Regional Human Resources Manager Asia & the Middle East

Applicants must be eligible to work in Jordan or Lebanon without sponsorship.

The Regional Human Resources Manager, Asia and the Middle East (RHRM AME) is an essential staff member of the Asia and the Middle East Regional Team which is responsible for oversight of Human Resources activities for the AME Region. The RHRM AME provides support, oversight and guidance to the country programs in the region, with responsibilities for HR in all countries in which Corus currently operates or plans to operate (currently Indonesia, Nepal, India, Philippines, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen) ensuring compliance with established policies and procedures and acting as a trusted advisor to staff.

The RHRM AME works closely with regional staff in the field and at HQ, F&A, Country Directors and Operations teams for each country and the HR team at HQ. This position will assist with implementation of new Global HR initiatives in the Asia and the Middle East Region, ensure HR management guidelines and controls issued from HQ are followed, ensure data is managed accurately and reconcile data as needed, assist with onboarding and training CFAM staff and help reduce risk by ensuring country offices are managing HR in compliance with organization policies and procedures as well as applicable labor laws and regulations.

The RHRM AME is a member of the Asia and the Middle East team and is responsible for overseeing and guiding HR activities in this Region. The RHRM AME will provide legally compliant HR guidance, support and oversight to programs and additional countries as needed in the future.

Supervision and Coordination

The RHRM AME reports to the Associate Vice President, Global Human Resources. The position will receive technical backstopping from the HQ Human Resources team located in the Washington D.C./Baltimore office. The RHRM will work within a matrix organization structure, with dotted line relationships to field staff. The RHRM AME provides human resources oversight and guidance for all functional areas of HR to include talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, compliance, employee relations, staff development and performance management. The RHRM AME will also be expected to build the capacity of other staff including more junior HR staff, Country/Regional F&A staff and Operations staff with administrative functions.

Human Resources Regional Oversight and Management:

• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with regional and local support teams and act as a responsible, informed and accessible member of the regional management team.
• Stay up to date on changes in the labor laws in all countries, informing staff about upcoming changes in policy; drafting amendments to handbooks and employment contracts and assisting with staff communication.
• Partner with the AVP HR (or her designee) to follow-up on Human Resources related findings during internal compliance reviews and external audits.
• Complete HR compliance checks for each country office at least bi-annually (may be done remotely if security prevents travel), ensuring proper record keeping, employee records (including signed onboarding documentation), benefits compliance, accuracy of paid leave tracking and partnering with security at HQ as needed.
• Ensure the monthly employee data spreadsheet is submitted on time and is accurate (tracking changes from each monthly payroll). Review the spreadsheets from each country and send questions and or confirmation to country office if necessary.
• Perform periodic reconciliation of onboarding/offboarding, with payroll and employee data spreadsheet.
• Utilize the employee data spreadsheet to assess employment status changes and ensure appropriate policies and procedures are followed and documentation.
• Provide guidance on employment status changes and contract amendments for promotions, demotions, transfers, acting roles, job updates/ changes.
• Perform Exit Interviews with staff who voluntarily resign.
• Locate labor attorneys; negotiate agreements/contract with the attorney; assist with communication with attorneys when necessary.
• Respond to employee relations issues; issues of misconduct and performance issues that have gone beyond a verbal warning (informing HQ HR AVP HR (or designee). Partner and or escalate matters that require termination in advance of final decision.
• Provide support for the performance review process, annual salary review, including ensuring country office HR point of contact or designated manager is reviewing forms for performance concerns and providing guidance and assisting HQ HR with follow-up actions to include drafting Warnings & Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs). Maintain a record of all LLRs and follow up with managers as required to ensure that they are completed and submitted in a timely fashion.
• Assist with investigations into allegations as directed by HQ HR.
• Review final pay statements to ensure accuracy, consistency and compliance.
• Provide technical advice on country office structure, staffing and review job descriptions as requested.
• Review payroll to ensure segregation of duties and accuracy; reconcile payroll and the employee data spreadsheet with records in the personnel files.
• Serve as the escalation point for any performance issues or issue of misconduct that go beyond a verbal warning.
• Provide guidance on project management structures for proposals and budgeting based on knowledge of job description, division of tasks and reporting structure.
• Support proposal development by providing staffing and other country office fringe costs for the proposal lead as needed.
• Participate on surge team at the launch of new projects to recruit and onboard new staff.
• Participate on office close-out team at close of project to terminate staff and archive HR documentation from the project.

Country Compensation & Benefits Oversight:

• Provide oversight of benefits for the region; to include, working with HQ HR to review the benefits packages (both statutory and typical benefits) and calculating Fringe rates for each country office.
• Maintain an awareness of compensation standards among partners to ensure that Corus remains competitive and relevant in the field.
• Ensure benefit (medical insurance etc.) are renewed in a timely manner; participate in the RFP process during renewals; oversee insurance quotes and cost assessments; evaluate products and assist with the selection of products.
• Build capacity of CFAMs around benefits; provide tools and templates for managing benefits; ensure benefits are administered in accordance with policy.
• Ensure communication is sent out about benefit changes; posted on communication boards and country employee handbooks and employment contracts are amended; .
• Assist HQ HR with the completion of salary and benefits surveys for all AME countries.

Talent Acquisition:

• Build capacity of staff involved in the recruitment process; review recruitment protocols and help ensure fair, transparent process was followed.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations and organization policies.
• Review engagements that are outsourced to a third-party recruitment agency.
• Assess diversity based on external population and recommend strategies for targeting underrepresented groups and meeting needs of underrepresented or marginalized groups.Employee Communications:
• Prepare internal communications regarding HR issues such as, amendments to the Employee Handbooks, end/beginning of the year activity, performance review process, benefits and new policy releases.
• Distribute important HR announcements to all staff, ensuring accurate translation, postings on the job board and communications board.

Staff Training and development (formal and informal):

• In coordination with HQ HR, develop and oversee region-wide manager training – employee retention program for key staff.
• Assist with addressing knowledge and skills deficiencies through reasonable recommendations for training and development.
• Deliver training at regional conferences and as needed.
• Capacity build with staff responsible for administrative functions in the country office (to include onboarding/offboarding, leave tracking, calculation final payments, managing employment contracts to ensure compliance with the labor law).
• Maintain an updated list of trainings received by each staff member. Coordinate costs per training with CFAM if required to ensure equity in training delivery.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Deep commitment to the organization's core values and ability to model those values in relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in various human resources management functional areas or as a HR Generalist; prior experience working in HR for an US international NGO level.
• Work experience in Asia and/or the Middle East, including at least two (2) Corus International intervention countries.
• Experience providing support in a multi-country position including remote training.
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required. Master’s degree or post graduate degree preferred, business management, human resource management or other relevant discipline preferred.
• Demonstrate knowledge and experience in the enforcement of labor laws in at least one of the countries where we have operations.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality as it relates to Human Resources.
• Good analytical and communication skills, the ability to assimilate and process information for a wide audience; be able to work with various groups of people in a multicultural, team-oriented environment.
• Autonomous with the ability to identify challenges and take initiative, prioritize, organize and carry out multiple tasks under pressure and with little supervision. solve problems in a creative and logical manner.
• Excellent written and verbal professional communication skills in English and Arabic is essential; Knowledge of at least two additional languages in the sub-region is highly desirable, but not mandated.
• Strong business acumen and demonstrated ability to show good judgement; make pragmatic decision around complex issues and provide guidance during difficult circumstances
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 60% of the time. United States and/or other countries.
• Viewed as a trust advisor – fair and consistent in decision making.
• Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, cooperation agreements, contracts and bi or multilateral donors a plus.
• Balance being an employee advocate with organizational needs.
• *LWR will not sponsor visa's for this position. Applicants must be eligible to work in Lebanon or Jordan without sponsorship.
• *CV's submitted without a cover letter will not be considered*