Senior HR Officer - Maternity Cover

About the role

WRI Africa's Operations team is looking for a Senior Human Resources Officer for a six-month maternity cover, based in the WRI Country Office in Nairobi, Kenya. The role is hybrid, with at least 8 days per month in the office and living within reasonable commuting distance. It reports to the Senior Regional People & Culture Manager, WRI Africa, and covers HR administration, recruitment coordination, onboarding, employee lifecycle support, HR policy guidance, employee relations and Workday data management.

Key responsibilities

• HR operations and administration (45%): day-to-day HR administration, employee records, leave and benefits coordination, contract documentation, and onboarding, transfers and offboarding
• Prepare employment contracts, extensions, offer letters, promotion and confirmation letters, and liaise with medical, pension, benefits, legal, consultant and Employer of Record partners
• Act as focal point for Workday employee lifecycle processes and keep HR data accurate and up to date
• Regional coordination (30%): work with regional People & Culture colleagues, Operations, Finance, Talent Acquisition and global HR teams, and contribute to improving HR processes and documentation
• HR policies, compliance and employee relations (15%): give first-line guidance on policies and benefits, support employee relations and monitor contract, probation, leave and compliance timelines
• Talent acquisition and onboarding (10%): support recruitment for Kenya roles, including job postings, screening, interviews, reference checks and offers, and coordinate new hire onboarding and internship hiring

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business or non-profit management, public administration or a related field, with HR qualification at diploma level or a professional HR qualification
• 5+ years of experience in HR administrative roles, ideally in an international non-profit matrixed organization
• Experience developing HR systems and policies, and with HRIS systems, preferably Workday
• Strong familiarity with Kenyan labor laws, discretion with confidential information, and proficiency in written and spoken English
• Existing work authorization in the host country; WRI cannot authorize visas

Required skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
• Workday

What we offer

• Hybrid working model with flexible hours and generous leave days increasing with tenure
• Access to the WRI global network and learning and training opportunities
• Diversity and inclusion commitment, and involvement in working groups and affinity groups

Applicants submit a resume and cover letter by 16 November 2026; internal applicants use the Workday Jobs Hub, external applicants use the WRI Careers portal. Salary is commensurate with experience.