What We Can Achieve Together:
The Associate Director – Human Resources oversees end‑to‑end HR operational excellence across the Africa Region. The role provides oversight throughout the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, compensation, employee relations, and employee separation, while driving continuous improvement in HR service delivery. The position is based in any of The Nature Conservancy’s offices in Africa.
We’re Looking for You:
The Associate Director, Human Resources (HR) oversees HR Managers across the Africa Region, ensuring coherent, consistent, and high‑quality talent management practices. This role serves as the primary HR point of contact for designated client groups, offering trusted advisory support and guidance to supervisors and employees.
The Associate Director interprets policies, guidelines and procedures while ensuring full compliance with TNC policies and local labor regulations. They proactively mitigate risk in complex and sensitive situations and supports the design and implementation of programs that promote staff development. This position reports to the HR Director, Africa and requires a high degree of confidentiality, sound judgment, and a strong understanding of organizational dynamics.
RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE
Provide HR operational leadership, providing People managers, HR manager and teams guidance on talent management.
Serve as a primary HR point of contact for a designated client group.
Supervise HR Managers to implement HR programs and policies, tailoring them to local needs.
Oversee and collaborate with HR Managers to ensure consistent, high-quality HR service delivery across assigned country Programs.
Lead annual compensation and equity review processes for Africa ensuring fairness and alignment with global standards.
Advise on employee relations issues, ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.
Collaborate with Talent Acquisition Specialist on strategies for mid-to-senior level and critical roles while adhering to workforce plans.
Drive initiatives to enhance employee engagement, retention, and development.
Support in fostering an engaging and productive team culture through team-building activities.
Monitor and interpret employment laws across multiple jurisdictions; communicate changes and ensure compliance.
Oversee implementation of performance management processes and merit planning.
Escalate complex issues to HR Director for resolution.
May require travel across Africa and occasional evening or weekend hours.
What You’ll Bring:
Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 8 years Human Resources Management work experience as a HR Generalist.
Experience building consultative relationships with staff at all levels, including ability to influence at the leadership level.
HR certification preferred (such as AIHR, CHRP, PHR, SHRM-CP).
Experience supervising and leading HR staff.
Customer Service experience and experience dealing effectively and sensitively with all levels of staff and HR service providers.
Advanced understanding of fundamental HR concepts, processes, and services.
Experience coordinating and leading projects.
Experience responding to complex HR related questions, problems and data information requests from employees/management.
Demonstrated experience developing, reviewing, and maintaining HR related guidelines and business processes
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Multi-lingual skills (knowledge of French and or Portuguese) and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
An HR Generalist background highly preferred.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to travel within Africa.
Demonstrated flexibility to changing situations and priorities.
Interest in helping to establish processes, adapt existing systems, and growing with an expanding program
Interest and ability to take on a wide range of projects and drive forward long-term processes in support of team members and program growth and success.
Ability to make decisions with full and limited information.
Who We Are:
The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”
What We Bring:
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.
Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.
Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.