Immigration & Government Relations Specialist Orthopedics📣 Job Ad

About Johnson & Johnson MedTech and the Role

Johnson & Johnson MedTech is a global healthcare innovation company focused on developing advanced medical technologies. The company's Orthopedics sector provides solutions for joint reconstruction, trauma and craniomaxillofacial, sports, extremities, elective foot and ankle, spine, and robotics and digital surgery. Johnson & Johnson MedTech is seeking a full-time Immigration & Government Relations Specialist Orthopedics to join its team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This role is responsible for managing all immigration, foreign workforce, and government compliance activities for the company within Saudi Arabia.

The specialist ensures full compliance with Saudi immigration regulations, maintains valid work authorization for foreign employees, and manages government platform requirements. This position involves coordinating with relevant ministries and authorities to support the employment and mobility of foreign nationals.

Immigration and Foreign Workforce Management

The Immigration & Government Relations Specialist will oversee the comprehensive management of foreign workforce immigration processes. Key responsibilities include:

• Managing the end-to-end immigration process for foreign employees in Saudi Arabia.
• Arranging and maintaining employment contracts for non-Saudi employees in compliance with local regulations.
• Obtaining, renewing, and monitoring work permits and residency permits (Iqama) for foreign employees.
• Coordinating with relevant government authorities and ministries regarding immigration-related payments, renewals, and approvals.
• Ensuring continuous work authorization for all sponsored foreign employees and proactively preventing any gaps in legal work status.

International Recruitment and Sponsorship Transfers

This role involves facilitating the entry and transfer of foreign talent into the company. Specific duties include:

• Managing the immigration process for foreign hires recruited from outside Saudi Arabia.
• Coordinating work visa applications and ensuring alignment of visa categories with employees' educational qualifications and regulatory requirements.
• Preparing employment contracts and obtaining required attestations from the Chamber of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Processing electronic authorizations and supporting documentation for overseas recruitment.
• Liaising with government entities and external agencies to facilitate successful visa issuance and onboarding of foreign employees.
• Managing sponsorship transfer (Kafala transfer) processes for foreign employees.
• Submitting sponsorship transfer requests through relevant government systems and coordinating approvals with employees, current sponsors, and authorities.
• Monitoring sponsorship transfer cases through completion and ensuring all associated fees and regulatory requirements are fulfilled.

Government Platforms and Regulatory Compliance

A core aspect of the role is to ensure the company's full compliance with all governmental and labor regulations. Responsibilities include:

• Serving as administrator and key point of contact for labor and immigration-related government platforms, including QIWA, GOSI (where immigration-related coordination is required), and Ministry of Human Resources systems.
• Ensuring compliance with governmental requirements that impact workforce eligibility, immigration sponsorship, and company licensing status.
• Completing mandatory submissions, updates, and reporting requirements to maintain uninterrupted access to government services.
• Supporting the renewal and maintenance of government registrations and licenses that impact foreign workforce sponsorship and immigration eligibility, including Ministry of Investment licenses and Commercial registration renewals.
• Monitoring changes in Saudi immigration and labor regulations and assessing their impact on company operations.
• Ensuring all immigration activities are completed within regulatory timelines to avoid penalties, fines, or interruption of business operations.

Employee Mobility and Documentation Management

The specialist will manage employee travel authorizations and ensure proper documentation and record-keeping. Key tasks include:

• Processing and issuing exit, re-entry, and related travel permits for employees as required.
• Monitoring the validity of travel permissions and immigration documents.
• Supporting employees and business stakeholders with immigration-related guidance regarding travel and work authorization requirements.
• Coordinating attestation and legalization of employment and immigration-related documents through the Chamber of Commerce and other relevant authorities.
• Maintaining relationships with government agencies and representing the company in immigration-related matters.
• Maintaining accurate records of employee immigration status and government filings.
• Ensuring all immigration files, supporting documentation, and records are accurate, complete, and audit-ready.
• Supporting audits, inspections, and compliance reviews related to immigration and workforce authorization.

Key Deliverables

Success in this role will be measured by the achievement of the following outcomes:

• Timely issuance and renewal of work permits, visas, and residency permits.
• Successful onboarding of foreign employees from overseas.
• Efficient completion of sponsorship transfer cases.
• Full compliance with Saudi immigration and labor authority requirements.
• Timely processing of exit/re-entry visas and travel authorizations.
• Maintenance of company eligibility to sponsor foreign workers through ongoing compliance with governmental regulations and licensing requirements.