People Manager

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with some form of disability.

The Organization

Since 1944, Heifer International has helped more than 36 million families lift themselves out of hunger and poverty.

Our goal is to help families achieve living incomes, which will allow them to feed their families daily, educate all their children; and have proper housing, water, hygiene, and other essential resource. When many families gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools, creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings, and funding small businesses.

Heifer International Zambia’ strategic goal is to move   200,000 families by  2025  from a state of poverty and vulnerability to sustainability and resilience through  their participation in economically and socially sustainable and viable  value chain enterprises.

Focusing on exploring the potential of signature programmes in  dairy, beef, poultry and small ruminants  and oilseeds value chains enterprises. This will be achieved through improving the quality Heifer Zambia Programme conception, development, design and management through value chain studies, research,  and partner engagement. Heifer work supports  smallholder farmers  to build viable agri-businesses through engaging in Public Private Partnerships and viable markets.

Heifer Zambia is looking for a dynamic and results focussed Country People ( HR) Manager. The holder will manage the People function in the Zambia Country Office as well as contributing to the  Africa People Strategy via a matrix management structure.

The Role

Reporting Directly to the Heifer Zambia Country Director with a matrix reporting relationship to the Africa People Director, the position holder, will actively engage in business strategy development and contextualization, assist business and senior management to identify the emerging people issues, and support organizational change processes as well as broker HR solutions for country programmatic impact. The role will further, develop and coordinate the implementation of the people strategy for Heifer Zambia in line with the business strategy and the group people strategy.

The role will foster a customer service culture, coordinate with external and internal customers of the HR function and deliver HR services as per the expected standards. Therefore, the role will also provide operational leadership in the areas of performance management, talent management, recruitment, reward, health and safety, learning and development, organizational development, and HR business processes.

The Person

You will be a university graduate with significant HR training and 8-10 years’ experience, 5 of which will be in managing HR function in a dynamic organization. To meet the diverse needs of this role, you will have a strong strategic HR operation, customer service orientation; flexibility, ability to prioritize competing demands, good project management, and interpersonal skills backed with the ability to work within a team, and autonomously.  You will have good computer skills and previous experience in developing teams and working with senior leaders. Knowledge of legal employment obligations in line with the national labor law will be an added advantage. Experience working in an International/Multinational private sector, NGO, and/or governmental environment will be an added advantage.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES

A. People strategy

• Develop and monitor overall HR strategies, systems, tactics to respond to country needs while aligning with regional and global People Strategy and objectives.
• Strive to achieve global, regional, and country People Objectives relevant to the country.

B. Recruitment Talent Acquisition

• Work with country directors and other stakeholders to assess talent needs for proposals and new projects.
• Manage full cycle including, posting, interviews, checking references, background screening, contracting, and onboarding while staying in compliance with Recruitment Policy and SOP.
• Manage Recruitment process documentation and recruitment data base and reporting.

C. Employee Engagement and Relations

• Ensure legal compliance throughout human resource management processes and guidelines
• Maintain high quality HR records and systems. Keep local and global HRIS systems up to date.
• Produce timely and high quality reports on major personnel changes, department objectives, and global KPIs. Keep secure human resource records and maintain confidentiality.
• Help the Regional HR representative to complete timely internal HR Audits.
• Bridge management and employee relations by addressing demands, grievances, or other issues
• Work closely with Regional HR team to facilitate in Diversity Inclusion initiatives.
• Oversee and manage a performance appraisal system that drives high performance.

D. Compensation Management

• Participate in compensation reviews and benchmarking and work closely with Regional People team .
• Drives internal equity through following the applicable compensation policies and advising management on compensation levels based on internal equity and external competitiveness analysis.
• Maintain and work with regional and global team pay plan and benefits program.

E. Learning & Development

• Identify in country training needs, plan, manage and coordinate the delivery of learning solutions across the business ensuring the completion of training plan including the mandatory training of the Organization.
• Provide advice and coaching to line managers in country according to established HR policies and procedures to enable people management topics.

ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES

1. Ability to manage complexities, cultivates innovation, is action oriented and plans and aligns work process to drive excellence.
2. Ability to manages the culture and environment of the organization relative to country, regional and HQ levels. Ability to adapt and be flexible to act in a changing and complex environment, with a multitasking mindset.
3. Deep understanding of INGO or global context. Strong understanding of country labor law.

QUALIFICATION AND SKILLS

1. Proven 8-10 years’ experience, 5 of which will be in managing HR function in a dynamic organization.
2. Previous experience with an International NGO is highly valued.
3. A college degree in Human Resources, Business or a related field. Continued HR education/certification is a major plus
4. Comfortable learning new technologies and HR systems. Previous experience with HRIS
5. Experience in implementing strategy, meeting objectives, and working within a matrix structure.
6. Excellent influence skills, active listening, negotiation and presentation skills
7. Competence to build and effectively manage interpersonal relationships at all levels of the company
8. In-depth knowledge of Zambia Labor Law.