Job Title: Senior Human Resources Manager, Malawi
Organisation: Self Help Africa
Location: Based in Lilongwe, with travel across Malawi
Contract: As soon as possible to 31st March 2025, with possibility for extension, subject to annual contracting.
Reports to: Country Director
About Self Help Africa and United Purpose:
In late 2021 Self Help Africa (SHA) and United Purpose (UP) merged. The two organisations – one headquartered in Ireland and the other in Wales – implement projects to end extreme hunger and poverty.
This merger doubled our size and reach – and means that in 2023 we are implementing poverty eradication projects in 17 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Collectively, we are also part of a group that includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, TruTrade and Cumo Microfinance.
In 2023 our work will reach more than six million people and invest upwards of €50m in more than 100 development programmes designed to improve food systems, facilitate access to markets and financial services, combat climate change, gender inequality, and improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
This is an exciting time to join us as we unite two like-minded and entrepreneurial organisations seeking to tackle the global challenges in progressive and innovative ways.
JOB PURPOSE:
The Senior Human Resources Manager leads and directs the HR operations for the United Purpose/ Self Help Africa (UP/SHA) Malawi country office by providing leadership and guidance in HR matters to the Country Director and Management Team (MT).
The Senior HRM functions to enable the organization to attain, attract, motivate and develop employees; supporting and sustaining a culture that UP/SHA is a great place to work, with a focus on staff welfare.
The position oversees all HR functions including recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee relations, HR systems, organisational and people development, training, performance management, safeguarding, staff welfare and coordinates the organisation’s responses on legal matters. The Senior HRM takes the lead in developing organizational HR strategies and ensures that HR policies/procedures and standards are understood by all, are complied with and the organisation is compliant with Malawi’s employment and other related laws and international NGO community best practices
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Human Resources
• Day-to-day oversight to the HR Department, ensuring timely and effective service to management and staff throughout the organisation.
• Support and mentor HR team members to develop their own skills and proficiencies.
• Oversee and manage all HR functions including recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee relations, HR systems including the salesforce system, organizational and people development, training and performance management.
• Champion staff welfare and advise the MT on strategies to promote and ensure staff welfare within the organization.
• Review the monthly payroll to ensure that all staff changes have been effected and document variances in collaboration with the finance staff.
• Advise managers on organisational policy matters such as appointments, discipline & grievance management, performance management, contract terminations, and remuneration ensuring dissemination of uniform UP/SHA practice throughout the organisation.
• Lead on the maintenance and review of existing HR policies and procedures, including following up with all team members via sensitisation and support in implementation.
• Where needed, develop new or revised policies and procedures which are organizationally and legally compliant; gain consensus with the Management Team, sensitise all employees and implement new policies.
• Lead on HR strategies, including participation in annual planning and budgeting processes.
• Lead in staff awareness and adherence of all UP/SHA policies such as; Code of Conduct, Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults, Whistle blowing, Bullying and Harassment.
• Review, identify gaps and strengthen recruitment processes to ensure rigorous compliance with organizational policies, including around safeguarding.
• Provide leadership in the management of staffing, arbitration of disputes and disagreements, grievances, disciplinary procedures and any cases that proceed to litigation.
• Interpret and advise the Management Team on Laws on Employment, Labour, and Pension, and keep the team informed on developments in labour laws, ensuring that the employee handbook and employee contracts comply with the Laws of Malawi and carrying out reviews as changes occur.
• Handle labour disputes, representing UP/SHA at the Labour Office, Industrial Relations Court and any other court on employment cases.
• Maintain close relationships with associations that deal with human resources such as Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) and Institute for People Management Malawi (IPMM).
• Oversee staff functions, carrying out periodic visits to all project offices holding meetings with staff on issues affecting their welfare and appraising staff on emerging legal issues or changes in UP’s policies;
• Ensuring that employees are placed on Pension and Group Life Assurance Schemes on joining UP/SHA and support those that have left UP/SHA to withdrawn or transfer their funds from the scheme. Attend to all Pension and Group Life Assurance Schemes issues.
• Lead in the promotion of an employee-oriented organisational culture that emphases quality, continuous improvement and high performance.
People development
• Encourage mentor and support staff in the department and throughout the organisation to undertake training when considered advantageous for the organisation and funding is available.
• Support the whole organization to implement performance development and review (PDR) processes, including the use of salesforce to track the information.
• Analyse information about training and development needs across the organization.
• Develop a staff development policy to guide staff and the organisation on how best to utilise training budgets. Undertake courses and attend workshops and conferences as required by management;
• Oversee the design, scheduling and delivery of e-learning courses, workshops, first aid and other regular trainings and ensure the teams are well equipped to deliver on their roles.
Safeguarding
• Be a safeguarding committee member with the position of Policy lead within the committee, supporting the Policy Champion.
• Lead in facilitating the development and implementation of UP/SHAs safeguarding policy, training and procedures and guidance for all projects and partners.
• Stay up to date with best practices in safeguarding and implement organisational learning around this.
• Support the review of safeguarding cases and contribute to decision making around cases, and ensure related communication is completed according to policy timelines
• Ensure HR staff are trained/skilled in recruiting personnel through a safeguarding lens; and ensure safeguarding is incorporated into the performance management system of the organization.
• Engage with others in the sector through relevant mechanisms.
Key Relationships:
Internal
• Safeguarding committee member
• Provide support to various departments within the organisation e.g. Finance, Internal and external auditors, Programmes.
External
• Maintain close relationships with associations that deal with human resources such as Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) and Institute for People Management Malawi (IPMM).
• Pension and Group Life Assurance Schemes.
Required skills and experience:
Essential:
• Strong planning, coordination, and reporting skills, with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities.
• High level of maturity, and strong people management skills, with good intuition and experience in a multicultural and diverse team.
• Diplomacy and an ability to manage and solve conflicts.
• Must be accurate and efficient, high energy, comfortable performing multifaceted projects in conjunction with day-to-day activities
• Strong oral and written communication skills in English and Chichewa.
• Superior interpersonal, coaching and mentoring skills including patience and ability to work well with staff at all levels with evidence of the practice of a high level of confidentiality.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully participate on senior management teams and provide leadership and strategic recommendations on HR and administration issues.
• Excellent analytical skills and good reasoning abilities and sound judgment.
• Well-developed skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power point etc) and experience using online conferencing platforms (e.g. Microsoft Teams and Google Meet).
Desirable
• Master’s Degree qualification in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field.
• Minimum 5 years professional experience managing and providing leadership on human resource in a large organisation.
• Experience in dealing with government departments, labour matters and other government bodies.
• Broad knowledge and experience in employment law, compensation, benefits administration, organizational planning and development, employee relations, safety, learning and development.
This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available and SHA reserves the right to make necessary changes.
HOW TO APPLY:
Full Job Description here.
A cover letter, CV and Application Form must be submitted here.
Please note incomplete applications will not be considered for shortlisting.
Closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 9th April 2023 at 5pm.
Self Help Africa strives to be an Equal Opportunities Employer
If you are experiencing any problem with submitting your online application please visit this link for assistance: https://bit.ly/SHA_TechSupport1
All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign Self Help Africa’s Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require Police/DBS/ vetting.