Program People Manager
Location Uganda
Contract type Fixed Term
Application Closing Date 19 Nov 2021
Interview date 26/11/2021
Start date 4/01/2022

Overview
VSO is the world’s leading international development charity that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. At VSO we pride ourselves on doing development differently. We fight poverty not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers and partners to create long-lasting change in some of the world’s poorest regions. We bring key stakeholders together to co-ordinate collective action, from local organisations to national governments. Our programmes in Africa and Asia focus on health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience, peace building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We’re not about delivering quick fixes, but instead we focus on long-lasting, sustainable change that will improve the lives of generations to come.

Role overview
Provide business partnering and high- quality people support services to VSO Uganda projects throughout the programme cycle to enable VSO people (employee and volunteers) deliver the project successfully, strengthening project delivery through VSO volunteering for development unique approach contributing to a fair world for everyone.

Key responsibilities:
• Provide HR Business Partnering to Project Implementation Lead and Project Managers for all aspects of people management, people engagement, people development and duty of care from team designing, people planning, resourcing, performance management, learning and development, people engagement, people relations, disciplinary, grievance and volunteer compliant management ensuring good people management and practices are adhere to.
• Provide high quality people support services to ensure all people policies, people systems & processes including people project initiatives are effectively implemented in alignment with VSO’s global policies, global volunteer standards, local legislations, and donor requirements.

• Provide guidance and support for a project set-up on risk assessment, recruitment planning ensuring a safe, timely and quality recruitment and selection process and talent acquisition for the project team.
• Arrange for induction and trainings supporting the project implementation lead/ project manager to ensure project team have the right capacity and capability to deliver the project at high standards, promoting and upholding VSO values, people-first principles, core approaches
• (inclusion, resilience and accountability) ensuring compliance with duty of care (security, safeguarding, health and well-being), VSO code of conduct, GDPR, anti-corruption and criminal practices policies and all other VSO policies and standards.
• Provide HR expertise with an in-depth understanding of all people related costs in country for a full cost recovery, an effective pipeline development on people resourcing, including budget and risk management effectively
• Responsible for administration of VSO People management system both hard and electronic records ensuring accuracy, up-to-date, data protection and confidentiality, timely accessibility to information and HR analytic reports required for effective project delivery and reporting.
• Administer contract terms and conditions, compensation and benefit, maintain and update country specific people policies, advise on policy interpretation and ensure accuracy and timely of payroll, allowance and benefit payment for employees and volunteers in coordination with Finance/ Grant team.
• Promote a high performance, continuous learning and coaching culture. Encourage people participation, inclusion, resilience and accountability using coaching, mentoring, and accompaniment approach with solution focus to deliver positive changes.
• Act as a point of contract on duty of care, security, medical and safeguarding for the project team, responsible for safeguarding awareness-raising and support on incident management including investigation and reporting for the project.
• Support on partner capacity building on all people-related aspects and global volunteer standards adaptation in practice.
• Support ongoing monitoring and learning including conducting monitoring visits and attending project review meetings and capturing learnings to enhance people engagement, risk management, ongoing learning and adaptation.
• Provide HR insights and supports for project closure ensuring effective exit management process.
• Generate evidence of learnings and share learnings from the project for continuous improvement, contributing to talent development, new programme design and life-long people engagement.
• Keep abreast for own leadership, professional and personal learning and development.
Team Lead
• Line manage and provide a functional technical support to the people specialist team in country in alignment with VSO strategies, volunteering for development framework, operating plan, project implementation quality standards and performance management framework.
• Promote and uphold VSO values, people-first culture, inclusion, resilience and accountability in team ensuring compliance with duty of care (security, safeguarding, health and well-being), VSO code of conduct, GDPR, anti- corruption and criminal practices policies and all other VSO policies and standards.
• Promote team collaboration, encourage continuous learning and professional development.
• Act as a country focal point for people team ensure country compliance, timely and quality country consolidation reporting, country audit reports and implementation of audit recommendations for all people aspects.

• Collaboration
• Global collaboration – collaborate with global people team (People Leads, Resourcing, Organisation Development, Compensation & Benefits, and Duty of Care team).
• Country collaboration – collaborate with a multi-disciplinary project implementation team in country.
• External collaboration – Build and maintain relationship with project stakeholders, partner organizations, consortiums, communities of practice, to form partnership and strengthen engagement to position VSO as a leadership in volunteering for development.

Knowledge/qualifications:
• Bachelors’ degree in Human Resources Management, public or business Administration, humanities or related field.
• Knowledge of country labour market, employment.
• Understanding volunteering for development and knowledge in global volunteer standards.
• Understanding and commitment to data protection, confidentiality, equal opportunity, social inclusion, gender equity and diversity.

Experience:
• Minimum 5 years of experience of resourcing and HRM/ HR business partnering at senior level in a multi-cultural project team environment in a global organisation setting.
• Experience in organisation development, promoting organisation culture, induction management, learning and development, leadership development and people capacity building.
• Experience in managing complaints, duty of care, safeguarding incidents a to the highest international standards including conducting investigation and disciplinary management.
• Line management experience

Skills required:
• Leadership, team management and team engagement skills.
• Ability to lead, engage and develop others with skills in coaching, mentoring, facilitation, training, and accompaniment.
• Good problem solving, organization, and prioritization skills.
• Good verbal and written communications in English and local language.
• Sound knowledge of financial, risk management and budget management skills.
• Good IT literacy (Microsoft office, Zoom, People system – Salesforce).
Travel required:
Travel including work away from the home base both within the country and occasionally internationally in a remote area.

Competencies and Behaviour
At VSO we believe progress is only possible by working together. Whether you want to join us as an employee, or as a volunteer working in your own country, overseas or online, our selection process includes an assessment based on these core competencies:
• Ability to be open minded and respectful.
• Ability to be resilient and adaptive to new situations.
• Ability to facilitate positive change and build sustainable working relationships.
• Ability to seek and share knowledge.
Equal Opportunities
VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.
VSO reserves the right to close this job early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.
If you’re interested in applying for this role, please download the job description for more information.
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