Reports to:  Director, Human Resources and Administration

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Main purpose of position

The Senior HR Executive plays an important role in strengthening the support of human resources operations in ICARDA and in ensuring operations are aligned with business objectives and institutional HR strategies, policies and practices. The Senior HR Executive covers the full spectrum of HR activities and in coordination with the Director HR and Administration (DHRA) implements best practices to foster a high-performance culture.  With the current transition of ICARDA into the One CGIAR, the Senior HR Executive needs to ensure operational continuity of the unit in the midst of all the change initiatives. This role may involve supervising (one – two) staff members and may necessitate national and/or international travel around an equivalent of 10% FTE annually.

About ICARDA

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is an international autonomous, non-profit, research organization supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org

All CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a transformation effort (“the “OneCGIAR’”) that will help the CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure (including in Human Resources) and new research modalities across the 12 participating centers. This transformation is supported by donors who have committed to increased funding.

Accountabilities

·  Support the Director HR and Administration with the strengthening of current practices and the development and implementation of new best practices in Human Resources Management aligned with the new One CGIAR human resources recommended practices by identifying needs, designing and managing change projects/initiatives,

·  In close coordination with the Director HR and Administration, proactively provide professional support and advice to all Team Leaders and supervisors in relation to Human Resources Management,

Main responsibilities

The role of the Senior HR Executive includes but is not limited to the following functional areas.

Talent Acquisition:

Providing overall support to hiring managers on recruitment and talent acquisition processes. This will include:

• Coordinating with heads of departments to forecast future manpower needs aligned to ICARDA’s strategic plan and research agenda.
• Recommending ways to improve the ICARDA employer brand and employer value proposition (EVP) to further promote ICARDA as a preferred employer of choice to facilitate the attraction and retention of qualified candidates.
• Updating the current and designing new talent acquisition strategies and procedures
• Advising hiring managers and selection committee members through the recruitment process on screening, shortlisting and interviewing techniques that aligns with ICARDAs policies and advise on recruitment best practice.
• Keeping track of recruiting metrics (e.g. time-to-hire and cost-per-hire)
• Managing current and implementing new sourcing methods.
• Building the ICARDA’s professional recruitment network through relationships with HR professionals, recruitment agencies, colleges across the CGIAR network and other partners.

Training and Development:

Managing ICARDA staff training and development programme which will include:

• Design and implement a robust training and development program that aligns with ICARDA strategic goals to enhance the skills and capabilities of ICARDA staff.
• Identify training needs through various means I.e., performance evaluations, training needs surveys, succession planning in consultation with HRAD and department heads etc.
• Coordinate and deliver impactful training programs, workshops, and seminars.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of training initiatives, making necessary adjustments as required.
• Managing the functions of the training department
• Conferring with management to gain knowledge of work situations requiring training to better understand changes in policies, procedures, regulations, and technologies.
• Staying current on trends that are relevant to our organization and/or employees; and disseminating any new requirements to all staff.
• Ensuring provision of reports and documentation of all training programs
• Effectively participating in the planning and monitoring of department training annual budget.

HR Projects and Representation: 

• Support and/or act as project manager for cross-functional change management initiatives.
• Attend, as required, working groups and committees within ICARDA and the One CGIAR (such as the people planning and resourcing of the ICARDA CGIAR initiatives), gender and diversity inclusion, etc.
• Support the DHRA in areas requiring conflict resolution and the tracking and management of disciplinary actions.

Requirements

Qualification, experience, and competencies

Essential requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Human Resources or business-related field.
• At least seven years of relevant experience in Human Resources, with increasing level of responsibilities encompassing a broad spectrum of HR functional areas and including experience in international organizations.
• Excellent knowledge of human resources management theories, principles, and practices.
• Proven ability to effectively coach employees and line managers.
• Awareness and sensitivity regarding gender and diversity issues.
• Good knowledge of labor laws in jurisdictions that ICARDA operates in.
• Strong service orientation, with the ability to proactively approach clients to understand their business needs and to find effective solutions.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including conflict management skills.
• Excellent computer skills in a Microsoft Windows environment and experience in the use of ERP systems.
• Ability to operate effectively with a high degree of independence.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to interact effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Excellent people management skills.
• High degree of tact, discretion, and good judgement to effectively manage sensitive and confidential issues.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
  

  Desirable requirements

• CIPD level 5 or above or SHRM certifications would be an advantage. Other certifications in project management, coaching, L&D, performance, or people analytics would be beneficial as well.
• Working knowledge of French and/or Arabic language is an added advantage.
• Familiarity with working with international non-profit organizations similar to ICARDA will be an advantage.

Benefits

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits

This is a nationally recruited position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years, renewable subject to continued need for the position and satisfactory performance. The first year will be a probationary period.

ICARDA is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women.

Applications will be acknowledged, but we apologize in advance as due to the large number of applications only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.