Payroll & Social Security Director

Job Description

Payroll & Social Security Director - Dubai/UAE – Full Time

About us:

Fragomen is the world’s leading exclusive provider of immigration services. We are a firm of more than 6,200 immigration-focused professionals and staff spanning more than 60 offices worldwide. Immigration has been our sole focus for 70 years, and today we offer support in more than 170 countries. We are problem-solvers, innovators and established thought leaders in immigration, providing strategic immigration advice to a diverse range of clients from individuals to the world’s leading multinational corporations.

Fragomen’s professionals are respected thought leaders in the immigration field providing expertise to governments across the world including the US Congress, the UK Parliament, the European Union and the United Nations.

A career at Fragomen will provide you with the opportunity to work in an exciting environment for a broad range of clients, where no two days will be the same. You will face interesting challenges, and you will work with dedicated, friendly and ambitious people, where providing exceptional client service is at the core of what we do. We are extremely proud of our diverse workforce at Fragomen, and we are fully committed to providing equal opportunities.  We believe that our differences make us stronger.

About the role:

The Social Security and Payroll Director for the Middle East will be responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and management of payroll and social security strategies across the region. This role ensures compliance with local regulations, manages complex payroll operations, and ensures alignment between organizational policies and country-specific laws. The ideal candidate will have expertise in regional payroll practices, social security schemes, and related compliance requirements, while driving operational efficiency and fostering collaboration with stakeholders.

The Social Security and Payroll Director holds overall accountability for the strategic direction, operations, and success of the function across the Middle East. This includes maintaining a highly satisfied and growing client base, leading a team of engaged and motivated employees, and enhancing market visibility. The Director will also collaborate with regional Partners and Practice Leaders to drive the profitability and sustainability of the function.

Key responsibilities will include:

Client Service

• Build and maintain relationships with key decision-makers in client organizations, including HR managers, finance directors, and business stakeholders.
• Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with prospective clients to understand their payroll needs and present tailored solutions. 
• Solve unique and complex client problems and develops solutions that influence the positioning of the firm within the marketplace.
• Possess a deep understanding of each client’s business, objectives and needs in their portfolio.
• Direct the production of high quality, thorough and accurate work products that are flawlessly executed with focus on attention to detail.
• Anticipate market and/or regulatory changes; provide market intelligence and identify opportunities across accounts.
• Manage or collaborate on proposals - from informal pitch meetings to structured RFP responses - holding prep and debrief meetings and participating in client presentations where appropriate.

Productivity, Accountability and Efficiency

• Identify and research potential clients and target markets for payroll and social security services.
• Develop and implement strategic business development plans to generate leads and expand the client base.
• Conduct market analysis to identify trends, competitive landscape, and opportunities for differentiation.
• Negotiate and close business deals, ensuring mutually beneficial agreements that meet client needs and revenue targets.
• Actively prospecting for new clients through networking, cold calling, attending industry events, and utilizing marketing campaigns. 
• Track and report on sales activities, opportunities, and pipeline, using CRM systems or other tools.
• Stay updated with industry trends, payroll regulations, and best practices to effectively position and differentiate our payroll services.
• Attend industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events to build brand awareness and generate new business leads.
• Studying the market landscape to understand industry trends, competitor activity, and potential opportunities for payroll solutions. 
• Overseeing the onboarding process for new clients and ensuring a smooth transition to the company's payroll system. 
• Accountable for the development of and the performance of the Payroll and Social Security team across the region.
• Set up the function regionally including setting business development strategies, developing processes and workflows.
• Manage business and client results in terms of revenue, profit, cost control, retention and turnover.
• Ensure team follows firm procedures with respect to file maintenance, record keeping and use of firm's systems including Fragomen Connect.
• Understand the firm's accounting systems and processes and how revenue is generated for the firm.
• Achieve yearly financial targets for the function via existing accounts and new work opportunities.
• Monitor and achieve monthly billing and collection targets, alert Partners immediately if targets cannot be reached and present an action plan.
• Maintain awareness of current and new legislation to ensure employees are kept informed and changes are made to procedures as required.

Communication

• Prepare and deliver persuasive presentations, proposals, and sales materials to potential clients.
• Deliver compelling presentations to potential clients, highlighting the benefits of the company's payroll services and differentiating them from competitors. 
• Negotiate contracts and pricing with prospective clients to secure new business. 
• Generate clearly written, compelling, well organised communication and direct, guide and mentor others to deliver highly effective written work.
• Participate in a range of events sponsored by the firm, including speaking opportunities at relevant industry or practice conferences and seminars and attend a variety of client networking events.
• Maintain strong relationships and articulate messages to a variety of audiences and influence at a senior level.
• Provide performance feedback in a balanced, constructive and tactful manner.

Teamwork and Personal Leadership  

• Collaborate with internal teams, such as marketing and product development, to align strategies and effectively promote payroll services.
• Responsible for formulating business plans for the function in conjunction with the Partners.
• Effective at inputting to a strategic vision and inspiring others with how to achieve the vision.
• Plans team workload and sets realistic personal and team deadlines and priorities while meeting client expectations.
• Display strong understanding of the firm’s global presence and speak knowledgably in relation to the firm’s multi-jurisdictional offerings.

Managerial

• Effectively manage the team both in-person and remotely.
• Actively build the Firm’s culture, including attracting, engaging, and retaining our people.
• Accountability for developing the long- and short-term capabilities of direct reports.
• Provide regular feedback to recognize and motivate team members and provides constructive coaching to develop skills and standards of performance, provide opportunities for growth and identify needs for targeted training.
• Acts as a role model for the team in always delivering the highest level of client service, by seamlessly anticipating and responding to needs and functioning as a trusted business partner
• Demonstrate effective problem-solving skills. Seek to be proactive and minimise the occurrence of issues via continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates strong business acumen, understanding of financial metrics, and the ability to lead and manage the team to meet those metrics.

About you:

Qualifications and Experience:

• Proven track record in sales, particularly within the payroll or HR services industry
• Deep understanding of payroll regulations and compliance requirements
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Strong negotiation and closing skills
• Ability to build relationships with key decision-makers within businesses
• Proficient in CRM tools, capable of managing leads, tracking activities, and maintaining accurate sales records.

• Develop and execute comprehensive business development strategies to drive the growth of our payroll services
• Identify and prioritize target markets and industries for potential clients
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers and stakeholders
• Conduct market research to identify emerging trends, customer needs, and competitive landscape
• Collaborate with internal teams to develop and deliver compelling sales presentations and proposals
• Participate in industry conferences, networking events, and trade shows to generate leads and promote our payroll services
• Stay updated on regulatory changes related to payroll and ensure compliance in all customer engagements

Also Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, HR, Business Administration, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in payroll and social security management, with a focus on the Middle East.
• In-depth knowledge of regional labor laws, tax regulations, and social security frameworks.
• Proven track record of managing complex, multi-country payroll operations.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Proficiency in payroll software and systems, as well as MS Office Suite.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and analytical abilities.

• Certification in payroll or HR-related disciplines (e.g., CPP, SPHR).
• Fluency in English and Arabic.
• Experience in the immigration sector or understanding of related regulatory frameworks.

Fragomen in the Middle East:

Within the Middle East region we have offices in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with an overall headcount of 200 employees. Across all of the offices there is a positive and collaborative working environment, with our immigration professionals partnering with our clients to help them manage their regional or global immigration programmes.

The Firm operates a hybrid working model, which incorporates a blend of in-person attendance as well as working from home – our aim being to fully leverage our remote working technology and provide a balance for our people in the way that they work.

Whether in the office or working remotely, we are proud of our team spirit and we like to reflect this in the way that we work and everything we do. Our Responsible Business Practices (“RBP”) prioritises Fragomen’s social responsibility through one cross-cutting theme and five focus areas of Wellbeing, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, CSR including Pro Bono, Social and Sustainability. The RBP initiatives offer great opportunities for everyone at Fragomen to get involved and help steer a variety of initiatives and activities.

.