About the Organisation
The African Climate Foundation (ACF) is the first and only African-led climate change re-granting organisation on the continent. Through grant making, fellowships, transformational research, technical assistance, coalition building and advocacy, the ACF seeks to support interventions at the nexus of climate change and development with the greatest potential to deliver long-term socio-economic transformation and inclusive growth.
About the Job
The Head of Human Resources is a senior strategic leadership role responsible for driving the people strategy at ACF. This role has a strong focus on change management, organisational development, and cross-jurisdictional HR leadership. As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Head of HR will oversee all aspects of the employee lifecycle and organisational culture and will play a key role in ensuring that ACF’s people, systems, and structures are fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving, pan-African context. The role leads a growing team consisting of an HR Manager, HR Projects Partner, Talent Acquisition Specialist, and HR Administrator. This role will lead several transformational projects and embed a high-performance, inclusive, and supportive culture at ACF.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic HR Leadership and Change Management
- Lead the development and implementation of a multi-year talent management strategy aligned to ACF’s organisational goals, growth trajectory, and values.
- Advise the SMT and Board on human capital trends, workforce risks and organisational health indicators, particularly in the African non-profit and philanthropy sector.
- Develop and deliver strategic workforce planning to support current and future organisational capacity.
- Ensure HR strategies are inclusive, forward-thinking, and reflective of ACF’s pan-African footprint and diverse team.
People Operations and HR Governance
- Oversee all HR operations, including recruitment, onboarding, employment contracts, employee records, leave, payroll, benefits and HR Information System management.
- Ensure the implementation of efficient and compliant HR policies, procedures and systems across multiple jurisdictions.
- Lead the continuous improvement of HR operations, driving excellence and digital transformation where relevant.
- Coordinate with finance and legal to ensure compliant employee contracting structures across countries.
Talent Management and Capability Development
- Lead the development and implementation of the talent development strategy, which must include, but not be limited to, rewards and recognition, recruitment and retention, performance management, leadership development, learning and development, succession planning, and coaching.
- Design and implement an integrated performance management process aligned to ACF’s mission, values, and role-based accountability.
- Establish career pathways and professional growth opportunities for staff across roles and functions.
- Enhance recruitment and retention strategies, ensuring ACF attracts diverse and high-performing talent.
Culture, Inclusion and Organisational Development
- Foster a positive, collaborative, inclusive organisational culture rooted in ACF’s values.
- Support leaders and teams to navigate change, adapt to growth, and improve cross-cultural communication.
- Lead employee engagement strategies, staff wellness initiatives, and internal communication platforms.
- Drive equity, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects of the employee experience.
Employee Relations, Risk and Compliance
- Lead employee relations, dispute resolution, and conflict management processes, ensuring fairness, confidentiality, and integrity.
- Ensure legal compliance and manage HR risks across South Africa and other countries where ACF operates.
- Ensure donor compliance requirements for staffing, employment practices, and workforce planning are fully integrated into HR policies and reporting.
- Maintain regular reviews and updates of ACF’s HR policy framework.
Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor the HR team to deliver high-quality, people-centred support.
- Ensure clear roles, workload management and performance expectations across the HR team.
- Promote a culture of service, responsiveness, and learning within the HR function.
Requirements
- Postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Industrial/Organisational Psychology, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years at a senior HR leadership level.
- Demonstrated success in leading change and organisational transformation.
- Experience with cross-border HR compliance, ideally within Africa and/or international non-profits.
- Familiarity with employment models such as Employer of Record (EOR) and secondments.
- Prior experience working in mission-driven organisations, with a strong values-based and inclusive approach to people management.
