Dubai Office Manager DMCC – HR Administrative Role Open

Office Manager Needed – Dubai DMCC

What Happened Sarah, our office manager, got married and moved to Canada last month. Since then, it’s been chaos. I’ve been doing payroll (badly), our receptionist has been handling visa paperwork (she’s trying her best), and nobody knows where anything is.

What We Do We’re a trading company. Been here 6 years. Good reputation, steady business, about 25 people total. Office feels more like a family than a corporation – sometimes that’s great, sometimes it means everyone asks you where the stapler is.

The Actual Job You’ll basically become the person who knows everything about everything. New employee needs their Emirates ID sorted? That’s you. Someone’s work permit expires next week and they forgot to mention it? Also you. Accountant needs payroll data formatted differently? Guess who.

Sarah used to say the job was 40% HR stuff, 30% putting out fires, 20% actual admin work, and 10% explaining to people why they can’t expense their gym membership.

We’ve got Odoo running our systems, but honestly? Half the team still does things the old way and then asks you to enter it into the computer later. It’s not ideal, but it’s reality.

Your Typical Tuesday 8:30 – Coffee first, then check what disasters happened overnight 9:00 – Update three employee records that should’ve been done Friday 10:00 – Call DMCC about Ahmad’s license renewal (third time this week) 11:30 – Interview candidate for warehouse position 12:30 – Lunch with the team (we usually eat together) 2:00 – Explain to someone why their visa application was rejected 3:30 – Book flights for next month’s trade show 4:00 – Generate reports that management asked for yesterday 5:30 – Go home wondering why that took 9 hours

What You Should Have

• Done this before in UAE. Know the rules, know the websites, know the headaches. If you’re new to the UAE job market, read our Reality Check: Job Hunting in UAE Isn’t What You Think for what to expect.
• Can use Excel without googling “how to make pivot table” every time
• Speak English clearly. Arabic helps but not required. Tagalog or Hindi is bonus
• Won’t quit when government portal crashes during visa deadline
• Generally pleasant to be around (office is small, we see each other a lot)
• For a broader look at office and admin careers, visit our Complete Guide to Jobs in Dubai: Opportunities, Industries, and Career Growth.

Experience with Odoo is great. If not, you’ll figure it out. It’s not rocket science.

What You Shouldn’t Expect

• Everything to be organized when you arrive
• Systems that work perfectly all the time
• People to always follow procedures you set up
• Glamorous work (most of it is pretty routine)

Why People Stay Here Boss is fair, pays on time, doesn’t micromanage. Team gets along well – we actually hang out sometimes outside work. Good mix of nationalities, everyone respects each other.

Office location is decent, parking isn’t terrible, and we close at reasonable hours. No weekend work unless something’s really urgent. Want tips on landing a job quickly? Read Getting Hired Fast in Dubai: What Nobody Tells You.

The Annoying Parts Government websites. Enough said.

People wait until last minute to tell you about expiring documents. Every. Single. Time.

Sometimes you’ll need to explain the same procedure to the same person multiple times.

Money Salary depends on experience. We pay market rate, maybe bit above. End of year bonus if company does well. Basic medical insurance included. Want to know how far your salary will go? Check The Real Deal: What It Actually Costs to Live in Dubai.

To Apply Email your CV and answer this: What’s the most frustrating admin situation you’ve dealt with, and how did you fix it? Don’t write a novel, just tell the story.

We’re interviewing this week and next. Want to fill this position soon before I lose my mind doing two jobs. If you’re looking for more admin or office manager roles, see Recruitment Agencies in Dubai: Your Complete Guide to Finding the Best Talent Solutions in 2025.

Final Note This job won’t make you rich or famous. But you’ll keep 25 people’s work lives running smoothly, which matters more than you’d think. Plus, we have really good coffee.