HR Manager job at Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA )

Background

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network is a regional feminist network of women’s rights organizations and activists working across the Greater Horn of Africa to advance gender equality, women’s rights, peace, security, and social justice. Through partnerships with grassroots organizations, women-led organizations, civil society actors, and regional institutions, SIHA implements programmes that strengthen feminist movements, promote women’s leadership and participation, respond to violence against women and girls, advance economic and climate justice, and influence policies and systems that affect the lives of women and girls. SIHA operates through a regional secretariat and country teams, working closely with local partners to deliver high-quality, accountable, and evidence-driven programmes across the region.

As SIHA continues to expand its regional presence and manage an increasingly diverse portfolio of programmes across multiple countries, the organization recognizes that its people are its greatest asset. Delivering high-quality programmes requires a professional, inclusive, and value-driven workforce supported by effective human resource systems and practices. SIHA is committed to fostering a workplace that promotes excellence, accountability, learning, diversity, equity, inclusion, staff wellbeing, and safeguarding, while attracting, developing, and retaining talented professionals who are committed to feminist principles and women’s rights. The Human Resources Manager plays a critical role in strengthening SIHA’s human resource function by leading strategic and operational HR initiatives, ensuring compliance with labor laws and organizational policies, supporting workforce planning and performance management, and cultivating an organizational culture that enables staff to thrive and contribute to SIHA’s mission.

Overall Purpose

Reporting to the organization’s management team and working alongside senior management, the role will develop, update, and operationalize SIHA’s HR systems, practices, and tools to support the delegation of decision-making, shared leadership, and equitable representation across the staff team. The role will also help promote realistic timelines, effective planning, and well-being-centered workflows. The HR Manager oversees and implements HR activities, providing a spectrum of services from tactical to strategic, and will be involved in a wide range of strategic planning and internal initiatives, including the creation and implementation of organizational strategies, staffing plans, policies, and practices. The HR Manager plays a critical advisory and supportive role to all parts of the organization, as well as to individual team members, and is expected to contribute to strategic direction-setting and operational problem-solving, serving as a reliable source of HR expertise enabling the growth of SIHA Network teams across the region.

Major Responsibilities

The SIHA HRM is responsible for delivering all aspects of the HR function, including

• Human Resources Strategy, Leadership and Governance: Provide strategic leadership and coordination of SIHA’s regional human resources function by developing, implementing, and continuously improving HR strategies, systems, policies, and practices that reflect SIHA’s mission, strategic priorities, and feminist values. Serve as the principal HR advisor to the Regional Director, Senior Management Team, Country Coordinators, and managers, ensuring that human resource management supports organizational growth, shared leadership, accountability, and effective decision-making.
• Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning, and Succession: Lead the organization’s recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, and succession planning processes to ensure SIHA attracts, develops, and retains diverse, high-performing staff. Coordinate recruitment processes from workforce planning and job description development through selection, onboarding, confirmation, and exit processes, while maintaining consistent organizational standards and promoting equitable and transparent hiring practices across all offices.
• Performance Management, Learning and Staff Development: Lead the implementation of SIHA’s performance management framework by supporting managers and staff to establish performance objectives, conduct regular appraisals, identify learning and development needs, and strengthen individual and team performance. Coordinate organizational learning, staff development initiatives, leadership development, coaching, mentoring, and professional growth opportunities that contribute to a high-performing and learning-oriented organizational culture.
• Employee Relations, Wellbeing and Organizational Culture: Promote a positive, inclusive, and feminist organizational culture that values collaboration, diversity, equity, inclusion, accountability, and staff wellbeing. Provide guidance on employee relations, conflict resolution, grievances, disciplinary matters, whistleblowing, safeguarding, and workplace concerns, while fostering respectful working relationships and supporting staff wellbeing through appropriate policies, practices, and accommodations.
• Human Resources Policies, Compliance and Risk Management: Lead the development, review, implementation, and monitoring of SIHA’s HR policies, procedures, systems, and guidelines to ensure alignment with organizational priorities and applicable labor laws across countries of operation. Work closely with the Compliance team to strengthen organizational compliance, monitor changes in employment legislation, manage HR-related risks, and ensure adherence to safeguarding, ethical standards, and internal policies.
• Human Resources Operations, Systems, and Data Management: Oversee the effective management of SIHA’s HR systems and operations, ensuring accurate staff records, contracts, payroll coordination, benefits administration, HR reporting, and personnel documentation. Promote the use of technology and HR information systems to improve efficiency, generate workforce data and analysis, and support evidence-based decision-making and organizational planning.
• Budget Management and Team Leadership: Lead and supervise the regional HR function, providing direction, mentoring, and capacity strengthening to HR staff across the region. Prepare and manage the annual HR and staff development budget; monitor expenditures; ensure effective financial stewardship; and oversee the efficient implementation of HR work plans in accordance with SIHA’s financial policies and organizational priorities.
• Organizational Development and Strategic Support: Support SIHA’s organizational development by contributing to strategic planning, organizational restructuring, change management, and continuous improvement initiatives. Work collaboratively with the Senior Management Team and Board, where appropriate, to strengthen organizational effectiveness, improve internal communication and collaboration, and ensure SIHA’s people, systems, and organizational culture continue to support the organization’s long-term strategic objectives.

Qualifications

• The candidate has more than 8 years of progressive experience, including 5 years in similar roles overseeing, developing, and implementing human resources and people culture strategies and plans for value-driven non-profit organizations, particularly in Africa and in conflict and post-conflict environments.
• Experience in leading the high-stakes HR functions of a complex non-profit organization within a complex, bold, multi-stakeholder programme strategy.
• A master’s degree in HR and management is preferred, with at least 8 years of experience; 10 years of experience in HR, management, and coordination will also be considered.

Required Skills and Position Specifications

• Commitment to SIHA’s feminist principles and values, with a strong understanding of intersectional feminism and its application to organizational culture and human resource management.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to coach, mentor, motivate, and develop diverse teams.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism, transparency, and accountability, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent strategic thinking, critical analysis, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to anticipate and manage organizational and people-related risks.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively under pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, review, and implement HR policies, procedures, and systems that align with organizational objectives and legal requirements.
• Experience supporting workforce planning, performance management, staff wellbeing, safeguarding, and organizational development initiatives. Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience, with the ability to navigate complex and high-risk operating environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel within the Greater Horn of Africa as required.

SIHA is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and feminist workplace. We welcome applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, religion, or any other protected status. As a women’s rights organization, qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to candidates currently residing in Africa, particularly those with demonstrated knowledge of and experience working in the Greater Horn of Africa.

• Provide strategic leadership and coordination of SIHA’s regional human resources function by developing, implementing, and continuously improving HR strategies, systems, policies, and practices that reflect SIHA’s mission, strategic priorities, and feminist values.
• Serve as the principal HR advisor to the Regional Director, Senior Management Team, Country Coordinators, and managers, ensuring that human resource management supports organizational growth, shared leadership, accountability, and effective decision-making.
• Lead the organization’s recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, and succession planning processes to ensure SIHA attracts, develops, and retains diverse, high-performing staff.
• Coordinate recruitment processes from workforce planning and job description development through selection, onboarding, confirmation, and exit processes, while maintaining consistent organizational standards and promoting equitable and transparent hiring practices across all offices.
• Lead the implementation of SIHA’s performance management framework by supporting managers and staff to establish performance objectives, conduct regular appraisals, identify learning and development needs, and strengthen individual and team performance.
• Coordinate organizational learning, staff development initiatives, leadership development, coaching, mentoring, and professional growth opportunities that contribute to a high-performing and learning-oriented organizational culture.
• Promote a positive, inclusive, and feminist organizational culture that values collaboration, diversity, equity, inclusion, accountability, and staff wellbeing.
• Provide guidance on employee relations, conflict resolution, grievances, disciplinary matters, whistleblowing, safeguarding, and workplace concerns, while fostering respectful working relationships and supporting staff wellbeing through appropriate policies, practices, and accommodations.
• Lead the development, review, implementation, and monitoring of SIHA’s HR policies, procedures, systems, and guidelines to ensure alignment with organizational priorities and applicable labor laws across countries of operation.
• Work closely with the Compliance team to strengthen organizational compliance, monitor changes in employment legislation, manage HR-related risks, and ensure adherence to safeguarding, ethical standards, and internal policies.
• Oversee the effective management of SIHA’s HR systems and operations, ensuring accurate staff records, contracts, payroll coordination, benefits administration, HR reporting, and personnel documentation.
• Promote the use of technology and HR information systems to improve efficiency, generate workforce data and analysis, and support evidence-based decision-making and organizational planning.
• Lead and supervise the regional HR function, providing direction, mentoring, and capacity strengthening to HR staff across the region.
• Prepare and manage the annual HR and staff development budget; monitor expenditures; ensure effective financial stewardship; and oversee the efficient implementation of HR work plans in accordance with SIHA’s financial policies and organizational priorities.
• Support SIHA’s organizational development by contributing to strategic planning, organizational restructuring, change management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with the Senior Management Team and Board, where appropriate, to strengthen organizational effectiveness, improve internal communication and collaboration, and ensure SIHA’s people, systems, and organizational culture continue to support the organization’s long-term strategic objectives.

• Commitment to SIHA’s feminist principles and values, with a strong understanding of intersectional feminism and its application to organizational culture and human resource management.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to coach, mentor, motivate, and develop diverse teams.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism, transparency, and accountability, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent strategic thinking, critical analysis, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to anticipate and manage organizational and people-related risks.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively under pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, review, and implement HR policies, procedures, and systems that align with organizational objectives and legal requirements.
• Experience supporting workforce planning, performance management, staff wellbeing, safeguarding, and organizational development initiatives.
• Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience, with the ability to navigate complex and high-risk operating environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel within the Greater Horn of Africa as required.

• More than 8 years of progressive experience, including 5 years in similar roles overseeing, developing, and implementing human resources and people culture strategies and plans for value-driven non-profit organizations, particularly in Africa and in conflict and post-conflict environments.
• Experience in leading the high-stakes HR functions of a complex non-profit organization within a complex, bold, multi-stakeholder programme strategy.
• A master’s degree in HR and management is preferred, with at least 8 years of experience; 10 years of experience in HR, management, and coordination will also be considered.