Advisory Consultant; Contractor

Job Description:

This is not an advertisement for a specific open vacancy or full-time employment. Foreground is building a curated network of independent advisory consultants to engage on a project-by-project basis as mandates arise across our client portfolio. Approved network members will be contacted directly when a relevant project is activated.

Foreground is a people and organizational advisory firm headquartered in the UAE, serving clients across the GCC and MENA region. We operate across three integrated practice areas:
Advisory, covering HR strategy and organizational design;
Learning, covering leadership development and capability building; and Talent, covering executive search and embedded recruitment.

Our clients include organizations navigating transformation, growth, and the evolving demands of a region reshaping itself  bring senior expertise, regional depth, and a pragmatic lens to every engagement.

Foreground maintains a vetted network of independent advisory consultants who are engaged on a project basis when client mandates align with their area of expertise. Network membership is not employment. It is a professional partnership that gives consultants priority access to Foreground's client pipeline, while allowing them to maintain their own practices and client relationships.

When a project within your area of expertise is activated, we will reach out to you directly to discuss scope, timeline, and commercial terms. Engagement is always subject to mutual agreement.

• Role
  
  Title:
  
  Advisory Consultant (Network Contractor)
• Practice Area: Advisory
• Engagement Type: Independent Contractor, Project-Based
• Work Model: On-site, Remote, or Hybrid, depending on client requirements
• Geography: UAE, Saudi Arabia, and broader GCC and MENA markets
• Engagement Duration: Variable, aligned to project scope, typically 4 to 16 weeks
• Language: English required. Arabic highly valued.

Advisory consultants within our network are engaged across a range of people and organizational mandates. Typical project scopes include:

• HR strategy development, including function design, capability gap analysis, and HR operating model design
• Organizational design and restructuring, covering spans and layers, role architecture, and governance frameworks
• Workforce planning and talent analytics, including headcount modeling and succession readiness assessments
• HR policy and framework development, aligned to UAE Labor Law and regional regulatory environments
• Performance management system design and implementation support
• Employee engagement strategy, including culture assessments and employer brand diagnostics
• Change management advisory and organizational transformation support
• Compensation and benefits benchmarking, job evaluation, and reward framework design
• HR due diligence in support of mergers, acquisitions, and carve-outs
• Emiratisation and nationalization strategy, including talent pipeline and integration planning

We are selective about who joins our network. We look for professionals who combine depth of expertise with the maturity to operate with minimal oversight in client‑facing environments.

• A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in HR advisory, organizational effectiveness, or people consulting
• Demonstrated exposure to GCC or MENA client environments, with an understanding of regional regulatory, cultural, and organizational contexts
• A track record of leading or significantly contributing to client‑facing advisory engagements, not purely internal or operational HR roles
• Ability to translate strategic intent into actionable frameworks, tools, and implementation roadmaps
• Strong stakeholder engagement capability, including experience presenting to C‑suite and board‑level audiences
• Commercial awareness and the ability to scope, price, and deliver within agreed parameters as an independent professional
• Fluency in English. Arabic language proficiency is a significant advantage for regional engagements.
• Active professional credentials are an advantage, including CIPD, SHRM, HRCI, GPHR, or equivalent