LocationAnycountryinWest&CentralAfrica where Mercy Corpsoperates(preferablySenegalor Niger)
Position StatusRegular, Full time (Nationalcontract)
Salary Level:Local Salary Scale
Risk Level: ☐xLevel 3☐Level 2☐Level 1
Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data.
Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.
Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children,access to sensitive data, and/orhigh levelof accountability.
ABOUT MERCY CORPS:
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.In disaster, in hardship, in more than30 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutionsinto action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.Now, and for the future.
PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
The People Team ensures that Mercy Corps attracts, develops, andretainsthe best global talent who will enable it to be a world-class,cutting edge, humanitarian organization, creating transformational change in the world. Our aim is to drive strategic thinking and planning at all levels of the organization; create a talent management framework that supports team members achieve their highest potential and drive people practice that promote the organizational culture. To achieve this, we align conversations on developing team members and leaders; enhance team member experience with HR services, keep the organization focused on what has the greatest impact; leverage our comparative advantages in the crowded and competitive international relief and development landscape; and assure we are constantly learning from our work and the external environment
Africa region is made up of the East & Southern Africa(ESA)and West & Central Africa(WCA)
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Regional HR Officer – Africaplays a pivotal role in strengthening Mercy Corps’ Peoplefunction across the Africa region. Serving as a highly mobile and adaptable HR resourceThe position holder ensures continuity, quality, and compliance with HR service delivery in diverse and often complex operating environments. S/he providesreinforcement to country HR teams, support leadership in addressing operational HR challenges thatimpactteam member experience, organizational effectiveness, and risk management.
Operating across Africa, in particular West and Central Africa (WCA), the Regional HR Officer – Africabrings practicalexpertise, strong problem-solving skills, and contextual awareness to help country offices navigate HR operational gaps, talent needs, compliance requirements, and change processes. The postholder contributes to building resilient HR systems, uplifting HR capacity, and improving the consistency and quality of HR practices, especially in offices facing staffing shortages, restructures, scale-ups, or crisis response.
This position collaborates with Regional HRBPs and theCentersof Expertise (COEs);Talent Management & Acquisition, Compensation & Benefits,People System and Analytics Team (PSAT),Emergency Response and Employee Relationsto ensure the “people needs” of Mercy Corps team members align with and are accounted for within the organization’s strategic initiatives.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Regional HR Support & Service Delivery
Coordinate and support end-to-end employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, contract changes, mobility, and offboarding, ensuring compliance with internal policies and local regulations.
Work under the supervision of theRegional HR Director, supporting in addressing inquiries and questions from country program HR teams.
Monitor and track Expat movements in the region in collaboration withRegionalSecurity Teamand country leadership team
Contribute to agency level after action reviews to help promote organizational learning
Ensureaccurateandtimelymaintenance of HR systems and records to support data integrity and reporting.
Analyze HR trends and recurring issues to inform process improvements and strengthen service delivery across the region.
Facilitate HR data tracking, reporting, and analysis to inform regional decision-making.
Contribute to the effective delivery of HR processes by executing assigned operational tasks ina timely,accurate, and compliant manner.
Facilitate the rollout and adoption of global and regional HR initiatives, systems, and tools by translating guidance into practical implementation steps, troubleshooting challenges, and documenting insights and lessons learned for Regional HR and Senior HRBP follow-up.
Strengthen and standardize HR systems byestablishingor improving workflows, SOPs, onboarding and exit routines, HR calendars, documentation practices, and personnel filing systems to ensure accuracy, consistency, and audit readiness
Strengthen duty-of-care practicesby advising country teams on essential HR processes linked to wellbeing, safe working arrangements,and manager responsibilities during crises or high-stress periods.
HR Systems & HCM Data Integrity Support
Support to Regional HR priorities and agenda
Safeguarding Responsibilities
ACCOUNTABILITY:
Reports Directly To:RegionalHRDirector, Africa
Works Directly With: Global and RegionalPeople Team, Regional and Country Teams
Supervisory Responsibility: None.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design,monitoringand evaluation of our field projects.
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Success Factors
The successful candidate will be a systems thinker and builder who thrives in complexity. They will be a credible strategicofficerat the regional level, able to translate vision and strategic needs into agile and fit-for-purpose, guidance, and tools at the regional level. They will bring humility, curiosity, and a commitment to equity and co-creation, fostering learning across diverse teams and atdifferent levelsof the organization. A natural facilitator, and relationship-builder, they will be politically astute, comfortable at navigating ambiguity, excel at enabling others to lead and manage change and will model adaptive leadership, learning, emotional intelligence,creativityand compassion.
Living Conditions/ Environmental Conditions
The position ishome-based / local officeinWest and CentralAfrican country,where Mercy Corps is registered/operates Occasional travel, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement islimitedand areas where amenities are limited may berequired
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part ofMercyCorps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective,efficientand relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Team Engagement and Effectiveness
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivatedto do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and weremaincommitted to learning, improving, and growing together.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals wecome into contact withthrough our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principlesregardingprevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to theInteragency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by orofour team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect locallawsand customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policiesand values at all times. Team membersare required tocomplete mandatory Code of ConducteLearningcourses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As an applicant, if youwitnessor experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).
POWERED BY POSSIBLE
The world is more fragile than ever. Food shortages have left millions of people hungry, while violent conflict has sent millions on the run. From poverty and malnutrition to natural disasters and climate change, it’s easy to see a world of insurmountable challenges. Instead, we see an opportunity to create transformative change.
We see the world differently.
In crisis, we believe in the power of human potential. In struggle, we believe in the ability of communities to grow stronger.
So we act differently.
We understand that communities are the best agents of their own change and local markets are the best engines of long-term recovery. In more than 40 countries, we partner to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and grow stronger from within. For the refugee who dreams of rebuilding her country, for the mother who wants a healthy future for her children — for millions of people filled with the power of possibility —Mercy Corps connects people to the resources they need to build better, stronger lives.
We create transformative change.
Mercy Corps has responded to nearly every global emergency over the past 20 years.
Since 1979, we have provided $3.7 billion in lifesaving assistance throughout the world. Each year we infuse millions of dollars into local economies through small business loans and grants to provide livelihoods for the world’s most vulnerable people. We are empowering more than 100,000 youth trapped by violent conflict to overcome the profound stress of war and become change makers in their communities.
We are powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
Join us.
