People and Culture Manager

Purpose of the Position:

Reporting to the Vice President of People and Culture, the People and Culture Manager will provide oversight for all P&C functions in-Country. He/she will support and contribute towards the achievement of the overall strategic business plans and objectives of the P&C function. Specifically, s/he will focus on employee lifecycle management and ensuring People and Culture activities are conducted in line with Village Enterprise policies and procedures and in accordance with Rwanda employment laws.

Detailed Roles and Responsibilities

Owner of Staff Engagement at Country Level:

• Support country-wide communication by establishing and implementing quality communication strategies for recurring and one-time messaging (org-wide emails & surveys, meeting frameworks and content, hiring opportunities and decisions, key decisions, etc.)
• Lead efforts to engage teams through communication channels across locations/departments (virtual/physical), including formal (within and across departments, including department meetings and emails, retreats, and so on) and informal (e.g. culture building). This may involve assisting in the design of the Country summits.
• Develop and lead initiatives focused on increasing the skills, professional development, retention, and advancement of current staff.
• Lead in the implementation of country staff engagement surveys (content and execution, analysis and recommendations, and communication with staff). Lead the implementation of action plans in collaboration with country leadership teams
• Lead efforts to digest and learn from themes collected from staff feedback opportunities, such as onboarding check-ins, hiring manager satisfaction surveys, eNPS, mid-year check-ins, performance reviews, and exit interviews

Implementation of HR Strategies and Policies:

• Make suggestions for improvement of the HR system, policies and procedures and contribute to their definition, elaboration and implementation
• Support initiatives geared towards creation of a safe, healthy and happy workplace
• Prepare, issue and track employment contracts
• Develop procedures for staff benefits taking into consideration any packages that might come with it
• Source, manage and maintain insurance contracts ensuring staff benefits are well handled, and timely renewal of insurance schemes
• Interpret Leave policy to staff for all leave types to ensure proper usage while ensuring proper planning and leave management in the system and as a practice.
• Maintain staff data ensuring personal files are frequently updated with relevant information
• Preparation of monthly HR reports and update any employee changes on the HRMIS system

Coordinating Staff recruitment, Induction and retention:

• Coordination of transparent and competitive recruitment and selection processes.
• Review, standardize and prepare recruitment materials including job descriptions, job specifications, adverts and interview questions for positions to be filled
• Carry out short listing, coordinate & participate in interviews
• Manage all new hire employment forms
• Plan and conduct/coordinate new employee orientation including provision of information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, and opportunities for promotion and employee benefits etc
• In consultation with the Country Director and Regional Talent Engagement Manager, advice staff changes on a monthly basis in preparation of the payroll and submission to Finance by 20th of every month
• Act as the Company Officer for BRD Education Repayment and ensure all the deductions for the new and existing staff are submitted to the BRD System by 15^th of every month.

Serve as the owner for all staff management practices and processes: 

• Lead strategic initiatives designed to ensure long-term process improvement, cost reductions, and increased efficiencies for all people related processes at country level
• Oversee the establishment of key Service Level Agreements for HR Services and quality targets. Understand varying business needs and priorities; align HR operation priorities and ensure stakeholder expectations are met.
• Partner with the People team to promote education efforts that drive employees and managers to fully utilize available systems and tools as well as support in driving compliance to the relevant employment regulations, legislation, and policy requirements 
• Facilitate/support facilitation of new and existing manager training and coaching.
• Provide ongoing support and coaching for managers as they face management issues.
• Identify and manage projects to resolve training gaps that pose an unnecessary or significant risk to the organization.

Ensuring Legal Compliance:

• Display in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees, reducing legal risk and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Ensure recovery of all organization items in possession of any staff departing from the organization
• Act as the focal point on the administration of complaint/grievance and disciplinary matters and processes ensuring clear documentation of process.
• Ensure exit interviews are carried out and appropriate records are maintained
• Act as VE’s data Protection Officer

Performance Management:

• Oversee the annual review process as well as other processes such as goal setting, mid-year, and annual reviews, and retention dialogues at country level
• Oversee manager and employee trainings on Performance Management Process
• Partner with Senior People and Culture Director to create succession slates for all leadership roles, critical positions, hard to fill positions
• Create and manage the Key Talents Process
• Ensure that all promotions are properly justified and documented both in terms of performance and compensation.

Safeguarding:

• Act as the Country safeguarding lead
• Monitor the dedicated safeguarding phone lines
• Implement the safeguarding training plan developed in consultation with the regional safeguarding officer
• Log and investigate any reported safeguarding violations in liaison with the RSO.
• Conduct employer & community background checks on new employees 

Indicators of success for this role:

• Time to fill open roles <60 days
• Voluntary turnover rate below 10%
• # of safeguarding instances, both significant and severe
• Digital systems that are efficient and effective, demonstrating knowledge management best practices, including automated employee life cycle processed through FLAIR
• Employee data is stored securely and effectively through digital systems
• Compliance with internal People and Culture policies and country level policies, legislation, and guideline around human resources
• eNPS Quarterly Survey

Qualifications:

1. A bachelor’s degree in human resource management, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or other related academic discipline. A master’s degree is an added advantage.
2. A post-graduate diploma in Human Resources Management
3. Minimum 5 years’ relevant human resources management experience in a corporate or INGO environment.
4. Member of HR professional body or other HR bodies
5. Excellent planning, coordination, and reporting skills, with the ability to organize substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities.
6. Strong communication, people management and interpersonal skills in English, with experience in working with international staff.
7. Expertise in HR Information Systems is an added advantage
8. Knowledge of facilitating adult learning.
9. Ability to negotiate, advocate and influence effectively.
10. Listening, coaching and counselling skills with ability to manage change effectively

Interested candidates should submit their resume, cover letter and portfolio of relevant online. Applications will be received until July 15, 2024.

• Insurance
• Pension