What We Can Achieve Together

The Associate Director – Human Resources oversees end‑to‑end HR operational excellence across the Africa Region. The role provides oversight throughout the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, compensation, employee relations, and employee separation, while driving continuous improvement in HR service delivery. The position is based in any of The Nature Conservancy’s offices in Africa.

We’re Looking For You

The Associate Director, Human Resources (HR) oversees HR Managers across the Africa Region, ensuring coherent, consistent, and high‑quality talent management practices. This role serves as the primary HR point of contact for designated client groups, offering trusted advisory support and guidance to supervisors and employees.

The Associate Director interprets policies, guidelines and procedures while ensuring full compliance with TNC policies and local labor regulations. They proactively mitigate risk in complex and sensitive situations and supports the design and implementation of programs that promote staff development. This position reports to the HR Director, Africa and requires a high degree of confidentiality, sound judgment, and a strong understanding of organizational dynamics.

Responsibilities & Scope

• Provide HR operational leadership, providing People managers, HR manager and teams guidance on talent management.
• Serve as a primary HR point of contact for a designated client group.
• Supervise HR Managers to implement HR programs and policies, tailoring them to local needs.
• Oversee and collaborate with HR Managers to ensure consistent, high-quality HR service delivery across assigned country Programs.
• Lead annual compensation and equity review processes for Africa ensuring fairness and alignment with global standards.
• Advise on employee relations issues, ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition Specialist on strategies for mid-to-senior level and critical roles while adhering to workforce plans.
• Drive initiatives to enhance employee engagement, retention, and development.
• Support in fostering an engaging and productive team culture through team-building activities.
• Monitor and interpret employment laws across multiple jurisdictions; communicate changes and ensure compliance.
• Oversee implementation of performance management processes and merit planning.
• Escalate complex issues to HR Director for resolution.
• May require travel across Africa and occasional evening or weekend hours.

Communications & Media Studies

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 8 years Human Resources Management work experience as a HR Generalist.
• Experience building consultative relationships with staff at all levels, including ability to influence at the leadership level.
• HR certification preferred (such as AIHR, CHRP, PHR, SHRM-CP).
• Experience supervising and leading HR staff.
• Customer Service experience and experience dealing effectively and sensitively with all levels of staff and HR service providers.
• Advanced understanding of fundamental HR concepts, processes, and services.
• Experience coordinating and leading projects.
• Experience responding to complex HR related questions, problems and data information requests from employees/management.
• Demonstrated experience developing, reviewing, and maintaining HR related guidelines and business processes

Desired Qualifications

• Multi-lingual skills (knowledge of French and or Portuguese) and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• An HR Generalist background highly preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to travel within Africa.
• Demonstrated flexibility to changing situations and priorities.
• Interest in helping to establish processes, adapt existing systems, and growing with an expanding program
• Interest and ability to take on a wide range of projects and drive forward long-term processes in support of team members and program growth and success.
• Ability to make decisions with full and limited information.

• Provide HR operational leadership, providing People managers, HR manager and teams guidance on talent management.
• Serve as a primary HR point of contact for a designated client group.
• Supervise HR Managers to implement HR programs and policies, tailoring them to local needs.
• Oversee and collaborate with HR Managers to ensure consistent, high-quality HR service delivery across assigned country Programs.
• Lead annual compensation and equity review processes for Africa ensuring fairness and alignment with global standards.
• Advise on employee relations issues, ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition Specialist on strategies for mid-to-senior level and critical roles while adhering to workforce plans.
• Drive initiatives to enhance employee engagement, retention, and development.
• Support in fostering an engaging and productive team culture through team-building activities.
• Monitor and interpret employment laws across multiple jurisdictions; communicate changes and ensure compliance.
• Oversee implementation of performance management processes and merit planning.
• Escalate complex issues to HR Director for resolution.
• May require travel across Africa and occasional evening or weekend hours.

• Experience building consultative relationships with staff at all levels, including ability to influence at the leadership level.
• Experience supervising and leading HR staff.
• Customer Service experience and experience dealing effectively and sensitively with all levels of staff and HR service providers.
• Advanced understanding of fundamental HR concepts, processes, and services.
• Experience coordinating and leading projects.
• Experience responding to complex HR related questions, problems and data information requests from employees/management.
• Demonstrated experience developing, reviewing, and maintaining HR related guidelines and business processes
• Multi-lingual skills (knowledge of French and or Portuguese) and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated flexibility to changing situations and priorities.
• Ability to make decisions with full and limited information.

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 8 years Human Resources Management work experience as a HR Generalist.
• HR certification preferred (such as AIHR, CHRP, PHR, SHRM-CP).
• An HR Generalist background highly preferred.
• Ability to travel within Africa.
• Interest in helping to establish processes, adapt existing systems, and growing with an expanding program
• Interest and ability to take on a wide range of projects and drive forward long-term processes in support of team members and program growth and success.