Director – Human Resources

ICRISAT seeks applications for a Director-Human Resources, to be based in ICRISAT’s Headquarters, Patancheru, Hyderabad, India.  The incumbent will report to the Director General.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. ICRISAT and its partners help empower those living in the semi-arid tropics, especially smallholder farmers, to overcome poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a degraded environment through more efficient and profitable agriculture.

ICRISAT is headquartered in Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT, established in 1972, is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. For more details, see www.icrisat.org.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead HR practices to provide an employee-oriented, high performance culture that emphasizes empowerment, quality, productivity and standards, goal attainment, and the recruitment and ongoing development of a superior workforce.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership on the development of appropriate HR policies across the organization to foster inclusion, equality and diversity.
• Assess current and future policy requirements to support strategic objectives of the organization.
• Oversee the formulation, implementation and review of HR policies.
• Monitor changes in employment legislation
• Provide direction on staff engagement so that ICRISAT can attract and retain top talent and rank high as a preferred place to work.

Major Activities: 

• Develop and implement a HR strategy to support building an agile and forward-looking organization.
• Develop and oversee performance management processes to support a high-performing culture at an individual and organizational level.
• Develop and implement an effective reward and recognition strategy to support the strategic objectives of the organization and to motivate staff.
• Oversee implementation of human resources management at all ICRISAT locations to ensure that the design and application of the approved personnel policies are consistent with the needs and expectations of staff, as well as the local values, practices and regulations.
• Advise and guide Regional Directors, Country Heads and other Unit Heads on complex and sensitive organizational and people issues to enable senior management to take appropriate action.
• Negotiate and manage the terms of outsourced services to ensure value for money and appropriate service standards are maintained.
• Manage the HR team to deliver quality and customer-focused services.
• Develop effective working relationships with Staff Council and other staff representatives to ensure harmonious employment relations.
• Serve on the executive management team and other committees as may be necessary.
• Represent ICRISAT in HR-related CGIAR System activities and in support of One CGIAR 

Requirements:

• Advanced Degree in Human Resources Management or related field
• Work experience of at least 15 years in HR of which 6 years must be at a senior management level and the most recent role should be at a strategic level with a global span.
• Proven capability to manage HR operations in a large multi-cultural, multi-location organization, including all aspects of management: managing budgets and staff, building and managing partnerships, and leading a diverse team.
• Experience in developing and enacting policy where multiple stakeholders, including internal and external parties, are involved in achieving outcomes.
• Experience in addressing governance, institutional and staffing aspects of an organization.
• Experience in designing and leading successful change management programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in written and oral communications and public awareness activities.
• Demonstrated championing of the critical areas of gender, youth, nutrition, knowledge sharing and innovation. 

Good to have:

• Experience in managing HR functions in research and/or agricultural organizations and also across multiple locations
• Prior experience of living and working internationally preferred. 

General: 

This is an Internationally Recruited Staff (IRS) position with a competitive salary and benefits package payable in US Dollars. The position is initially for three years, and extendable depending on performance of the incumbent and funding availability. 

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 28 November 2019, with a response to the selection criteria, their latest resume and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged, however only short- listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer