The Human Resources Advisor (S1) provides advisory and operational HR partnership across the Africa Southern Region (ASR). Working with the Regional HR Lead/HR Manager, the role supports country programs and regional teams to implement HR policies, provide timely guidance to managers and employees, and deliver consistent, compliant people practices across the employee lifecycle—recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning, employee relations, and offboarding.

The HR Advisor interprets and applies HR policies and local labour law requirements, manages routine and moderately complex employee relations matters, and advises on risk mitigation, documentation, and fair process. The role contributes to workforce planning inputs, HR reporting and analytics, and continuous improvement of regional HR processes and tools. Complex/sensitive cases (e.g., high-risk investigations, litigation, senior leadership cases) are escalated per protocol.

Summary of Responsibilities

The HR Advisor partners with managers and teams across the Africa Southern Region to deliver consistent HR services and advice, ensuring compliance with organizational policy and applicable labour laws while supporting a positive employee experience.

– Advises hiring managers on end-to-end recruitment processes and supports compliant selection practices, including guidance on job descriptions, interview panels, documentation standards, and offers in line with internal approvals and local requirements.

• Leads/coordinates onboarding and orientation standards across ASR, ensuring contractual documentation and induction practices are consistent, timely, and compliant with country requirements.
• Ensures quality and governance of HR records and confidential files, including documentation standards, retention practices, and access controls, and supports resolution of documentation gaps.
• Provides oversight of HRIS transactions and data integrity across the region; conducts periodic audits, resolves discrepancies, and produces routine HR metrics to inform management decisions.
• Coordinates benefits and staff welfare administration with vendors/providers and internal stakeholders; advises on eligibility and process, escalates exceptions, and supports resolution of benefit-related issues.
• Provides HR advice and coaching to managers and staff on HR policies, processes, and employee lifecycle matters; supports consistent interpretation and application and flags risks early.

– Advises and supports implementation of performance management and learning processes, including manager guidance on goal setting, documentation, feedback conversations, and tracking completion of required cycles.

– Manages routine and moderately complex employee relations cases (e.g., grievance handling, attendance/leave issues, conduct concerns) by ensuring fair process, appropriate documentation, and timely closure; supports investigations as assigned and escalates high-risk matters per protocol.

– Supports HR compliance across ASR countries by aligning country procedures with organizational standards, monitoring local labor law changes (with support as needed), and coordinating policy roll-outs and required trainings/communications.

– Advises and coordinates offboarding processes to ensure compliance (exit documentation, final pay inputs in coordination with Finance, and statutory requirements) and supports exit interviews and trend analysis to inform retention actions.

– Produces and interprets routine HR reports and dashboards (e.g., headcount, turnover, recruitment cycle time, leave trends, training completion) and provides insights to managers and regional leadership.

– Supports a respectful, safe, and inclusive workplace by advising on safeguarding/anti-harassment expectations, ensuring appropriate documentation and referrals, and reinforcing required trainings and reporting pathways.

– Partners with country office focal points and relevant global teams (e.g., People & Culture/HR, Finance, IT) to resolve HR cases and deliver consistent HR services across multiple countries.

– Improves HR processes and tools by updating guidance and templates, documenting procedures, and orienting/briefing managers and focal points on changes to ensure consistent practice.

– Performs other HR-related duties as assigned.

Experience, skills and competences

Minimum requirement

• Demonstrated commitment to Ipas mission, vision, and values.
• Commitment to the organization’s people-centered and rights-based approach and ability to work respectfully with diverse teams and communities.
• Strong advisory mindset with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and provide sound guidance on HR policy and people processes.
• Ability to build positive working relationships with diverse internal teams and external service providers across multiple locations; regional experience within Africa Southern Region is an added advantage.

Functional skills

• Strong generalist HR advisory capability across the employee lifecycle (recruitment, performance, employee relations, learning, offboarding).
• Ability to coach managers and employees and deliver clear guidance, including drafting HR case documentation and communications.
• Working knowledge of labour relations principles and ability to apply local labour law requirements with appropriate escalation for legal review.
• Ability to manage employee relations cases and support investigations (fact-finding, documentation, timelines) in a fair and consistent manner.
• High level of discretion, integrity, and sound judgment; able to handle sensitive matters with professionalism.
• HRIS and reporting capability; able to analyze basic people metrics and identify trends for action.
• Strong stakeholder management and coordination skills, including working across multiple countries and functions.
• Demonstrated ability to implement HR processes consistently and improve ways of working through practical problem-solving.
• Strong written documentation skills and ability to maintain organized case files and decision records.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in human resource management, Social Sciences, or related field

Experience

• 5–7+ years’ progressive experience in human resources, including HR generalist/advisory responsibilities
• Experience advising and partnering with managers on recruitment, onboarding, and performance management processes
• Experience managing employee relations matters, including documentation, investigations support, and advising on fair process
• Working knowledge of labour laws and HR practices in one or more Africa Southern Region countries; multi-country/regional experience is a strong advantage
• Experience using an HRIS and producing HR reports/metrics to support decision-making and compliance monitoring

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional qualification in Human Resource Management
• Certifications related to International Human Resources
• Experience working in a regional role supporting teams across the Africa Southern Region

• Advises hiring managers on end-to-end recruitment processes and supports compliant selection practices, including guidance on job descriptions, interview panels, documentation standards, and offers in line with internal approvals and local requirements.
• Leads/coordinates onboarding and orientation standards across ASR, ensuring contractual documentation and induction practices are consistent, timely, and compliant with country requirements.
• Ensures quality and governance of HR records and confidential files, including documentation standards, retention practices, and access controls, and supports resolution of documentation gaps.
• Provides oversight of HRIS transactions and data integrity across the region; conducts periodic audits, resolves discrepancies, and produces routine HR metrics to inform management decisions.
• Coordinates benefits and staff welfare administration with vendors/providers and internal stakeholders; advises on eligibility and process, escalates exceptions, and supports resolution of benefit-related issues.
• Provides HR advice and coaching to managers and staff on HR policies, processes, and employee lifecycle matters; supports consistent interpretation and application and flags risks early.
• Advises and supports implementation of performance management and learning processes, including manager guidance on goal setting, documentation, feedback conversations, and tracking completion of required cycles.
• Manages routine and moderately complex employee relations cases (e.g., grievance handling, attendance/leave issues, conduct concerns) by ensuring fair process, appropriate documentation, and timely closure; supports investigations as assigned and escalates high-risk matters per protocol.
• Supports HR compliance across ASR countries by aligning country procedures with organizational standards, monitoring local labor law changes (with support as needed), and coordinating policy roll-outs and required trainings/communications.
• Advises and coordinates offboarding processes to ensure compliance (exit documentation, final pay inputs in coordination with Finance, and statutory requirements) and supports exit interviews and trend analysis to inform retention actions.
• Produces and interprets routine HR reports and dashboards (e.g., headcount, turnover, recruitment cycle time, leave trends, training completion) and provides insights to managers and regional leadership.
• Supports a respectful, safe, and inclusive workplace by advising on safeguarding/anti-harassment expectations, ensuring appropriate documentation and referrals, and reinforcing required trainings and reporting pathways.
• Partners with country office focal points and relevant global teams (e.g., People & Culture/HR, Finance, IT) to resolve HR cases and deliver consistent HR services across multiple countries.
• Improves HR processes and tools by updating guidance and templates, documenting procedures, and orienting/briefing managers and focal points on changes to ensure consistent practice.
• Performs other HR-related duties as assigned.

• Strong generalist HR advisory capability across the employee lifecycle (recruitment, performance, employee relations, learning, offboarding).
• Ability to coach managers and employees and deliver clear guidance, including drafting HR case documentation and communications.
• Working knowledge of labour relations principles and ability to apply local labour law requirements with appropriate escalation for legal review.
• Ability to manage employee relations cases and support investigations (fact-finding, documentation, timelines) in a fair and consistent manner.
• High level of discretion, integrity, and sound judgment; able to handle sensitive matters with professionalism.
• HRIS and reporting capability; able to analyze basic people metrics and identify trends for action.
• Strong stakeholder management and coordination skills, including working across multiple countries and

• Demonstrated commitment to Ipas mission, vision, and values.
• Commitment to the organization’s people-centered and rights-based approach and ability to work respectfully with diverse teams and communities.
• Strong advisory mindset with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and provide sound guidance on HR policy and people processes.
• Ability to build positive working relationships with diverse internal teams and external service providers across multiple locations; regional experience within Africa Southern Region is an added advantage.