Human Resource and Administration Manager job at Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

DRC Uganda is currently looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to join our dynamic team as Human Resource and Administration Manager

The overall purpose of the role:

The Country Human Resource and Administration Manager will be responsible for leading and managing the HR function for DRC in Uganda. Provide overall advice, coordination and management to the HR team at the Country Office in kampala and technical HR support to field offices. He/she will ensure efficient support to the DRC Uganda program in accordance with existing DRC policies and procedures. This role has a country focus and ensures compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines in Uganda. The role also contributes to the development of country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks and also provides support and/or technical guidance to the country operation while overseeing country activities.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Management & Coordination

• Lead and manage the Human Resources and Admin teams (including people planning, performance, well-being and development)
• Ensure close coordination and advise from HR Legal Advisors in country
• Provide technical support, advice and capacity build the Human Resources team.
• Provide technical support and guidance to managers, on all Human Resources related issues.
• Ensure that proper and timely support is provided to the area offices.
• Ensure that a HR strategy and workplan is in place for the Country Operation, in coordination with the Regional HR team
• Work closely with the Senior Management Team on HR strategies and direction for the country operation
• Planning and budgeting for the HR function in the country

People Planning

• Ensure managers have updated job descriptions for their employees
• Ensure oversight and consistency in position titles and grades, across all field locations.
• Support managers in people planning, succession planning and mobility within DRC country operation(s)
• Support management in restructuring and downsizing

Recruitment

• Ensure that Recruitment process and tools are implemented and understood by hiring managers in the Country Operation
• Support recruitments by doing compliance checks on Job descriptions, developing vacancy notes, advertising positions, longlisting, coordinate written tests when relevant, conducting interviews, doing reference checks, maintaining recruitment records.
• Provide bi-weekly updates to Senior Management Team (SMT) on progress of recruitment
• Lead the induction process of new recruitments, by ensuring the quality and content of the process adheres with DRC standards.

Contracts and Compensation

• Manage the full contract process for national employees including contracts, extensions, addendums, and resignations
• Request international contracts from HR Headquarters
• Lead salary benchmark process every two years or more frequently if needed
• Administer payroll for national staff
• Ensure secure and systematic HR filing systems are in place.

Performance & Development

• Ensure the annual performance and development process is in place and well understood by managers and staff
• Ensure both probation and performance appraisals are done in the country operation by monitoring Dynamics
• Advice managers on due process when dealing with poor performance and disciplinary issues
• Prepare legally compliant letters in consultation with internal or external legal advisors
• Ensure exit interviews are conducted
• Ensure exit forms are issued and send to exiting employees
• Develop training plans

Well-Being

• Participate in localization of R&R and Housing policy
• Ensure maintenance and communication of staff insurance
• Provide guidance on available staff welfare resources for expatriates and national staff
• Ensure that Managers are trained on the DRC Voices and their responsibility in following up
• Ensure support for managers on action plans for DRC Voices
• Lead people well-being initiatives.

HR Policies and Support

• Ensure Localization of global policies where needed
• Ensure HR Compliance checks are done at least once per year.
• Maintain and update HR policies as necessary, providing advice and information to staff of any changes to policies
• Work closely with Regional Office ( RO) and Head Quarters (HQ) for review and endorsement of HR policies and tools.
• Ensure that monthly departmental KPIs are followed up and a monthly report is submitted to HoSS.
• Ensure that all the working tools and trackers in HR department are regularly updated and disseminated.
• Ensure managers are trained on the necessary tools and procedures within people management

Administration:

• Ensure effective and efficient management of office administration policies, systems, and procedures.
• Ensure an up-to-date database of contracts to track rental instalments, notice periods, renewals, deposits, and municipality tax payments is maintained and all contracts (property, office rentals, international staff housing) are prepared/extended on time.
• Ensure that pre- and post-paid phone lines are issued and managed in accordance with policies.
• Ensure efficient controlling and issuance of keys for offices and guest houses, ID cards.
• Ensure a regular supply and tracking of usage of office stationery and supplies, cleaning, and kitchen products.
• Work closely with finance to ensure all requisite benefits are captured on all staff records, reconciling these with vendor invoices.
• Ensure smooth arrival of expats by coordinating pre-arrival process, travel arrangements, coordinate logistics, support visa processes.

DRC Dynamics

• Ensure proper application of Enterprise Resource Planning (HR) processes in the country
• Ensure that HR data is up to date in Dynamics.
• Apply reports and data analytics from ERP system to improve performance in the country
• Ensure that Country ERP support is in place (i.e. super users)

As Manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports, generally at least 3 employees. This includes exit management, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance, etc.
• Accountable for making sound decisions based on DRC policies, Minimum Operating Procedures (MOPs), standards, and the advice of technical experts in DRC

About you

To be successful in this role, you must have a minimum 6 years working experience in HR in Humanitarian organisations with at least 2 years in a senior HR management role within an International Non-Government Organization . Moreover, we also expect the following.

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management, Business or Social Science Degree specializing in HR
• Demonstrated understanding and working knowledge/experience of Human Resources Management principles, concepts & processes.
• Excellent skills in handling and advising on complex people management issues.
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills with ability to engage with all levels of staff in a cross-cultural environment.
• Good facilitation skills and ability to deliver induction briefing/training.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Fluency in written & Spoken English

Desirable

• A Master's degree is an added advantage

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 5 months

Band: M F1

Designation of Duty Station: Kampala

Start date: August 2026

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national employees; please refer to our website.

• Lead and manage the Human Resources and Admin teams (including people planning, performance, well-being and development)
• Ensure close coordination and advise from HR Legal Advisors in country
• Provide technical support, advice and capacity build the Human Resources team.
• Provide technical support and guidance to managers, on all Human Resources related issues.
• Ensure that proper and timely support is provided to the area offices.
• Ensure that a HR strategy and workplan is in place for the Country Operation, in coordination with the Regional HR team
• Work closely with the Senior Management Team on HR strategies and direction for the country operation
• Planning and budgeting for the HR function in the country
• Ensure managers have updated job descriptions for their employees
• Ensure oversight and consistency in position titles and grades, across all field locations.
• Support managers in people planning, succession planning and mobility within DRC country operation(s)
• Support management in restructuring and downsizing
• Ensure that Recruitment process and tools are implemented and understood by hiring managers in the Country Operation
• Support recruitments by doing compliance checks on Job descriptions, developing vacancy notes, advertising positions, longlisting, coordinate written tests when relevant, conducting interviews, doing reference checks, maintaining recruitment records.
• Provide bi-weekly updates to Senior Management Team (SMT) on progress of recruitment
• Lead the induction process of new recruitments, by ensuring the quality and content of the process adheres with DRC standards.
• Manage the full contract process for national employees including contracts, extensions, addendums, and resignations
• Request international contracts from HR Headquarters
• Lead salary benchmark process every two years or more frequently if needed
• Administer payroll for national staff
• Ensure secure and systematic HR filing systems are in place.
• Ensure the annual performance and development process is in place and well understood by managers and staff
• Ensure both probation and performance appraisals are done in the country operation by monitoring Dynamics
• Advice managers on due process when dealing with poor performance and disciplinary issues
• Prepare legally compliant letters in consultation with internal or external legal advisors
• Ensure exit interviews are conducted
• Ensure exit forms are issued and send to exiting employees
• Develop training plans
• Participate in localization of R&R and Housing policy
• Ensure maintenance and communication of staff insurance
• Provide guidance on available staff welfare resources for expatriates and national staff
• Ensure that Managers are trained on the DRC Voices and their responsibility in following up
• Ensure support for managers on action plans for DRC Voices
• Lead people well-being initiatives.
• Ensure Localization of global policies where needed
• Ensure HR Compliance checks are done at least once per year.
• Maintain and update HR policies as necessary, providing advice and information to staff of any changes to policies
• Work closely with Regional Office ( RO) and Head Quarters (HQ) for review and endorsement of HR policies and tools.
• Ensure that monthly departmental KPIs are followed up and a monthly report is submitted to HoSS.
• Ensure that all the working tools and trackers in HR department are regularly updated and disseminated.
• Ensure managers are trained on the necessary tools and procedures within people management
• Ensure effective and efficient management of office administration policies, systems, and procedures.
• Ensure an up-to-date database of contracts to track rental instalments, notice periods, renewals, deposits, and municipality tax payments is maintained and all contracts (property, office rentals, international staff housing) are prepared/extended on time.
• Ensure that pre- and post-paid phone lines are issued and managed in accordance with policies.
• Ensure efficient controlling and issuance of keys for offices and guest houses, ID cards.
• Ensure a regular supply and tracking of usage of office stationery and supplies, cleaning, and kitchen products.
• Work closely with finance to ensure all requisite benefits are captured on all staff records, reconciling these with vendor invoices.
• Ensure smooth arrival of expats by coordinating pre-arrival process, travel arrangements, coordinate logistics, support visa processes.
• Ensure proper application of Enterprise Resource Planning (HR) processes in the country
• Ensure that HR data is up to date in Dynamics.
• Apply reports and data analytics from ERP system to improve performance in the country
• Ensure that Country ERP support is in place (i.e. super users)
• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports, generally at least 3 employees. This includes exit management, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance, etc.
• Accountable for making sound decisions based on DRC policies, Minimum Operating Procedures (MOPs), standards, and the advice of technical experts in DRC

• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills with ability to engage with all levels of staff in a cross-cultural environment.
• Good facilitation skills and ability to deliver induction briefing/training.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Fluency in written & Spoken English

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management, Business or Social Science Degree specializing in HR
• Demonstrated understanding and working knowledge/experience of Human Resources Management principles, concepts & processes.
• Excellent skills in handling and advising on complex people management issues.
• A Master's degree is an added advantage