Western Africa Regional HR Manager

As the Regional HR Manager for Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the West African Region, your pivotal mission is to provide strategic leadership and comprehensive oversight of human resources operations across multiple countries within the region. The Regional HR Manager will guide the HR function with the aim of promoting excellence, inclusivity, organizational development and alignment with JRS’s global vision.

Key Responsibilities:

HR Strategy:

• Under the supervision of the Regional Director and in close collaboration with the HR International Office and the Country Directors within the Region, define and implement the Regional HR strategy ensuring its compliance with JRS’s global mission and regional objectives
• In close collaboration with the Country Directors, support the Country HR Officers to define and implement the Country HR strategy
• Collaborate with senior management to identify HR needs and provide with innovative solutions based on each specific context.

Policies and procedures:

• Ensure the full implementation of existing JRS Global HR policies at Regional and Country level
• Ensure that relevant policies and procedures at Regional Office level are in place; if new needs are identified, draft, finalize and implement the new policies and procedures, ensuring their compliance with JRS’s global mission, regional objectives and local legal requirements
• Ensure that Countries HR Officers within the Region implement the policies and procedure in place in the Country and provide technical support to Country HR Officers in identifying new needs

Leadership and Coordination:

• Coordinate the Country HR Officers within the Region, providing technical support and supervision on HR project implementation
• Coach the Country HR Officers on HR relevant matters and identify their needs in terms of training and capacity building
• In collaboration with the HR International Office, encourage, facilitate and lead peer collaboration between HR Country Officers, cultivating a global community of HR excellence
• Ensure regular field visits in the Countries Offices within the Region
• Lead the HR team/assistant in the Regional Office, defining roles and tasks, coordinating and supervising staff activities

Talent Acquisition and Development:

• Coordinate & lead the Regional Office processes for Recruitment & Selection, by ensuring timely follow-up to recruitment requests (review of job vacancies, managing pre-selection and interviewing activities, (written or other) test administration, timely follow-up with candidates and hiring managers, formalizing job offers)
• Provide support and technical guidance to the Country HR Officers during the Recruitment & Selection processes at Country level
• Support the line managers in identifying training needs and career development plans for the staff, ensuring that capacity building opportunities are made available
• Ensure that Job Descriptions of the Regional Office staff are regularly updated and correspond to roles and responsibilities effectively performed by the staff
• Support the Country HR Officers in ensuring that Job Descriptions of the Country Office staff are regularly updated and correspond to roles and responsibilities effectively performed by the staff

Employee Relations and Engagement:

• Ensure that JRS Regional Office staff’s conflicts and grievances are promptly and effectively managed, according to local legal requirements
• Raise awareness among Regional Office’s staff on JRS Global Staff Care programs
• Ensure that the Country HR Officers effectively spread information on staff care programs within the Country Office’s staff
• Promote a workplace culture that embraces diversity, respect, and well-being

Performance Management and Learning:

• Provide advice to supervisors and staff in understanding the performance management cycle and evaluation criteria.
• Ensure the performance management process is effectively and timely concluded every year for Regional Office staff.
• In collaboration with the Regional Director, organize professional development activities, internal coaching or mentoring activities for Regional Office staff.
• Support the Country HR Officers in ensuring that the performance management process is effectively and timely concluded every year for Country Office’s staff.

Compensation and Benefits:

• In collaboration with the Regional Director and with the support of the HR International Office, define, plan and implement the Salary Scale for the Regional Office national staff
• In collaboration with the Country Directors within the Region and with the support of the HR International Office, ensure support the Country HR Officers in defining, planning and implementing the Salary Scale for the Country Office national staff

Contract Management:

• Administer all Regional employment (staff, consultants, volunteers and interns) contracts and provide timely follow-up to managers regarding contract expiration according to local legal framework
• Provide advice and technical expertise to Regional Office’s staff and supervisors on contracts and entitlements, travel and social security benefits
• Take promptly and effectively actions in case of breaches of policies leading to disciplinary measures according to local legal framework
• Liaise with labor consultants for contract and payroll management
• Provide advice to Country HR Officers on grievance, contracts related matters and breaches of policies leading to disciplinary measures

HR Compliance:

• Guarantee that HR practices in the Regional Office are fully compliant with the local laws and regulations.

Qualifications and Competencies:

• Master’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a related field
• Minimum of 6 years of progressive HR management experience within international organizations, ideally within the same region.
• Demonstrated fluency in English and French, both written and verbal, fostering effective cross-cultural communication. Knowledge of Portuguese is highly desirable.

Experience in team leadership and management and proven ability in inspiring and guiding HR Country Officers across diverse cultures and contexts

• Proven conflict resolution skills
• Ability in handling sensitive and confidential information with utmost discretion.
• Strong familiarity and competence in working with human resource policies and procedures.
• Ability to present and promote the Organization’s position on HR matters in a clear, concise, and accurate manner.
• Proven ability in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Strong oral presentation, communication, and networking ability.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively use computer and Microsoft Office programs and other tools for analytical activities. Experience in HR Management Systems is highly desirable
• Capacity to work on multiple different projects, and under pressure, while ensuring accuracy and attention to detail.
• Keen sense of ethics, integrity, credibility, and commitment to JRS’s mission and values
• Ability and willingness to travel to high-risk countries, if necessary

Core values and ethics

• Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
• High integrity, honesty and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations and information.
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value.