Senior Officer, HR & Admin

Role Description

The Senior Officer, HR & Admin provides technical and operational support across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment coordination, onboarding, contract administration, HR records, and offboarding. The role ensures that HR and administrative processes are applied consistently, fairly, and in line with applicable policies, donor requirements, and local labour requirements. You will work closely with the Operations lead, Program Leads, Finance, Procurement, and other functional teams to identify operational gaps and support practical solutions while contributing to a positive, inclusive, safe, and well-organized work environment.

Responsibilities

People and Culture Support

• Coordinate and support recruitment, onboarding, staff documentation, contract tracking, and offboarding processes.
• Support the consistent application of HR policies, procedures, and templates across staff and consultants.
• Maintain accurate employee and consultant records, ensuring documentation is complete, up to date, and audit-ready.
• Support safeguarding-related HR processes, including documentation, acknowledgements, onboarding requirements, and follow-up tracking.
• Provide first-level guidance to staff and managers on routine HR and administrative processes, escalating complex issues as required.

HR Compliance and Documentation

• Support the preparation, review, and tracking of employment contracts, consultancy agreements, amendments, and related HR documentation.
• Help monitor compliance with internal policies, donor requirements, and applicable country-level labour requirements.
• Maintain organized HR files and data systems in line with confidentiality and data protection expectations.
• Support audit preparation by ensuring HR and administrative records are complete, accurate, and accessible.
• Flag potential HR, contracting, or compliance risks to the Operation lead for review and action.

Administration, Facilities, and Workplace Support

• Support the coordination of office administration, facilities, logistics, and workplace arrangements.
• Help maintain safe, inclusive, and functional office environments across assigned locations.
• Support workplace safety checks, emergency preparedness processes, and duty-of-care documentation.
• Coordinate administrative workflows to reduce delays and improve service delivery to project teams.
• Liaise with vendors, service providers, and internal teams to support smooth office operations.

Process Improvement and Team Support

• Identify gaps or inefficiencies in HR and administrative workflows and propose practical improvements.
• Support the implementation of tools, templates, trackers, and standard operating procedures.
• Work collaboratively with Operations, Finance, Procurement, and Program teams to resolve routine operational bottlenecks.
• Provide technical guidance and day-to-day support to officers and coordinators where relevant, without carrying full line-management responsibility.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in HR and office operations, preferably within the international development sector and multi-country programs.
• In-depth knowledge of regional labor laws, HR best practices, and donor compliance standards.
• Proven experience providing operational supervision in cross-cultural and multi-country contexts.
• Exceptional writing, negotiation, and communication skills in English; professional proficiency in French is a strong asset.
• Strong planning, organizational, and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to work independently and collaboratively in fast-paced environments.
• Commitment to WUSC’s mission of supporting displaced and refugee youth, ensuring programs are delivered effectively, ethically, and transparently.
• Membership in a recognized national or regional HR or professional management association is a strong asset.