Interim Associate Director of Human Resources

Innovative Human Rights NGO Seeks Interim Associate Director of Human Resources for Mexico

About Asylum Access

We are human rights advocates who support forcibly displaced individuals and communities as they reclaim their rights, agency, and power.

Our unique combination of legal empowerment, policy advocacy, and global systems change creates conditions in which refugees can live safely, move freely, work legally and go to school. Our work transforms the traditional approach of endless humanitarian handouts into a sustainable solution that honors refugees’ freedom, dignity, and autonomy, and equips them to make choices about their own lives.

Asylum Access’ global team and family of local civil society organizations advocate making human rights a reality for refugees throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Our national organizations are led and staffed primarily by community members in those countries, and there is strong mutual trust and respect between our clients and us. On the international stage, we work with established institutions to shift the global system to better uphold and promote refugees’ human rights. We can help catalyze and lead systemic transformation because, uniquely among NGOs in the refugee response sector, we focus exclusively on rights and governance.

Department Description

The Operations Department at Asylum Access ensures that teams worldwide have the resources, tools, and support they need to effectively realize Asylum Access’ goals and vision. This includes oversight of a wide variety of functional areas, including systems and technology, monitoring and evaluation, planning and learning, human resources, risk management, and structure. In all of these areas and in our day-to-day work, we embed Asylum Access’ values in the processes we create and ensure that the Organization is equipped to achieve impact on an individual, community and systemic levels.

Position Description

The Interim Associate Director of Human Resources for Mexico will support Asylum Access Mexico (AAMX) to develop, implement, sustain, and evaluate strong human resources structures and systems that reflect our values and shape workplace culture. AAMX has grown rapidly over the past years, and we have an opportunity to shape the systems and culture to allow future growth, foster employee retention and development, mitigate risk, and grow a sustainable and supportive culture.

The Interim Associate Director will support every area of HR, balancing responsibilities in compliance, employee management, recruiting and hiring, policy development, and more. The position will continue through at least June 2024, with possibilities for renewal beyond that in a non-interim role.

Key Responsibilities

HR Strategy (40%)

• Connect organizational strategy to HR strategy and vice-versa, ensuring that the organization’s direction is informed by HR best practices and that our HR practices support AAMX’s mission, vision, and strategic direction;
• Identify, plan for, and build new HR tools and ways of working that are appropriate to AAMX’s goals, identity, and scale;
• Serve as an internal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) champion and strategist, adapting our practices to reflect our values and supporting team members in adopting these practices in their day-to-day work;
• Build organizational capacity around HR and management, supporting leaders to understand HR best practices and working with all employees to strengthen management and leadership skills;
• Build strategies to strengthen inclusive recruiting and hiring practices, attracting and retaining talent.

Workplace Culture and Employee Support (40%)

• Support aligning AAMX’s policies, structures, and systems with values and desired workplace culture;
• Build relationships with AAMX employees, serving as a focal point for workplace satisfaction and retention, tracking HR-related relevant metrics, receiving and responding to concerns, and proactively identifying and addressing emerging problems and trends.
• Ensure that AAMX has the necessary systems, training, and resources to ensure that all staff members understand organizational policies, procedures, and where necessary, compliance requirements
• Where necessary, conduct exit interviews and support and/or consult on how to create positive conclusions to individuals’ engagements with Asylum Access

Compliance and Risk Mitigation (20%)

• Respond to emerging HR risks and personnel incidents, serving as an internal expert and providing guidance and support in risk mitigation
• Work with pro bono counsel to identify and mitigate risks related to employment law and/or organizational structure
• Review AAMX’s HR practices with a compliance lens, and ensure that our policies and practices are aligned with legal requirements and with our identity as human rights advocates
• Ensure that personnel tracking is up-to-date; work with the Accounting and Finance department to meet audit requirements.

Other duties as assigned.

Reports to: Chief Operations Officer

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience (a minimum of 5 years) in HR leadership roles, including setting HR goals and responding to complex questions that bring together organizational strategy and risk mitigation with human resources concerns;
• A minimum of 5 years of experience building HR policies, practices, and structures for a nonprofit organization
• Experience in HR in Mexico and deep proven familiarity with Mexican labor laws LFT, Ley del IMSS e INFONAVIT, and workplace regulations (including NOM-035 and NOM-037);
• Demonstrated experience in organizational development and change management;
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills;
• Experience managing complex projects from start to finish, including project planning and change management processes;
• Demonstrated experience in and commitment to HR practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion for all team members; significant experience working in multicultural workplaces preferred;
• Demonstrated experience in conflict management and resolution;
• A holistic approach to HR practices that take into account compliance, values, impact on culture, and communication to develop a structure that supports the organization and its team as a whole;
• Fluency in Spanish, at least intermediate-level English

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with people management
• Demonstrated  experience with developing and facilitating training
• Experience in human rights organizations
• Fluency in English

Salary and Benefits

The position comes with a well-paying nonprofit salary based on location, experience, and a robust benefits package.  The preferred location is Mexico City, and the gross average salary is MXN 70,000 per month. The offered salary will be calculated based on experience and offered in local currency.

Hours and Location of Work

This position is located in Mexico, with a preference for candidates located in Mexico City. We anticipate that the position will require 40 hours per week. Occasional travel (particularly within Mexico) and off-hour meetings may be required in order to meet the needs of the position.

Application Instructions to Candidates

Please send a resume, cover letter, and brief writing sample in English. In your cover letter, please describe your reasons for applying, your relevant qualifications, and how you learned about the position. Deadline to apply is August 11, 2023.

Asylum Access is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We value the expertise of those who have experienced displacement, and encourage people with such lived experience to apply.

For more information about our organization, visit www.asylumaccess.org_._