HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR – Jhpiego

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal HR advisor to the Country Director and SMT, providing strategic counsel on people management, workforce planning, and organisational effectiveness.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive country HR strategy aligned with Jhpiego’s global vision, RISE project objectives, and local labour law requirements.
• Lead HR planning for RISE Eswatini’s major expansion phase, workforce planning for project implementation across all four regions of Eswatini.
• Partner with the Regional HR Business Partner (HRBP) and Global HR office to align country HR operations with organisational standards and best practices.
• Identify organisational risks related to HR and people management and proactively advise the CD on mitigation strategies.
• Champion a culture of respect, inclusion, and zero tolerance for sexual harassment across all levels of the organisation.
• Directly supervise and develop the HR Manager and Senior HR Officer, providing ongoing mentorship, coaching, and performance management support.
• Oversee the HR Manager’s management of their own team (Admin Assistants and HR Assistants), ensuring clear delegation, accountability, and quality of work at all levels.
• Lead and develop the full HR team, setting clear performance expectations and building staff capacity to meet organisational standards.
• Establish HR best practices across the team, SMT, and line managers, ensuring consistent application of policies and procedures.
• Oversee the HR team’s day-to-day operations, ensuring accountability, quality, and timely delivery across all HR functions.
• Represent the HR function at Senior Management Team level, contributing to organisational decision-making.
• Provide senior oversight and strategic direction for end-to-end recruitment across all staff cadres
• Lead the development and implementation of robust, compliant, and streamlined hiring processes appropriate for high-volume recruitment, including drawing on best practices from comparable large-scale mobilisations.
• Ensure all recruitment practices comply with Eswatini labour law, Jhpiego policies, and donor requirements.
• Oversee job posting, screening, interviewing, background/reference checks, and offer processes to ensure quality, speed, and fairness.
• Counsel and coach hiring managers and the HR team on interviewing best practices and safe recruitment standards.
• Lead the benchmarking and grading of new roles to ensure appropriate placement in the salary structure.
• Lead compensation strategy and analysis, including salary benchmarking, benefits management, and annual merit review, ensuring RISE Eswatini remains competitive within the NGO sector.
• Oversee administration of all employee benefits, leave, and pension in compliance with Eswatini law and Jhpiego policy.
• Develop and monitor the HR budget, ensuring value for money and appropriate resource allocation.
• Design and oversee structured onboarding programmes for all incoming staff across all cadres, including orientation packages and probationary period objectives.
• Lead employee relations across the country office, advising supervisors on managing performance, disciplinary matters, grievances, and conflict resolution.
• Consult with the Country Director and SMT on confidential and complex HR and employee relations issues.
• Advise management on disciplinary and grievance procedures; represent Jhpiego in HR-related forums and with external legal counsel as required.
• Lead initiatives to maintain high staff morale, motivation, and engagement, particularly during the expansion and transition period.
• Design and facilitate staff engagement mechanisms in collaboration with the Regional HRBP.
• Lead the development and implementation of a change management framework to support RISE Eswatini’s transition and expansion phase.
• Support managers in holding effective conversations with staff regarding role realignments, new reporting structures, and organisational changes.
• Provide guidance to leadership on communicating organisational changes clearly and consistently to all staff cadres.
• Develop and oversee long-term workforce sustainability frameworks, including professional development and staff financial wellness programmes.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously review robust HR policies and procedures that comply with Eswatini labour law, Jhpiego global standards, and donor regulations.
• Oversee the management and integrity of all employee records and HR information systems (JEMS, iCIMS), ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and completeness.
• Lead all HR audits (internal and external), ensuring timely corrective actions and audit finding closure.
• Ensure completeness of personnel files in accordance with Jhpiego, donor, and Eswatini labour law requirements.
• Oversee timely and accurate processing of timesheets, leave records, and all HR documentation.
• Develop employment contract frameworks for all staff cadres, in particular ensuring fixed-term and project-funded roles are clearly articulated; coordinate with legal counsel.
• Compile and report HR metrics (recruitment, retention, attrition, exit interview data) to the Country Director and HQ as required.
• Provide expert HR inputs into new business development opportunities, including the recruitment of executive and key personnel.
• Support the CD and SMT in setting workforce standards for programme expansion and sustainability planning.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Organisational Development, or a related postgraduate qualification. (A relevant Bachelor’s degree with exceptional experience may be considered.)
• Active membership in a recognised professional HR body (e.g. CIPD, SHRM, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a senior HR leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading HR operations in an international NGO or donor-funded environment, preferably with USG-funded projects.
• Proven experience managing high-volume recruitment and large-scale workforce mobilisation.
• In-depth knowledge of Eswatini labour law, employment regulations, and HR best practices.
• Experience managing and developing HR teams, including direct supervisory responsibility.
• Familiarity with HR information systems (JEMS, iCIMS or equivalent) and advanced proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Strategic leadership: Ability to translate organisational goals into effective HR strategies and influence senior leadership on people management decisions.
• Change management: Demonstrated ability to lead organisations through complex transitions, restructuring, and rapid expansion.
• Stakeholder engagement: Exceptional ability to build trust and maintain effective relationships across all organisational levels, including government counterparts, donors, and senior management.
• Judgement and integrity: Proven ability to handle sensitive, confidential matters with the highest level of discretion and ethical standards.
• Communication: Superior written and verbal communication skills; able to present complex HR matters clearly to diverse audiences.
• Problem-solving: Strong analytical capability with the ability to use HR data and metrics to drive sound decisions.
• Team development: Track record of coaching, mentoring, and building the capacity of HR teams.
• Resilience: Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, maintain composure under pressure, and deliver to deadlines.

How to Apply

REF Code: 2026-7905 | Job Code: 2026-7905