Regional HR and Admin Manager

Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation.

About the job

Regional HR and Admin Manager is responsible for ensuring that DRC's HR functions are carried out effectively across the region, in order to achieve the organization's business objectives. Furthermore, the regional HR and Admin Manager is responsible for supporting the region within there are of responsibility. The post holder is also to ensure administrative tasks within regional office are performed efficiently and in timely manner.

Responsibilities related to the countries in the region:

Management & Coordination

• To ensure the efficient management of the staff members of the HR Department of the RO: this includes daily supervision of the tasks, follow-up of the targets defined and lead over the performance and development appraisals;
• To visit regularly the countries covered by the RO and to provide technical guidance, as the technical line manager and technical focal point at the Regional Office, to the Human Resources Managers and Human Resources Coordinators in the countries covered by the region, who report to a different manager.
• To actively engage in CO most senior HR recruitments, objectives setting, coaching and performance management

Substitution

• Ensure proper gap-filling for short time substitution
• Ensure you have agreed to a plan on how to address the chronical gaps and surge capacity in the country together with CO SMT and Regional SMT
• Manage the budgets for substitution

Quality assurance

• Localization of global polices and tools - coordination of the process
• People management training for all managers in the region
• Regional initiatives within HR
• Regional induction
• Rightsizing of HR in the region
• To ensure that all HR costs, including for initiatives related to employees, are well identified and budgeted (HR costing exercise);
• To ensure that HR reporting is in place and regularly updated at both the RO and country levels.
• Ensuring roll-out are completed
• Endorse policies and procedures for the country operations
• Develop and implement regional frameworks
• Ensure the capacity building procedure is coordinated with HQ and that HR is capacitated at the right level in each country

Compliance monitoring

• Ensuring the countries are following global processes, policies and the operations handbooks for HR
• Ensuring that the countries are following local labor law and that they have established relationship with both internal and external legal advisors
• Ensuring a salary benchmark is performed regularly in CO
• Ensuring that global policies and regional frameworks are localysed and they are aligned with local labor laws
• Perform compliance self-check

Responsibilities related to the regional office:

Support the management in the regional office with HR services in the 6 HR areas: People planning, Recruitment, Development, Performance, Well-being and Contracts and compensation

Recruitment and Selection

• Drive and support recruitment and selection activities by planning and assessing staffing needs;
• Advertise positions and assist with scheduling the interviews; Participate in interview panels when needed

• Ensure compliance with recruitment process by quality checking the job adverts, posting the job adverts on internal and external job boards, support with sending the electronic form for reference checks, and issuing the offer letter after the process is concluded;
• Ensure all unsuccessful are being notified; the interviewed candidates are notified by the hiring manager and all the rest are notified via an automatic reply via the recruitment system
• Document and file the recruitment process
• Provide recruitment overview for senior managers

People Planning

• Work with senior management team and senior staff on a number of initiatives related to employees
• Ensure managers have created job descriptions for the employees, and store them on the personnel file
• Ensure oversight and consistency in position titles and grades, across all field locations.
• Support senior management in workforce planning, succession planning and mobility within DRC country operation(s)
• Support management in restructuring and downsizing
• Planning and budgeting for the HR function in the region

Performance

• Ensure that there is a yearly cycle for performance appraisals in the country operation
• Ensure both probation and performance appraisals are done in the country operation by monitoring Dynamics
• Advice managers on poor performance and ensure the documentation stored on the employees’ p-file is stored properly; act as an impartial mediator in the process
• Prepare legally compliant letters in consultation with internal or external legal advisors
• Advice managers on Code of Conduct cases in relation to potential disciplinary action

Development

• Drive the induction process in the country operation
• Drive the coordination of international staff pre-arrival process, arranging induction schedule, office & guesthouse tour, conducting internationals staff HR induction and maintaining oversight of logistics, visa/entry process and travel arrangements. 
• Advise managers or staff on how to fund training and development opportunities
• Ensure exit interviews are conducted by establishing a process of informing managers to perform the exit interview
• Ensure exit forms are issued and send to exiting employees
• Coordinate team related needs and training

Well-Being

• Participate in localization of R&R and Housing policy
• Source insurance or other health option for national staff
• Guide managers on stress management
• Assess compound life from a well-being perspective
• Follow-up on DRC voices

Contracts and Compensation

• Issue offer letter for national and international employees
• Manage the full contract process for national employees including contracts, extensions, addendums, and resignations
• Request international contract to be done by HQ
• Negotiate terms of employment for national employees
• Ensure that the terms of employment for national staff are localised
• Lead salary benchmark process every two years or more frequently if needed
• Develop and maintain salary scale
• Administer payroll for national staff
• Maintain Dynamics data for national staff and update some of the data for international staff (the second is clearly defined)

HR Policies and Support

• Maintain and update Staff HR Handbooks as necessary
• Proactively pursue continuous process improvement in HR related practices in order to enhance the quality and efficiency of output/delivery
• Produce the necessary policies and guidelines to reflect the local requirements
• Localization of the global policies and ensuring that the local labour law is taken into account
• Ensure managers are familiar will the necessary tools and procedures within people management
• Ensure to request technical support from HQ
• Respond to audit requests

Administration

• Ensure effective and efficient management of office administration policies, systems and procedures
• Ensure oversight of domestic and international travels and facilitation of necessary insurance when relevant.
• Ensure timely updating and renewal of organization’s registration certificates.
• Ensure oversight and management of residency and work permits.
• Ensure an up-to-date database of contracts to track rental instalments due, notice periods, renewals, deposits and municipality tax payments is maintained and in coordination with other relevant team members, have all the contracts (property, office rentals, international staff housing) are prepared/extended on time.
• Manage orientation process and arrivals checklist for new staff and ensure support to all new staff and visitors with travels and accommodations1

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• A minimum of 5-7 years relevant experience in HR management, administration, change management, and/or organizational development, including at an international level, at least 2 years of relevant regional level experience is preferred.
• A minimum of 5 years of people management.
• Working experience within the region is preferred.
• A minimum 3 years relevant experience working in an international humanitarian or development organization.
• Technical skills in HR and Admin management, preferably including recruitment and selection, learning and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, legal compliance, procurement of services.
• Experience in developing HR strategies and policies, and driving implementation.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Good skills in training facilitation.

Education: (include certificates, licenses etc.)

• Postgraduate degree in the field of strategic human resources or business management, or similar
• HEAT (preferred)
• PI (preferred)

Languages:

• Full proficiency in written and spoken English

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: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

The Contract

Contract length: 1 year (renewable)

Start date: As soon as possible

Duty station:Middle East Regional office in Amman, Jordan: Regular travels to the country operations in the region as well as occasional travel to headquarters

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates or DRC National Staff salary scale. 

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 5 April 2023

Recruitment will be on a rolling basis and DRC reserves the right to offer the position to suitable candidate before the deadline). 

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo