Head of Human Resources Department at Action Against Hunger | ACF-International

Action Against Hunger | ACF-International works to save lives by combating hunger and diseases that threaten the lives of vulnerable communities, through nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, health and advocacy.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head of Human Resources Department

Location: Abuja

About the Program
Action Against Hunger-USAhas been operational in Nigeria since 2010 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sector strategy where Nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience.

The main objectives of the country program are to continue building on Action Against Hunger-USAreputation for nutritional expertise to deliver integrated Nutrition, WASH and FSL assistance in the high caseload Northern Nigeria States, build evidence from our pilot projects and influence policy makers to find long lasting solution to undernutrition and hunger, while responding to the dire humanitarian situation created by the devastating conflict on-going in the North East. This will be done through applying, where possible, attempts to find durable solutions in line with the New ways of Working and Humanitarian Development Nexus.

The Nigeria mission program has a central office in Abuja and 3 main field office across the North, Action Against Hunger-USA-USA runs intervention in 3 States of Northern Nigeria including two States affected by the on-going conflict. We have a country team of around 550 staff (45 Third Country Nationals) and a budget for 2018 projected at 50 M US$. Our main donors and partners in Nigeria include USAID/OFDA&FFP, DFID, ECHO, EU EDF, AFD, UNICEF, SIDA, SDC and GAC.

Description

• We are looking for a highly skilled, creative Head of Human Resources Department, to develop and implement the country HR policy, apply best HR practices and monitor program activity to anticipate future HR needs.

You'll contribute to ending world hunger by:

• Developing and implementing the country HR policy, applying best HR practices and monitoring program activity to anticipate future HR needs, while collaborating closely on a day-to-day basis with the Human Resource Learning & Development team at HQ level to ensure Action Against Hunger-USA- policies and procedures are applied correctly.

Key Activities
Policy development & compliance:

• In collaboration with the Mission Coordination Team, create an annual HR strategy for the mission.
• Ensure that the function scales, seniority rules, and benchmarking reviews are applied to the mission salary structure.
• Works with the HRLD and Finance Coordinator to periodically review the salary scale to ensure it remains competitive with other local organizations and responds to increases/decreases in the local cost of living and undertake necessary assessments
• Oversees the staff review process using performance appraisals and regular meetings with line managers.
• Manage Abuja HR Department, ensure all staff have a valid job descriptions and clear objectives, perform regular appraisals
• Build the capacity of the HR Managers to ensure possible transition as an HR Coordinator on the mission or abroad.
• Organize annual HR workshop for all HR staff, provide specific guidance to all HR staff on the field and contribute to their performance evaluation when required.
• Ensures regular meetings are held with the staff representatives.
• Reviews all job descriptions at the start of the recruitment process to ensure that they are standardized across the mission. Suggests changes to the supervising manager so that they reflect the current and upcoming program needs and activities, identifying required qualifications as well as both essential and preferred selection criteria.
• Review the mission Internal regulations at regular intervals, ensuring that it is compliant with the Action Against Hunger-USA policy, local labor and tax laws.
• Monitors mission activity to ensure teams remain compliant with HR policies and procedures.
• Supports the Deputy Country Director Support and other supervisors whenever staff management issues require informal or formal disciplinary action, ensuring each incident is appropriately documented.
• Oversees Action Against Hunger-USA management of personnel law-suits in liaison with the Deputy Country Director Support.
• Serves as the mission’s focal point for all issues related to the local labor authorities.
• Liaises with other NGOs working in country to compare policies and establish best practices.
• Monitors and validates annual leave, R&R and sick leave entitlements for all national staff and expats. Works with all supervisors to ensure that they have a leave plan in place for their teams before leaves are taken.
• Administers the benefits and insurance program for national staff, ensuring compliance with local labor regulations. Works with local partner agencies to identify and maximize best coverage using existing resources and budgets.
• Evaluates the risks related to changes in policies.
• Prepares, or reviews, the HR requirements in all project proposals in collaboration with the Technical Coordinators, Field and Admin Cos.
• Ensure a recruitment plan is prepared at the proposal stage and an HR plan is shared at the kick off stage of each project.
• Ensure appropriate dissemination of information on the mission, especially at field level.
• Ensure employee files archiving process is clear, centralized and files are accessible in case of audit.
• Monitors the requirements in-country for all visas, work permits.
• Represents Action Against Hunger-USAto local government authorities as well as the department of immigration and labor office

General Administration:
Personnel files, employment contacts and organograms:

• Ensures complete and up-to-date personnel files are maintained for all locally hired staff.
• Prepares and monitors the details of all local labor contracts. Ensures all staff have valid employment contracts. Liaises with the local authorities on all HR matters concerning local staff.
• Informs HQ of any changes to expat contracts including dismissals, resignations and any shortening or extensions of contracts.
• Keeps up-to-date the country organization charts (capital and projects).

Travel, visas, work authorizations and medical evacuations:

• Facilitates the arrival, and departure of incoming and outgoing TCNs from points of entry or departure, including briefing schedules, VISAs, work permits in a timely manner.
• Supervises the travel arrangements for all staff attending trainings or meetings, as well as for TCNs leaving on R&R and leaves
• Maintains a record of all TCNs end of mission requirements flights etc. and works closely with the Desk HR Administrator to ensure that the original ticket is used or refunded.
• In coordination with the Deputy Country Director, Country Director and the HRLD, act as the mission focal point for medical evacuations.

Compensation & Benefits Management:

• Collaborates with the Finance Coordinator on the preparation and payment of the national staff payroll including salaries, special allowances, and social security contributions.
• Follows up all line managers to ensure that timesheets are prepared for all expats on mission, and that these are submitted once a month to HQ.
• Ensures all taxes and social security contributions are correctly calculated and filed with the relevant governmental authority as per the required schedules.
• With the Finance Co, facilitates reviews, as needed, of the local cost of living and food baskets.

Learning & Development:

• Trains and assists line managers to prepare and deliver Performance Appraisals on time
• Works with individual line managers to ensure that the training and development needs of all national staff are clearly identified and possible options discussed and implemented.
• Establishes, in co-operation with the Mission Coordination Team, an annual mission training plan in line with the mission’s strategic plan. Works with program managers, coordinators and the HRLD to ensure that local, regional and international training and development opportunities are identified and utilized.
• Provides administrative support to ensure mission staffs attend trainings offered by the HRLD in Nairobi.

Representation:

• Submits a monthly HR report to the DCD, CD & HRLD.
• Meets at least twice a month (either by Skype or phone) with the HRLD.
• Ensures all TCN documentation (contracts, Return Forms, insurance forms etc.) is completed on time. Works closely with the Desk HR Officer to ensure that missing documentation is finalized quickly.
• Delivers an HR briefing to all new staff, both locally hired and expats. Ensures that briefing and debriefing schedules are prepared for all staff, as well as preparing country ‘Welcome Packs’.
• Plans regular inductions for all staff.
• Liaises with the HRLD to schedule inductions in Nairobi for first mission TCNs, & all staff in management positions.
• Identifies local legal representation and consults with him/her on all matters pertaining to local employment contracts, disciplinary actions and matters in which Action Against Hunger-USA may have legal or financial responsibilities.
• Prepares HR summaries for all donor reports and as required by local authorities for the Senior Management Team.

Recruitment & selection:

• Implements standard and best practice recruitment procedures for all locally hired staff.
• Wherever possible, assists all program managers and coordinators with interviewing and selecting new staff (especially for new positions and key line management positions).
• Ensures updated job descriptions for all expat positions are sent to the Program Director, Country Director & HRLD at least 2 months before each end of contract date, or as soon as a TCNs’ departure date is known.

Requirements
About you:

• You have a Master's degree in relevant field with minimum 5 years of overall experience with at least 2 years at senior management role in development sector OR
• Bachelor's degree in relevant field with minimum 8 years’ overall experience with 3 years at senior management role in development sector;
• You have experience in developing and implementing HR policies and procedures in a consistent manner.
• You have the ability to work cooperatively with subordinates, colleagues and supervisory staff at all levels.
• You have strong coaching & training skills.
• You are diplomatic, able to mediate conflict in stressful conditions.
• You are comfortable applying HR policies consistently & tactfully.
• You have strong organizational skills, and are detail-oriented.
• You have excellent written & verbal communication skills.
• You are able to maintain confidentiality while managing difficult HR cases with a high level of integrity.
• You have excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work both independently & as a member of a team.
• You are fluent in written & spoken English.
• You have the ability to explain complex concepts in straight-forward language.
• You are committed to gender equity and equality.
• You have a genuine interest in & commitment to the principles of Action Against Hunger.
• Your work style builds confidence with others, and you believe that every problem has a solution. It is the way we approach the problem that makes the difference.
• You are able to remain calm under pressure and can easily adapt to changing circumstances
• You are ready and willing to integrate into hard working and fun team that believes in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Our Core Values:

• In this position, you are expected to demonstrate Action Against Hunger-USA-USA’s five core competencies:
• Respect- we work with compassion and dedication, treating everyone the same way we expect them to treat us.
• Integrity-: we believe that being honest and fair is integral to every aspect of our work; conducting our work with a spirit of sincerity, truthfulness and transparency is imperative.
• Creativity-we encourage new ideas, embrace innovative solutions, and create opportunities for meaningful and exciting ways to do our jobs and provide solutions to address the needs of the populations we serve.
• Excellence- we strive to provide services that meet, and even exceed, the expectations of our stakeholders (populations in need, staff, communities and donors).
• Empowerment- we are committed to fostering an environment in which our staff, partners and communities where we work have the space to grow, develop and feel confident about participating.

Benefits
Action Against Hunger-USA values its employees and offers a comprehensive remuneration and benefits package. These include but are not limited to:

• Health Insurance
• R&R Breaks
• Paid annual leave (vacation)
• Training opportunities

Application Closing Date
29th May, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Application Process

• Interested? Then apply for this position by clicking on the apply link above. All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated resume and both must be in the same language as this vacancy note.