National Talent & Compliance Lead

About Horizontal Digital

Horizontal Digital is a digital consultancy focused on creating intuitive and empathetic customer experiences. The company develops websites, applications, and portals for Fortune 500 companies by integrating strategy, data, design, and technology.

The Role: National Talent & Compliance Lead

Horizontal Digital is seeking an experienced Saudi national professional to join the team in Riyadh as a National Talent & Compliance Lead. This is a full-time senior role with two primary areas of focus: compliance and visa management, and Saudi national hiring. The position involves managing government relations, visa processes, and leading recruitment efforts for Saudi talent to meet Nitaqat obligations.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end visa and immigration processes for expatriate employees and their eligible family members, including work visas, iqama issuance and renewal, dependent/family visas, exit/re-entry, and cancellation processes.
• Apply for and manage various visa types required for Horizontal Digital employees traveling to Saudi Arabia for work, such as business or visit visas.
• Coordinate with the insurance broker for adding new employees and eligible family members to the health insurance plan, and manage related updates, amendments, and removals.
• Oversee the Nitaqat/Saudization position, tracking the Saudi/non-Saudi headcount ratio and quota band, proactively identifying risks, and recommending corrective actions to leadership.
• Serve as Horizontal Digital’s primary point of contact for Saudization, visas, and government relations matters.
• Monitor and interpret changes to KSA labor law, MHRSD regulations, and Qiwa/Muqeem/GOSI/visa platform requirements, providing clear guidance to leadership and HR.
• Manage the government-related and administrative aspects of onboarding and offboarding for employees, contractors, and their families (visas, iqama, labor contracts, GOSI registration, health insurance enrollment/removal), coordinating with HR, IT, and hiring managers.
• Keep leadership and the HR team informed on Saudization, visa, and labor law-related rules, deadlines, and obligations affecting the business.
• Maintain accurate compliance, visa, and insurance tracking and reporting, and prepare regular updates for leadership.
• Lead sourcing, screening, and recruitment for Saudi national hires, developing and maintaining a strong pipeline of Saudi talent across open roles.
• Identify, propose, and support the development of programs and initiatives to attract, develop, and retain Saudi national employees (*, university and graduate partnerships, engagement with government talent initiatives).
• Partner with hiring managers and leadership on workforce planning that incorporates Saudization targets and quota requirements.
• Maintain accurate candidate tracking and reporting within the Applicant Tracking System.
• Support broader Talent Acquisition and HR projects and administrative tasks as needed.
• Act as a culture ambassador for the Saudi team, supporting local engagement activities and events to connect Saudi nationals and expatriates.

Candidate Profile

• A Saudi national capable of engaging effectively with both government contacts and internal leadership.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Saudi labor law, visa/immigration processes, and the Nitaqat/Saudization program, with a commitment to staying current on evolving regulations.
• Proactive and forward-thinking, with the ability to identify and flag risks early.
• Strong communication skills, enabling effective advice and influence with senior stakeholders, external government contacts, brokers, and candidates.
• Meticulous and reliable in handling time-sensitive paperwork, ensuring all visa deadlines, renewals, and insurance enrollments are met.
• A skilled recruiter who enjoys identifying and engaging local talent.
• Highly organized, capable of managing compliance and visa deadlines alongside multiple hiring pipelines simultaneously.
• Trustworthy with confidential and compliance-sensitive information.

Benefits

• 22 days of annual leave.
• Comprehensive medical insurance plan for the employee, spouse, and children.
• Flexible office hours and the option to work from home twice per week.
• Remote working from a location of choice for 2 weeks per year.