DAURAS KAVITHA BERNARD
Dubai
Summary
Strategic HR & Compliance leader with over 14 years of experience across international higher education and banking, specializing in talent management, academic recruitment, employee engagement, compensation & benefits, and regulatory compliance. Proven ability to partner with global and local leadership teams to build high-performing, compliant, and inclusive workplaces across multi-country operations. Strong track record in lecturer recruitment, workforce planning, and retention strategies within complex, multicultural environments.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
HR & Compliance Manager
Murdoch University Dubai (Navitas Managed Campus)
04.2021 - Current
- Lead talent management and academic recruitment for Discipline Leads, Lecturers, Adjunct Faculty, and Professional & Administrative staff.
- Manage and guide the HR hiring team, ensuring consistent, timely, and compliant recruitment aligned with academic standards and institutional goals.
- Partner with senior leadership and faculty on workforce planning, succession planning, and retention strategies.
- Oversee end-to-end employee lifecycle including onboarding, contracts, HR induction, payroll coordination, performance management, and employee separations.
- Manage compensation, benefits, staff and student medical insurance, and employee welfare initiatives.
- Ensure full compliance with UAE Labour Law, DDA Free Zone regulations, and higher education regulatory requirements.
- Drive employee engagement initiatives, grievance management, and HR communications to support a positive, inclusive, and culturally respectful workplace culture.
- Champion diversity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity across academic and professional staff, supporting a multicultural campus environment.
- Advise leadership on inclusive people practices, equitable decision-making, and culturally appropriate employee relations.
Operations Manager – HR & Compliance (EMEA & Americas)
Navitas SAE
04.2015 - 04.2021
- Led regional HR and compliance operations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
- Delivered strategic HR support including recruitment, onboarding, payroll coordination, employee relations, and performance management.
- Collaborated with global leadership on HR policy implementation, compliance frameworks, and organisational restructuring.
- Managed business setup, licensing, employment compliance, and statutory requirements across multiple jurisdictions.
- Supported senior management with workforce planning and talent deployment across international campuses.
Key Account Manager
HSBC Middle East
01.2012 - 04.2015
- Managed corporate client relationships within a highly regulated banking environment.
- Developed strong stakeholder management, compliance awareness, and client engagement skills.
Program Manager
Kodaikanal Christian College
06.2008 - 12.2011
- Managed academic programs, faculty coordination, and administrative operations.
- Supported academic staff management and student services within a higher education setting.
Education
MBA - Human Resources Management
The American College
India04-2005
Bachelor of Computer Applications -
Mother Teresa University
Skills
- Talent Management, Acquisition & Retention
- Academic & Lecturer Recruitment
- Workforce Planning & Hiring Governance
- Compensation & Benefits Administration
- Performance Management & Employee Engagement
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB)
- Cross-Cultural & Multicultural Workforce Management
- Inclusive Hiring & Bias-Aware Recruitment Practices
- HR Policies, Compliance & Risk Management
- Employee Relations & Grievance Handling
- Immigration, Work Permits & Labour Law Compliance
- HR Operations & Payroll Oversight
- Leadership & Hiring Team Management
- Strategic HR Partner & Trusted Advisor
- Strong Academic & Stakeholder Engagement
- Advocate for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Sensitivity
- Experience Managing Multicultural & Global Teams
- High Integrity & Compliance-Oriented
- Collaborative Leadership Style
- Detail-Oriented with Strong Process Improvement Mindset
- Compliance monitoring
- Training development
- Training and education
- Compliance documentation
- Training coordination
- Risk assessment
- Risk analysis
- Influencing skills
- Analytical thinking
- Process management
- Incident response
- Compliance initiatives
- Compliance reporting
- Human resources
- Problem-solving
- Team leadership
- Decision-making
- Relationship building
- Team building
- Conflict resolution
- Goal setting
- Interpersonal communication
Certification
- Strategic Human Resource Management
- Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
- Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
LANGUAGES
English
Tamil
Malayalam
Timeline
HR & Compliance Manager
Murdoch University Dubai (Navitas Managed Campus)
04.2021 - Current
Operations Manager – HR & Compliance (EMEA & Americas)
Navitas SAE
04.2015 - 04.2021
Key Account Manager
HSBC Middle East
01.2012 - 04.2015
Program Manager
Kodaikanal Christian College
06.2008 - 12.2011
MBA - Human Resources Management
The American College
Bachelor of Computer Applications -
Mother Teresa University