Zahra Al Lawati

• Providing independent HR advisory support in workforce planning, organizational design, HR governance, career architecture, and scalable HR operations.
• Developing PeopleOS, AI-enabled HR operations framework focused on workforce planning, onboarding, role clarity, performance cadence, people dashboards, and leadership-ready insights.
• Strengthening capability in HR analytics, generative AI, and AI-enabled HR operations through applied learning and professional development, including Google AI Essentials and Microsoft Career Essentials in Generative AI.

• Led HR operations for up to 400 employees, partnering with country and regional leadership on workforce planning, productivity improvement, organizational restructuring, and business transformation priorities.
• Supported large-scale oil & gas operations by aligning talent acquisition, mobilization, onboarding, employee relations, and HR governance with project delivery requirements.
• Managed complex employee relations matters, investigations, grievances, disciplinary actions, and leadership coaching in alignment with global ER frameworks and Oman labor requirements.
• Partnered with HR Centers of Excellence on total rewards, workforce planning, compensation governance, payroll controls, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Strengthened employer branding and EVP through talent attraction, national platforms, career fairs, DEI initiatives, and leadership visibility in Oman.

Selected Achievements

• Recruited and mobilized critical workforce for PDO’s 4.5-year Integrated Services Project covering approximately 837 wells, enabling timely project readiness and strengthening client confidence.
• Supported onboarding and mobilization processes that contributed to 90%+ onboarding satisfaction and smoother integration of project teams.
• Identified and corrected a workforce/job-code classification issue preventing an estimated USD 90,000 bonus exposure, improving HR data controls and payroll accuracy.
• Supported redeployment of 13 Directional Services employees, retaining operational capability and reducing unnecessary workforce disruption.
• Led Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) discussions with the Weatherford Trade Union, strengthening labor relations and organizational alignment.
• Secured SPF penalty exemption representing 13.5% of contributions, delivering significant cost avoidance and governance value.
• Standardized HR processes across the MENA region and integrated them into Oracle, improving operational efficiency, consistency, and data accuracy.
• Customized Oman offer letter automation through iCIMS, improving recruitment documentation accuracy and process efficiency.
• Appointed Oman Lead for Women of Weatherford (WOW), leading DEI initiatives and representing Weatherford at national platforms including Oman Sustainability Week and industry forums.

• Led end-to-end HR and administration for 800+ employees across recruitment, payroll, compliance, employee relations, performance management, and workplace governance.
• Designed and implemented HR process improvements, performance management practices, compensation structure changes, and policy governance to support organizational growth.
• Promoted to Head of HR and Admin within one year based on performance, leadership impact, and ability to stabilize HR operations.
• Rolled out SAP HR module across the organization, improving HR process visibility, system discipline, and reporting efficiency.
• Led HR manual revamp and compensation structure redesign to strengthen consistency, compliance, and internal equity.

• Developed HR strategies aligned with business objectives across multiple divisions, supervising HR staff and streamlining administrative systems and processes.
• Developed HR/Admin manual and employee handbook, improving policy clarity, governance, and employee lifecycle consistency.
• Increased Omanization from 20% to 32% through targeted local hiring and workforce planning.

• Managed full HR operations for up to 100 employees, including recruitment, employee relations, HR policy implementation, performance support, and compliance.
• Led ERP system implementation for HR processes and updated employee handbook in alignment with Oman Labor Law.