Immigration & Government Relations and HR Specialist

Role Overview

Immigration & Government Relations and HR Specialist at Johnson & Johnson (DePuy Synthes), located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Company Overview

Johnson & Johnson is a healthcare innovation company with strength in Innovative Medicine and MedTech. The company is guided by its Credo, which emphasizes responsibility to employees worldwide and commitment to an inclusive work environment that respects diversity and dignity. DePuy Synthes is Johnson & Johnson's orthopaedics business, with plans to operate as a standalone company following separation anticipated within 18 to 24 months.

Role Purpose

Manage immigration, foreign workforce administration, and government compliance activities while ensuring full compliance with Saudi labor and immigration regulations. Provide hands-on HR support across talent management, employee engagement, Saudization, HR operations, and change initiatives, partnering closely with business leaders and key stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Immigration & Foreign Workforce Management

• Manage end-to-end immigration processes, including work permits, Iqamas, and sponsorship transfers of foreign employees.
• Ensure compliant employment contracts and continuous work authorization for foreign employees.
• Coordinate with government authorities on immigration approvals, renewals, and regulatory requirements.

International Recruitment & Work Visa Processing

• Manage the immigration process for foreign hires recruited from outside Saudi Arabia.
• Coordinate work visa applications and ensure alignment of visa categories with employees' educational qualifications and regulatory requirements.
• Prepare employment contracts and obtain required attestations from the Chamber of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Process electronic authorizations and supporting documentation required for overseas recruitment.
• Liaise with government entities and external agencies to facilitate successful visa issuance and onboarding of foreign employees.

Sponsorship Transfer Management

• Manage sponsorship transfer (Kafala transfer) processes for foreign employees.
• Submit sponsorship transfer requests through relevant government systems.
• Coordinate with employees, current sponsors, and government authorities to obtain all required approvals.
• Monitor cases through completion and ensure all associated fees and regulatory requirements are fulfilled.

Government Platforms & Regulatory Compliance

• Manage government HR and immigration platforms including QIWA, GOSI, and MHRSD systems.
• Ensure compliance with workforce, immigration, and licensing requirements.
• Complete required submissions, renewals, and regulatory reporting on time.

Employee Mobility & Travel Authorization

• Process and issue exit, re-entry, and related travel permits for employees as required.
• Monitor validity of travel permissions and immigration documents.
• Support employees and business stakeholders with immigration-related guidance regarding travel and work authorization requirements.

Document Attestation & Government Liaison

• Coordinate attestation and legalization of employment and immigration-related documents through the Chamber of Commerce and other relevant authorities.
• Maintain relationships with government agencies and represent the company in immigration-related matters.
• Ensure all immigration files, supporting documentation, and records are accurate, complete, and audit ready.

Business License & Regulatory Support

• Support the renewal and maintenance of government registrations and licenses that impact foreign workforce sponsorship and immigration eligibility, including Ministry of Investment licenses, commercial registration renewals, and other government approvals required to maintain sponsorship capabilities.

Compliance Monitoring & Risk Management

• Monitor changes in Saudi immigration and labor regulations and assess impact on company operations.
• Ensure all immigration activities are completed within regulatory timelines to avoid penalties, fines, or interruption of business operations.
• Maintain accurate records of employee immigration status and government filings.
• Support audits, inspections, and compliance reviews related to immigration and workforce authorization.

HR Business Support and Stakeholder Partnership

• Support the HR Lead in delivering the people agenda for Saudi Arabia, ensuring alignment with business priorities and HR ways of working.
• Provide practical HR guidance to managers and employees on routine people matters, escalating complex or sensitive cases to the HR Lead as appropriate.

HR Operations and Employee Lifecycle

• Support key employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, job changes, documentation, exits, and employee data updates.
• Support HR reporting, audit readiness, employee documentation, and data quality across relevant HR systems and local records.
• Coordinate with payroll, benefits, medical insurance, government relations, and other support functions to ensure a positive employee experience.
• Apply HR policies consistently and help ensure alignment with Saudi labor law, internal compliance standards, and company values.
• Manage all involuntary terminations effectively and their exit management.

Local HR Requirements & Employee Relations

• Support the monitoring and follow-up of Saudization priorities, including workforce data, action tracking, and compliance-related reporting.
• Work with relevant internal and external partners on Saudi government platforms and employment requirements and related systems where applicable.
• Stay informed of relevant Saudi HR, labor, and compliance updates and highlight potential implications to the HR Lead.
• Manage the end-to-end support for employee relations matters including complete exit management for voluntary and involuntary terminations.
• Guide the resolution of sophisticated employee relations matters, including grievances, investigations, disciplinary issues, and workplace concerns.

Qualifications & Experience

• 4–6 years of progressive experience as Immigration & Government Relations and HR Specialist, preferably in Saudi Arabia and within a multinational or matrix organization.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of HR operations, employee lifecycle processes, HR policies, and employee relations practices.
• Good understanding of Saudi labor law, Saudi government platforms, Saudization requirements, and local HR compliance expectations.
• Saudi national, based in Riyadh.

Skills & Competencies

• Fluency in Arabic and English.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, coaching, and collaboration skills.
• Practical, solution-oriented mindset with strong follow-through, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a confidential manner.
• Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Employee Relations, HR Operational Planning and Organizing, Investigation Techniques, Problem Solving, Process Oriented, Talent Management, Coaching, and Relationship Building.

Additional Information

Following the planned separation of DePuy Synthes from Johnson & Johnson, anticipated within 18 to 24 months, employees in this role are anticipated to become employees of DePuy Synthes. Employment would then be governed by DePuy Synthes employment processes, programs, policies, and benefit plans. Details of any planned changes would be provided at an appropriate time and subject to any necessary consultation processes.

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. The company is committed to providing an inclusive interview process and will make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities upon request.