Job purpose

Reporting to the Executive Vice President, Africa Region, this position is responsible for providing strategic People & Culture leadership and organizational development in the Africa region. This includes the development and implementation of a results-driven performance management culture, talent and succession planning strategy, staff welfare policies, and organizational development initiatives to ensure a supportive and conducive working environment in compliance with local labour laws.

Direct reports:

Manager, Talent Acquisition – Africa Region
Manager, HR (ESA) East & Southern African Region

Indirect reports:

Manager, HR (WCA) West & Central African Region

Geographic Scope

Directly and indirectly oversees the People & Culture function and team across the African Region this includes but is not limited to (Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroon, Zambia & any other countries within the Africa region that Evidence Action is or will be present) The role also collaborates closely with Global and US-based teams.

Duties and responsibilities
Leadership

Culture: In collaboration with Africa regional leadership and People & Culture teams, strategically align regional culture and increase employee engagement.
Strategy: Develop and implement strategies for achieving key regional HR objectives, while ensuring their harmonization with global strategies.
Supervision: Provide matrix supervision to In-country People & Culture teams on matters related to HR management and organizational development.
Leadership support: Guide Africa regional leadership in all aspects of HR while promoting an agile and effective organizational culture in HR service delivery.
Communication: Oversee the development and implementation of organization wide communication and change management plans.
Risk management: Take the lead in identifying, monitoring and controlling people and culture related risks in the region.
Compliance: Lead and promote compliance to applicable (local) employment regulations, immigration and labour laws as well as Evidence Action People & Culture policies and guidelines.
Contribute and support the implementation of People & Culture related audit recommendations and audit Performance Improvement Plans.

Technical & Operational Support

Payroll: Manage regional staff contracts and monthly payroll.
Safety and security: Working with the Operations team, lead and provide guidance to all staff safety and security measures/interventions in the region.

Performance Management & Staff Capacity Building

Performance reviews: Oversee the annual performance management process which includes annual objective setting, mid-year performance reviews, 360 reviews and annual performance appraisals.
Talent management: Develop and implement workforce planning aligned with the organization’s overall strategy aimed at attracting and retaining top talent while building a strong pipeline of future leaders for succession planning. Lead Africa's capacity building and talent management projects and conduct talent management gap analysis to improve the quality of the talent pipeline.
Lead the regional leadership team in developing a comprehensive succession plan for the entire Africa region
Conduct and analyse exit interviews/debriefs and make recommendations for organizational improvement.
Learning and development: Institute learning and development agenda in the region by participating in the development of systems and tools that will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of organization operations.
Ensure the continuous development and maintenance of an effective performance management system through implementation of best practices.

Staff Engagement and Well Being

Execute employee satisfaction surveys on an annual basis and leverage the results to enhance staff and organizational well-being.
Drive measurable improvements in leadership, culture, and agility in consultation with Africa regional leadership.
Enhance employee well-being and provide support to managers in resolving employee relations matters fairly and consistently.

Documentation, Reporting and Representation

Ensure efficient delivery of People & Culture services using People & Culture Information systems.
Oversee proper document archiving in line with Data Act and organization policies on information management and disposal.
Prepare and present periodic progress reports on People & Culture performance to Senior regional leadership.

Requirements

Graduate qualification and/or Professional qualification in Human Resource Management, Social Science/Studies, or Organizational Development.
Minimum 10 years Human Resources (HR) experience.
At least three years of regional human resource responsibilities in a senior management position within an international NGO and in implementing world-class services in international organizations and ideally, in a network setting to diverse, dispersed and dynamic teams.
Membership to IHRM is required.
Must have legal authorization to work in Kenya.
A bilingual speaker (English and French) is preferred but not required.
Possesses intellectual independence and the courage to make difficult decisions, along with a capacity for complex problem-solving and a keen ability to diagnose organizational performance issues.
Nurtures a productive, motivating, and responsive environment that enhances people's capacity in alignment with Evidence Action's objectives to achieve excellent results, and utilizes appropriate communication channels tailored to meet audience's needs.
Responds positively and constructively to change, managing or participating in change processes in a way that is appropriate to role in the organization.