People Partner - OTB at Chalhoub Group · Dubai

INSPIRE | EXHILARATE | DELIGHT

On behalf of OTB, we are seeking a highly motivated People Partner who will support both human resources and business functions.

OTB is an international fashion and luxury group powering a range of unconventional global brands, including Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, Marni and Viktor & Rolf. The Group also controls the Staff International and Brand Kid companies and holds a stake in American brand Amiri.

OTB – short for "Only The Brave" – believes in the possibility of pushing beyond the frontiers of fashion and style to support the creativity of international talents and express in full the innovative spirit and uncompromising courage of its founder and chairman, Renzo Rosso.

With more than 6,000 employees worldwide, the Group is founded on a digital approach centered on the consumer, a concrete long-term commitment to the creation of a sustainable, technologically driven business, and close attention to social issues through the OTB Foundation.

What you'll be doing

Role Overview We are seeking a proactive, commercially minded and experienced People Partner to support a dynamic, multi-business luxury retail Joint Venture.

The role will act as a trusted People advisor to the General Manager and leadership team, partnering closely with multiple internal and external stakeholders to deliver the People agenda across both corporate and frontline retail functions.

Operating within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, the successful candidate will demonstrate strong ownership, sound judgement and the ability to balance strategic People initiatives with hands-on operational execution.

Key Responsibilities

1. People Strategy & HR Operations Reporting to the General Manager and partnering with with brand partners and functional leaders to translate business priorities into actionable People strategies aligned with the Joint Venture’s objectives. Implement Group HR policies and frameworks while adapting People initiatives to the specific operational and cultural needs of the JV.

2. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning Partner with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers to identify talent requirements across corporate and frontline retail functions. Drive recruitment planning, selection, onboarding and integration, ensuring a high-quality candidate and employee experience. Support workforce planning, organisational structures, headcount budgets and succession requirements. Build strong relationships with retail management teams to understand operational staffing challenges, retention risks and talent opportunities. Proactively identify internal mobility and career development opportunities to support employee retention and business continuity.

3. Performance & Talent Development Partner with leadership and line managers to drive a culture of accountability, high performance and continuous development. Coordinate performance management cycles, objective setting, talent reviews, succession planning and development initiatives. Coach and support managers in addressing performance challenges, employee development and sensitive People matters. Identify capability gaps across both corporate and retail teams, collaborating with relevant stakeholders to implement targeted development solutions. Support compensation, reward and recognition processes, ensuring consistency, fairness and alignment with business performance.

4. Employee Experience, Engagement & Culture Take ownership of employee engagement initiatives across both corporate and frontline retail populations, fostering a positive, inclusive and high-performing workplace culture. Maintain regular and meaningful engagement with employees across all levels of the organisation, ensuring strong visibility and accessibility beyond the corporate office. Build trusted relationships with store managers and retail teams through regular store visits, structured feedback and proactive follow-up. Act as a trusted point of contact for employees, managing feedback, grievances and sensitive employee relations matters with professionalism, discretion and empathy. Develop and execute initiatives that strengthen employee motivation, recognition, retention and overall employee experience. Champion effective communication and collaboration between corporate functions, retail teams and wider JV stakeholders.

5. HR Analytics, Stakeholder Management & Project Delivery Manage relationships across a complex stakeholder environment, including JV leadership, Group HR, international business partners and cross-functional teams. Ensure clear, timely and consistent communication on People priorities, organisational changes and key initiatives. Prepare and interpret People metrics, including headcount, turnover, retention, recruitment and employee engagement, translating insights into actionable recommendations. Take ownership of People projects from planning through to execution, ensuring timely delivery, stakeholder alignment and measurable outcomes. Anticipate business needs, identify opportunities for process improvement and proactively recommend solutions to enhance organisational effectiveness. Demonstrate a high level of autonomy, accountability and follow-through, managing competing priorities in a fast-paced, evolving business environment.

What you’ll need to succeed

• 3 to 5 years of proven experience in a People Partner, HR Business Partner or comparable generalist HR role, ideally within luxury retail, fashion, hospitality or another customer-facing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to support both corporate and frontline operational teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage effectively across different organisational levels and reporting structures.
• Commercially aware, pragmatic and solutions-oriented, with an understanding of the relationship between People initiatives and business performance.
• Comfortable working independently in a lean, entrepreneurial organisation while navigating the governance requirements of a larger corporate group.
• Strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust with employees and senior leadership.
• Highly organised, proactive and execution-focused, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Confident handling sensitive employee relations matters with discretion and sound judgement.

What we can offer you

With us, you will turn your aspirations into reality. We will help shape your journey through enriching experiences, learning and development opportunities and exposure to different assignments within your role or through internal mobility. Our Group offers diverse career paths for those who are extraordinary, every day.

We recognise the value that you bring, and we strive to provide a competitive benefits package which includes health care, child education contribution, remote and flexible working policies as well as exclusive employee discounts.

Using GenAI in Your Application Process

To support a fair and consistent experience for all candidates, we ask that assessments and interviews are completed independently and without assistance from generative AI tools. This ensures we understand your strengths, your thinking, and how you approach real situations.

We Invite All Applicants to Apply

It Takes Diversity Of Thought, Culture, Background, Differing Abilities and Perspectives to truly Inspire, Exhilarate and Delight our customers. At Chalhoub Group, we are committed to inclusion and diversity.

We welcome all applicants to apply and be part of our exciting future. We ensure equal opportunity for all our applicants without regard to gender, age, race, religion, national origin or disability status.