ABOUT US

Healthy Learners is an award-winning non-profit organization committed to improving the health of children in Zambia and beyond. We partner directly with the government and local communities so that schoolchildren can stay healthy, learn effectively, and have a brighter future. School-aged children in low-resource settings suffer from a high burden of disease and lack access to even basic healthcare, which causes otherwise preventable and curable illnesses to frequently result in life-long health challenges or disability. In the short term, these illnesses contribute to school absenteeism, poor academic performance, and high drop-out rates. In the long term, they undermine physical, cognitive, and emotional development and hinder economic prosperity.

Healthy Learners is working with the Zambian Government to bridge this gap through our unique model of school health. By training teachers in community health and leveraging innovative diagnostic and data analytic technology, we are able to make schools entry points into the public healthcare system. As a result, children now receive medical attention in substantially greater numbers, improving health outcomes and reducing absenteeism. We currently serve over 800,000 students across eight provinces, and we are working with the Zambian government to scale nationally by 2025.

ABOUT YOU

You exemplify the qualities of being Humble, Hungry, and Smart in your leadership

• Humble (Continuous Learning & Inclusion): Your humility shines as you actively seek, encourage, and facilitate feedback sharing, fostering an environment of continuous learning. You adapt and grow continuously, cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging.
• Hungry (Efficiency, Excellence, and Innovation): Your relentless drive for efficiency and excellence is evident in your approach to both everyday tasks and complex challenges. When obstacles arise, you don’t merely seek answers; you develop solutions and establish structures to proactively address future obstacles. Your hunger for innovation cuts across the organization, where you eagerly explore new and best practices, ensuring our people operations remain modern and highly effective.
• Smart (Emotional Intelligence & Psychological Safety): Your exceptional emotional intelligence is your superpower, allowing you to create psychological safety within the organization. Through your ability to build trust, encourage risk-taking, and nurture courageous conversations, you promote an environment where individuals can thrive and collaborate effectively.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a dynamic individual to join our team as Director of People and Culture. As a key member of the management team, this role involves developing and implementing strategies and systems to support recruitment, retention, engagement, staff development, and succession planning, as well as administration procedures. The ideal candidate will possess strategic thinking, leadership skills, and effective communication abilities, capable of driving the development and implementation of HR and administrative policies, procedures, and programs that foster employee engagement and align with our company’s goals and values. This position requires a balanced approach, combining hands-on involvement with a focus on our overall strategic direction.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Planning, and Culture

Strategy and Planning

• Work alongside the executive team to develop multi-year human resources strategies and plans to support Healthy Learners’ rapid expansion.
• Develop a thorough understanding of organizational processes and management systems. Identify areas across functions for process improvement and drive efficiency.
• Lead an overall organizational and work environment assessment to build the next iteration of organization design, employee practices, and culture building to support rapid growth.
• Design, build, and implement standardized processes and tools across the organization to strengthen and harmonize HR practices.
• Partner with finance and operations teams to develop policies and procedures that ensure Healthy Learners continues to operate at high standards of ethics and integrity.

Values and Culture

• Serve as ‘chief values ambassador’ across the organization. Identify opportunities for how we can do even better to live by our core values of ‘Humble, Hungry and Smart’.
• Ensure that our core values are embedded across all our operations – including hiring, performance management, and professional development.
• Promote an inclusive, participatory work environment – create a sense of belonging among all colleagues and partners, respecting and celebrating differences across the organization.
• Support cross-cultural teams by fostering relationships, active listening, and shared ownership.
• Promote decentralized decision-making to support those closest to our partners on the ground.

Human Resource Management

Recruitment and Team Support

• Drive recruitment, talent acquisition, and onboarding processes to ensure a skilled and engaged workforce.
• Ensure consistent onboarding, orientation, and confirmation processes for new hires.
• Proactively address team member concerns, and resolve complaints, in a consistent and equitable manner that is responsive to unique needs and cultures.
• Build a communication and feedback loop to surface constructive input for managers through organization-wide meetings, one-on-one meetings, and exit interviews.
• Create and administer an exit plan and process. Conduct exit interviews and prepare and analyze attrition reports.

Performance Management and Talent Development

• Develop and administer a dynamic, discussion-based performance review and goal setting practice that ties individual goals and plans for personal growth with organizational objectives and career development paths.
• Support team members in sharing and receiving constructive feedback across the organization to ensure everyone is learning and growing in their roles.
• Develop a framework for career development, promotional tracks and a transparent basis for advancement.
• Work with organizational leaders to invest in high-performers and establish opportunities for professional growth.
• Build a succession plan to cultivate the internal talent with significant potential to be Healthy Learners future leaders. Identify areas of the business where the human capital pipeline needs strengthening.
• Create training plans and ensure delivery of training for teams and individuals in the areas of skill development, teamwork, leadership, compliance, and safety.

Compensation and Reward Management

• Work with the Executive Team to establish organizational compensation philosophy and guidelines.
• Identify opportunities for team- and organization-based incentives.
• Provide recommendations on the benefits plan and ensure fair and consistent compensation practices.
• Develop and implement team member engagement, reward and recognition programs, and celebrations to foster a positive, inclusive, ethical, and collaborative work environment.

HR Administration and Compliance

• Manage HR administration and compliance for Healthy Learners teams, bringing to bear knowledge of, and research on, medical insurance, labor laws, etc.
• Develop and execute human resource and administrative policies, procedures, and programs that foster employee engagement and ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Update and maintain a policy handbook so Healthy Learners team members continue to perform at the highest level of ethics and compliance.
• Develop communications and training protocols to disseminate and implement HR policies and processes.
• Conduct investigations, when necessary, to resolve team member complaints.
• Work with managers to renew agreements with Healthy Learners contracted team members

Administration

Logistics and Office Management

• Supervise our Admin and Logistics Manager
• Establish and implement efficient administrative procedures, logistics management, and security protocols.
• Identify and implement methods to increase efficiency in the supply chain processes.
• Provide regular analysis and evaluation regarding office operational opportunities and issues, as well as industry and competitive conditions.
• Prepare and manage the firm’s annual office operations budget in conjunction with key stakeholders, including the approval and control of expenses
• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to oversee the organization’s offices across districts, including developing space planning models, identifying facilities options and negotiating lease terms.

REQUIREMENTS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Deep understanding, appreciation, and passion for Healthy Learners’ mission, culture and values.
• Action-oriented, flexible, and innovative approach to program management.
• Excellence in organizational management, with the ability to supervise senior and mid-level staff and develop high-performance teams.
• Track record of effectively managing a complex array of programs and personnel, administrative, and logistical functions.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Strong analytical, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills, follow-through, attention to detail and deadlines, and a strong personal sense of accountability.
• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing HR/Admin strategies, policies, and programs.
• Proficiency in HR practices, labor laws, and regulatory compliance (knowledge of regional labor practices is an added advantage)
• Proficiency in HRIS and office software tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to think tactically and operationally.

Qualifications:

• Degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or related study from a recognized university. A graduate degree is an added plus.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience and a track record of increasingly senior-level responsibilities.