Malawi Human Resource Lead (Fixed-Term) – One Acre Fund

Job Description

About One Acre Fund
Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips more than 4 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa’s farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase her income and assets on supported land by more than 40 percent, while permanently improving her climate resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 8,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

The Malawi program, established in 2013, serves over 500,000 farmers, providing quality farm supplies and training through our “Core” program, and distributing a range of different tree species through our Agroforestry program which utilizes local nurseries situated close to farmers. Headquartered in Zomba, we operate in two distinct regions of Malawi, the densely-populated Southern region focused on staple crops and the breadbasket Central region with its rich legume and cash crop farming history. To learn more about our work, look at our Malawi program blog.

About the Role
This role manages the Human Resource function within the People Operations Division and acts as an important supporting partner in promoting Organizational Culture and Employee Experience.  You lead the Malawi Human Resources Team and will report directly to The Deputy Country Director. This role is based in Zomba, Malawi and is fully onsite.

Responsibilities

• Strategy Development

Design and Implement HR annual plans, following country  objectives.
Measure progress against objectives, report on progress, hold the team accountable for main focus areas.

Analyze and provide support for solutions to  mitigate risk for our organization concerning employees, compensation and general labor  compliance.

• Management and development of the team

Manage the  HR team. Management will include supervision, weekly report meetings, performance reviews and development, and providing direction.
Ensure the smooth running of daily HR workstreams: (including but not limited to) Payroll, Compensation and benefits, Compliance, Disciplinary , Onboarding , and other HR functions .
Develop the HR team: Support direct reports to increase their ability to take on more specialized or complex projects.

• Project Management and Execution of Strategic Initiatives

Design and implement  complex projects to improve HR processes.
Define goals and metrics to measure the success of main HR work streams.

• HR Policy and Compliance 

Work with the HR team and other team members to draft, deploy and update HR policies. Ensure policies are and aligned with regulations and meet program and staff needs.
Ensure policy fluency across all staff groups to lead compliance and specifically ensuring that field-based teams are intentionally included.

• Team, Culture and DEI

Identify DEI needs through feedback and engagement with the wider team at all levels.
Take ownership of DEI projects and coordinate their implementation
Design, support and implement team engagement initiatives that promote OAF Culture, improve collaboration and align strategic objectives.  Develop and implement HR strategies, policies, and procedures to align with the Malawi Program goals, objectives and values.

• HR Business Partnership to the Program

Provide guidance to management and employees on HR-related matters.
Analyze HR data to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges.
Ensure compliance with labor laws, regulations, and industry standards.

Career Growth and Development
We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications
Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• A Bachelor’s Degree with a specialization in HR, Business Psychology, Business Administration.
• 5+ years of experience in HR management roles (HR Generalist or Senior HR Business Partner) preferably within a mid-size to large organization.
• Strong project management capabilities a experience developing successful HR strategies and initiatives.
• In-depth understanding of Malawi labour regulations / employment laws
• Understand general employment practices and norms in the Malawi context.
• Knowledge of basic PAYE (tax) Framework and Financial compliance for HR

Preferred Start Date
As soon as possible

Job Location
Zomba, Malawi

Benefits
Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Eligibility
This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Malawi.

Application Deadline
02 March 2025. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @oneacrefund.org address. Please report any suspicious communication here (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization’s mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.