Senior Associate - Pre-joining Consultant - Talent Attraction & Acquisition - UAE

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The opportunity

As a Senior Associate – Pre-Joining & Onboarding Specialist, you will play a key role in delivering a seamless, compliant, and exceptional onboarding experience for new hires across the UAE and wider MENA region. Acting as a trusted advisor to candidates and internal stakeholders, you will manage pre-joining activities including immigration, relocation, onboarding, and employee documentation while ensuring compliance with local regulations and EY policies.

You will work closely with Recruitment, HR, Mobility, and business stakeholders to support hiring objectives and enhance the overall candidate experience.

As part of EY’s commitment to developing local talent and supporting national workforce priorities, individuals with a strong understanding of the UAE employment landscape will be particularly valued.

Your key responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for candidates throughout the pre-joining and onboarding journey.
• Manage end-to-end onboarding activities, ensuring all requirements are completed accurately and within agreed timelines.
• Coordinate UAE immigration processes, including employment visas, Emirates ID applications, medical examinations, residency permits, and related documentation.
• Partner with Recruitment, HR, Mobility, IT, and external stakeholders to facilitate a smooth onboarding experience.
• Track onboarding progress, identify potential risks or delays, and proactively drive resolution.
• Ensure compliance with UAE regulations, internal policies, and data privacy requirements.
• Maintain accurate employee records, onboarding trackers, and reporting dashboards.
• Support relocation and mobility activities where required.
• Deliver a positive and engaging new joiner experience aligned with EY’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives and continuously seek opportunities to enhance operational efficiency.

Skills and attributes for success

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Proactive, customer-focused, and solution-oriented mindset.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism.
• Strong commitment to delivering exceptional candidate experience.

To qualify for the role, you must have

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Management, or a related field.
• Approximately 2–4 years of relevant experience in onboarding, HR operations, immigration, mobility, employee services, or recruitment operations.
• Experience supporting UAE employment and immigration processes.
• Understanding of UAE labor-related administrative requirements and onboarding procedures.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Ideally, you'll also have

• Experience working within a regional or MENA-focused HR environment.
• Familiarity with HR systems, applicant tracking systems, and onboarding platforms.
• Exposure to process improvement and operational excellence initiatives.
• Arabic language skills would be advantageous.
• Understanding of UAE national talent initiatives and local employment frameworks.

What we look for

We are looking for a highly organized and detail-oriented professional who is passionate about delivering an outstanding employee experience. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong relationship-building skills, a collaborative approach, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy and compliance.

Consistent with our commitment to supporting local talent development, candidates who bring knowledge of the UAE market and employment landscape are encouraged to apply.

What we offer you

At EY, we’ll develop you with future-focused skills and equip you with world-class experiences. We’ll empower you in a flexible environment and fuel your extraordinary talents in a diverse and inclusive culture of globally connected teams.

Are you ready to shape your future with confidence? Apply today.

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