payroll-related coordination, GOSI processes, benefits administration, and wider HR operations in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Help manage employee learning and development administration, including local Saudi initiatives such as COOP, TAMHEER, and similar programmes.
• Support renewals for licences, certifications, and professional memberships such as RICS, TAQEEM, and REGA.
• Keep HR records, documents, and reporting accurate and up to date across HR systems and government portals.
• Assist with HR projects, system rollouts, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Prepare and translate HR and government documents between English and Arabic when needed.
• Take on additional HR and operations-related tasks based on business requirements.

Government relations and compliance

• Advise internal stakeholders on government relations processes and compliance obligations.
• Help resolve issues and delays connected to government-related procedures.
• Coordinate with the external visa processing provider to ensure visas, labour contracts, and employee government documents are issued correctly and on time.
• Run and support government relations processes in Saudi Arabia in line with labour law and regulatory requirements.
• Communicate with government entities, regulators, and external providers to complete official processes efficiently.
• Assist with government audits, inspections, labour cases, and other regulatory matters when required.
• Manage and process requirements on platforms such as Qiwa, GOSI, Iqama systems, and other Saudi portals.
• Support the business and legal team in securing and renewing licences, registrations, and approvals from authorities.
• Keep track of updates to Saudi labour laws and regulatory changes, and help implement the required adjustments.
• Maintain complete and accurate records for all government documentation, submissions, and correspondence.
• Assist with dispute handling, urgent PRO matters, and escalations with government bodies in a timely manner.
• Help ensure compliance with Saudization obligations, including reporting and tracking requirements.

Skills and qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a similar discipline is required; CIPD or another relevant certification is considered an advantage.
• Saudi nationality is preferred.
• Between 5 and 7 years of experience in HR operations and government relations within Saudi Arabia.
• Strong understanding of Saudi labour law, Saudization requirements, GOSI, and HR compliance frameworks.
• Practical, hands-on experience using Saudi government systems such as QIWA, Iqama-related portals, and other regulatory platforms.
• Experience handling employee and company transactions through government systems and working with the relevant authorities when needed.
• Good problem-solving ability with a proactive, execution-focused approach.
• Strong coordination, communication, and organisation skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Professional conduct, high integrity, and awareness of the local cultural and regulatory environment.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Fluency in both English and Arabic, spoken and written; additional languages are an advantage.
• Willingness to travel when required.

Additional information

This is a full-time, onsite role based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role requires close collaboration with internal teams and external authorities, and regular handling of confidential employee and company matters. The successful candidate must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with a strong compliance focus.