Job Description

Summary

Laterite is looking for an experienced professional to lead efforts to meet our strategic people’s objectives. The role will be focused on helping develop and retain staff across the organization. The People’s manager will be responsible for putting systems in place to provide long-term visibility on careers at Laterite, to empower managers at Laterite and to maintain wellbeing across the organization. The Manager will also be responsible for helping us reinforce the ethos of the team as we grow, including our culture, the spirit of learning and discovery and our focus on rigor and structure. The position is open in any of our country offices.

About Laterite

Laterite is a data, research, and technical advisory firm that helps clients understand and analyze complex development challenges. We work with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral donor organizations, and government ministries and agencies in sectors such as public health, agriculture, urbanization & migration, education youth & labor. Our clients include, for example, the World Bank, the Mastercard Foundation, TechnoServe, Promundo, and USAID.

At Laterite, we strive to provide colleagues with a great workplace environment, where staff can continuously learn, grow and maintain a strong work-life balance. We believe that when you respect staff and the work they do, and provide them with the opportunity to make a difference, they will respond with motivation and support Laterite’s mission to deliver impactful research and innovate at every opportunity. Our goal is to transform research in the countries where we operate by becoming a driver of knowledge creation.

Laterite’s growing network of offices currently includes Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and the Netherlands. Our teams bring together more than 60 full time local and international staff in a dynamic and nurturing work environment. We are proud to be a culturally diverse organization. Learn more: www.laterite.com

Job description & key responsibilities

As a People Manager, you will be responsible for leading Laterite’s “People” or employee experience and establishing processes to ensure top-notch staff recruitment, development, growth and retention at Laterite. You will:

• Identify, develop and implement program/systems that facilitate staff learning, growth and retention, and ensure that learning and growth opportunities areequitably accessed.
• Review career paths to ensure staff are provided with individual career plans and longer-term visibility on their potential growth trajectory
• Review current systems for performance evaluation to ensure they align with Laterite’s strategic learning objectives and enable staff to grow professionally
• Strengthen decision-making processes around staff promotions, including reviewing transition points between roles and team.
• Put in place systems to assess staff needs, ensuring their wellbeing and pre[1]empting emerging issues
• Work with Laterite’s leadership to introduce structures, systems and initiatives that will help us maintain our team ethos as we grow, including the team culture, the innovation spirit and the emphasis we place on research quality
• Lead the recruitment function at Laterite with the support of an HR Associate to ensure we continue to attract the best talent
• Serve as a member of Laterite’s senior management team, helping promote and achieve our mission and corporate goals.
• Strengthen overall management through coaching, regular advice, and other initiatives to managers

Profile

You are an accomplished “People” management professional who cares deeply about the professional development experience of teams have the knowledge and experience to help Laterite strengthen its people management function. We are looking for:

• A self-motivated team leader with the experience and expertise leading the People function and strengthening company culture and ethos
• A proactive manager who is constantly assessing individual and organizational needs to design tools that will help our teams succeed
• An excellent communicator with the ability to engage and support all teams across the company, from senior management to support staff, and in a highly diverse, multicultural company such as Laterite
• A leader with a learning mindset and passion for improving systems to enhance people’s experiences in the workplace
• A manager who is also a humble learner and has the ability to listen to both junior and senior staff.

Job Requirements

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in human resources, business or similar field
• 5+ years of experience in a similar role within a professional services environment (e.g., consultancy, start-up), or in an international development organization.
• Proven work experience in people/ talent management.
• Demonstrated ability working with senior management teams to improve how organizations support career growth including performance reviews, promotion decisions, and professional development
• Demonstrated experience developing systems to improve staff experience, retention and general wellbeing
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (in English)

Additionally, we are looking for:

• A leader with excellent interpersonal skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment where timelines can be unpredictable
• Interest in international development work particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Must-haves:

• Master’s degree in human resources, management, business or similar field with complementary functional experience including:
• Demonstrated experience meeting corporate people’s objectives with special emphasis on building careers and coaching managers
• Experience strengthening corporate culture objectives and team wellbeing
• Experience identifying, developing and implementing corporate programs that facilitate staff learning, growth and retention across the organization

How to Apply

Please upload your CV via our online application form You will also be asked to submit a personal statement describing (maximum two-pages) your experience with developing, or improving existing people-oriented functions such as personal development or career progression. Please use examples from your own experience and give us details about the challenges you faced and how you addressed them. Successful candidates will be contacted with information regarding the next steps. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis so we encourage you to apply ASAP.