1. Purpose of the Role

The HR Manager is a Department Manager-level position responsible for leading and professionalizing the Human Resources function on site. The successful candidate will take full ownership of the design, communication, and implementation of new organisational structures, HR policies, working-time arrangements, and employment contracts for the entire workforce (permanent, casual, and cooperative), while ensuring full compliance with Rwandan Labour Law and maintaining constructive relationships with employees, local communities, and Government authorities.

This role requires a resilient, hands-on, and highly organized professional capable of working largely unsupervised, managing a small HR team, and delivering complex change on time and to the standard expected by the Shareholder.

2. Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, Shareholder sign-off, and implementation of new organisational structures, reporting lines, and working-time arrangements across the business
• Own the end-to-end roll-out of new HR policies and procedures, ensuring clear communication, staff understanding, and consistent application
• Plan and manage the re-issuance of employment contracts to all permanent, casual, and cooperative workers, working closely with the legal team to ensure full compliance with Rwandan Labour Law
• Develop and manage detailed implementation plans and timelines for all change initiatives, reporting progress and risks to the General Manager as required
• Meet agreed corrective-action plans and delivery timelines set by the Shareholder without requiring close supervision
• Develop, update, and maintain a comprehensive suite of HR policies aligned with Rwandan Labour Law
• Work closely with the legal team to ensure all contracts, policies, and HR practices are fully compliant with current Rwandan labour legislation and evolving regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready HR records, contracts, and documentation for all employee categories.
• Ensure statutory compliance in areas such as social security (RSSB), PAYE, work permits for international staff, and other regulatory obligations.
• Oversee HR administration for approximately 200 permanent employees (local and international) and a casual/cooperative workforce of 200–500 community members.
• Design and implement appropriate contractual and engagement frameworks for casual and cooperative labour that are fair, compliant, and administratively manageable at scale.
• Manage the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, contracts, performance management, disciplinary processes, grievances, and exits
• Oversee payroll input, leave management, attendance, and time-and-attendance systems for all worker categories.
• Act as a key point of contact between the company, the local community, cooperatives, and local Government authorities on employment and labour-related matters
• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with District and Sector-level authorities, local leaders, and community representatives
• Lead, coach, and develop a small HR team (two direct reports), building their capability to take on more complex HR administration tasks
• Set clear objectives, priorities, and standards for the HR team, and manage performance robustly
• Ensure adequate HR service coverage across a demanding operational site with minimal supervision from senior management
• Maintain and analyse HR metrics (headcount, turnover, absenteeism, casual labour utilization, grievance/disciplinary) to inform decision-making
• Provide regular, accurate reporting to the General Manager and Shareholder on HR KPIs, change programme progress, workforce data, and emerging risks
• Use of IT systems effectively to maintain data integrity, generate reports, and support evidence-based decision-making.

3. Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Law, or a related field; a postgraduate qualification or HR professional certification (e.g., CIPD, IHRM) is an advantage
• Minimum 10 years' progressive HR experience, including at least 3–5 years in a senior HR Manager or Department Manager role
• Excellent IT skills, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and experience using HRIS/payroll systems
• Strong policy drafting and technical writing skills, able to translate legal and regulatory requirements into clear, practical policy documents
• Demonstrable, verifiable track record of successfully designing and implementing organisational change, HR policy overhauls, and contract renewal programmes — ideally within a large-scale industrial, construction, mining, agribusiness, or infrastructure project
• Strong working knowledge of Rwandan Labour Law and statutory HR compliance requirements (employment contracts, RSSB, work permits, termination procedures, etc.)
• Prior experience managing a mixed workforce of permanent, casual, and cooperative/community labour is strongly preferred
• Experience operating in a remote, rural, or resource-constrained project environment, ideally within Rwanda or the East African region
• Proven ability to work independently, deliver against demanding timelines, and meet Shareholder expectations with minimal supervision
• Prior experience liaising with local Government authorities, District/Sector officials, and community structures

4. Leadership & Behavioural Competencies

• Strong, decisive leadership with the resilience and credibility to drive through difficult and sometimes unpopular changes
• Excellent interpersonal and people skills, with the ability to build trust across a highly diverse workforce and community
• High personal integrity, discretion, and sound judgement in handling sensitive employee and community matters
• Cultural sensitivity and genuine commitment to engaging respectfully with a low-income, rural community context
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; French and/or Kinyarwanda strongly preferred
• Strong organisational and project management skills, able to manage multiple concurrent workstreams to a demanding timeline.
• Comfortable working autonomously on a remote site with minimal day-to-day oversight, while remaining accountable and transparent in reporting to senior management and the Shareholder.

• Lead the design, Shareholder sign-off, and implementation of new organisational structures, reporting lines, and working-time arrangements across the business
• Own the end-to-end roll-out of new HR policies and procedures, ensuring clear communication, staff understanding, and consistent application
• Plan and manage the re-issuance of employment contracts to all permanent, casual, and cooperative workers, working closely with the legal team to ensure full compliance with Rwandan Labour Law
• Develop and manage detailed implementation plans and timelines for all change initiatives, reporting progress and risks to the General Manager as required
• Meet agreed corrective-action plans and delivery timelines set by the Shareholder without requiring close supervision
• Develop, update, and maintain a comprehensive suite of HR policies aligned with Rwandan Labour Law
• Work closely with the legal team to ensure all contracts, policies, and HR practices are fully compliant with current Rwandan labour legislation and evolving regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready HR records, contracts, and documentation for all employee categories.
• Ensure statutory compliance in areas such as social security (RSSB), PAYE, work permits for international staff, and other regulatory obligations.
• Oversee HR administration for approximately 200 permanent employees (local and international) and a casual/cooperative workforce of 200–500 community members.
• Design and implement appropriate contractual and engagement frameworks for casual and cooperative labour that are fair, compliant, and administratively manageable at scale.
• Manage the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, contracts, performance management, disciplinary processes, grievances, and exits
• Oversee payroll input, leave management, attendance, and time-and-attendance systems for all worker categories.
• Act as a key point of contact between the company, the local community, cooperatives, and local Government authorities on employment and labour-related matters
• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with District and Sector-level authorities, local leaders, and community representatives
• Lead, coach, and develop a small HR team (two direct reports), building their capability to take on more complex HR administration tasks
• Set clear objectives, priorities, and standards for the HR team, and manage performance robustly
• Ensure adequate HR service coverage across a demanding operational site with minimal supervision from senior management
• Maintain and analyse HR metrics (headcount, turnover, absenteeism, casual labour utilization, grievance/disciplinary) to inform decision-making
• Provide regular, accurate reporting to the General Manager and Shareholder on HR KPIs, change programme progress, workforce data, and emerging risks
• Use of IT systems effectively to maintain data integrity, generate reports, and support evidence-based decision-making.

• Excellent IT skills, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and experience using HRIS/payroll systems
• Strong policy drafting and technical writing skills
• Strong working knowledge of Rwandan Labour Law and statutory HR compliance requirements
• Proven ability to work independently, deliver against demanding timelines, and meet Shareholder expectations with minimal supervision
• Prior experience liaising with local Government authorities, District/Sector officials, and community structures
• Strong, decisive leadership
• Excellent interpersonal and people skills
• High personal integrity, discretion, and sound judgement
• Cultural sensitivity
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Strong organisational and project management skills

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Law, or a related field; a postgraduate qualification or HR professional certification (e.g., CIPD, IHRM) is an advantage
• Minimum 10 years' progressive HR experience, including at least 3–5 years in a senior HR Manager or Department Manager role
• Demonstrable, verifiable track record of successfully designing and implementing organisational change, HR policy overhauls, and contract renewal programmes — ideally within a large-scale industrial, construction, mining, agribusiness, or infrastructure project
• Prior experience managing a mixed workforce of permanent, casual, and cooperative/community labour is strongly preferred
• Experience operating in a remote, rural, or resource-constrained project environment, ideally within Rwanda or the East African region
• French and/or Kinyarwanda strongly preferred