Government Relations Officer (GRO) - Saudi Arabia

About the role

The Government Relations Officer (GRO) is the main custodian of the company's regulatory compliance on employee documentation and labour laws. The role manages the full lifecycle of employee government services so that visas, residency permits (Iqama) and labour contracts comply with Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and Ministry of Interior regulations. It is a full-time, office-based position with frequent travel to the Immigration (Jawazat), Labour Office and Chamber of Commerce.

Key responsibilities

• Onboarding: process new work visas, arrange medical insurance and coordinate medical screenings and biometrics for new hires.
• Iqama management: issue, renew and cancel resident identities for expatriate employees within statutory deadlines.
• Mobility: process sponsorship transfers (Naqal), exit/re-entry visas and final exit visas for resignations or terminations.
• Ensure job titles on employment contracts match the professions registered in Qiwa and GOSI to avoid legal penalties.
• Manage the Qiwa platform, draft and validate employment contracts digitally, and monitor employee residency status, passports and dependents in Muqeem.
• Register new employees and terminate leavers in GOSI, and manage company vehicle registrations and family sponsorship in Absher (Business).
• Represent the company during labour office inspections and ministry audits, and proactively monitor expiry dates of Iqama, passports and company licenses to prevent penalties.
• Advise HR management on changes to Saudi Labour Law, Saudization (Nitaqat) levels and localization requirements.
• Liaise with government entities for official letters (bank letters, police clearance, driver's licence conversion) and support offboarding by settling and cancelling labour files properly.
• Support the sales team in coordinating with government authorities on product registration and market access when required.

Required profile

• Minimum 1 to 5 years of experience as a GRO or PRO in Saudi Arabia.
• Fluent Arabic and business-proficient English.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Law or HR highly preferred.
• Valid Saudi driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Required skills

• Qiwa, Muqeem, GOSI and Absher (Business)
• Mudad (Wage Protection System) and MHRSD platforms
• Strong negotiation and problem-solving skills to resolve disputes with government clerks and stuck applications without external consultants