HR Business Partner

ABOUT HEALTHY LEARNERS

Healthy Learners is an award-winning non-profit organization committed to improving the health of children in Zambia and beyond. We partner directly with the government and local communities to ensure schoolchildren stay healthy, learn effectively, and have a brighter future. Healthy Learners has experienced rapid growth over the past several years.

School-aged children in low-resource settings suffer from a high burden of disease and often lack access to basic healthcare. These preventable and curable illnesses frequently lead to life-long health challenges or disabilities. In the short term, these illnesses cause school absenteeism, poor academic performance, and high dropout rates. In the long term, they undermine physical, cognitive, and emotional development and hinder economic prosperity.

Healthy Learners bridges this gap by making schools an entry points into the public healthcare system. This approach ensures children receive healthcare when they need it- improving health outcomes and reducing absenteeism. We currently serve more than 975,000 students and are working to scale our model across Zambia and other countries in the region.

ABOUT YOU

You exemplify the qualities of being Humble, Hungry, and Smart in your leadership:

• Humble (Continuous Learning & Inclusion): You actively seek, encourage, and facilitate feedback sharing, fostering an environment of continuous learning. You adapt and grow continuously, cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging.
• Hungry (Efficiency, Excellence, and Innovation): Your relentless drive for efficiency and excellence is evident in your approach to both everyday tasks and complex challenges. When obstacles arise, you don’t merely seek answers; you develop solutions and establish structures to address future obstacles proactively. Your hunger for innovation permeates the organisation, where you eagerly explore new and best practices, ensuring our people operations remain modern and highly effective.
• Smart (Emotional Intelligence & Psychological Safety): Your exceptional emotional intelligence is your superpower, allowing you to create psychological safety within the organization. Through your ability to build trust, encourage risk-taking, and nurture courageous conversations, you promote an environment where individuals can thrive and collaborate effectively.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The HR Business Partner will play a critical role in supporting the strategic and operational objectives of our People and Culture department as well as the wider organisational objectives. This position will be responsible for overseeing and executing HR functions related to the full employee lifecycle including but not limited to recruitment, onboarding, compliance, learning and development, performance management, and employee relations.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced HR professional with a passion for supporting a mission-driven organisation and fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture. The HR Business Partner will work closely with the other HR team members and the teams at the allocated levels, providing hands-on and strategic input, insight, and advice on people-related issues: talent management, employee relations, compensation, conflict management, organisational development, and training.

This role will be responsible for strategically supporting team members at the following level:

Coordinators / Senior Officers

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Recruitment and Selection (10%):

• Coordinate with the Talent Acquisition Manager to implement the approved recruitment strategies to attract top talent for various positions at the Coordinator/Senior Officer level within the organisation;
• Collaborate with hiring supervisors to understand staffing needs in line with the annual recruitment tracker and provide guidance on succession planning;
• Ensure a positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process;

Onboarding (10%):

• Conduct comprehensive and interactive HR onboarding for new hires to ensure a smooth transition into the organisation;
• Facilitate orientation sessions and provide new employees with necessary resources and information;
• Partner with supervisors to ensure new hires receive proper training, support and set probationary goals for new hires during their probation period of employment.

Compliance (10%):

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legal requirements and best practices in HR in order to be a thought partner to the People and Operations Manager;
• Update employee electronic records and ensure confidentiality and accuracy of HR documentation for Coordinator/Senior Officer levels including contract tracking, medical insurance documents, holiday and sickness, annual, leave etc.

Learning and Development (20%):

• Collaborate with the respective supervisors to conduct skills gap assessments for individual learning and development needs, and design effective learning paths/programs using the learning platforms available to address these needs;
• Coordinate and facilitate HR training sessions, workshops, and development programs for teams at the allocated levels;
• Support supervisors to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of training initiatives and make adjustments as necessary to ensure high performance of the teams;
• Support career development planning and succession planning efforts to ensure supervisors have identified key successors and performance plans to develop them.

Performance Management (30%):

• Manage the performance management cycle, including goal setting, performance reviews, and feedback processes to ensure supervisors and their teams are results focused;
• Provide guidance and support to supervisors and employees on performance-related issues;
• Assist in the development of performance improvement plans and support supervisors to monitor progress;
• Be a champion to promote a culture of continuous feedback and professional growth in line with the established feedback mechanisms.

Employee Relations (20%):

• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to supervisors on employee relations issues, ensuring objective, fair and consistent application of the HR manual, processes and practices;
• Address and resolve employee concerns, conflicts, and grievances in a timely and effective manner;
• Conduct investigations as needed and recommend appropriate actions;
  Contribute to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture that aligns with the organisation’s values and mission;
• Provide accurate and timely payroll updates to the HR Generalist for monthly payroll processing;
• Support staff offboarding to ensure compliance with the offboarding process;
• Support supervisors to ensure efficient leave management of their respective teams and departments.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field. Master’s degree preferred;
• Must be a Member of Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management (ZIHRM);
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a HR generalist or HR business partner role;
• Strong knowledge of HR practices, employment labour laws, and regulations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence at the management levels of the organisation;
• Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion;
• Demonstrated experience in managing multiple HR functions, including recruitment, onboarding, compliance, learning and development, performance management, and employee relations.
• Experience working using a HRIS is a plus
  Solid proficiency in MS Office applications and Google Suite
• Passion for Healthy Learners’ Vision & Mission

WHAT WE OFFER

• Opportunity for Impact: Play a pivotal role in implementing a program that improves health outcomes for millions of schoolchildren, shaping the future of communities across Africa.
• Competitive Compensation: Receive a competitive salary and benefits package that reflects your expertise and commitment.
• Professional Growth: Access ongoing training, leadership opportunities, and engage in innovative projects that challenge and inspire you.
• Supportive Culture: Join a passionate, dedicated team that values collaboration and mutual support, fostering an environment where all contributions are recognized.
• Networking Opportunities: Collaborate with international organizations and enhance your network and influence in the public health sector.