The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:  Head
of Human Resources   

Organization:  MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit

Duty Station: Entebbe,
Uganda

Position Code:
HHR-520

Reports to: Chief
Operating Officer

About US:

The Medical Research
Council (MRC UK) is an internationally recognised centre of excellence with
dominant research themes in the areas of HIV and emerging infections, vaccines
and immunity, and chronic diseases and cancer. Through a multidisciplinary
approach, intersecting basic science, epidemiological research,
social-behavioural research and the conduct of new intervention evaluation
studies, the Unit contributes knowledge on changing epidemics and diseases, the
evaluation of innovative health care options, treatment and prevention and the
development of health policy and practice in Africa and worldwide. Following
the signing of strategic transfer agreements between the London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Medical Research Council (MRC
UK), the Unit formally joined LSHTM on 1st February 2018. The exciting new
partnership will boost research capacity into current and emerging health
issues in Africa and throughout the world. The Unit is based at the UVRI
Entebbe campus with established outposts in Kalungu, Masaka, Wakiso and Kampala
Districts.

Job Summary:  The Head of Human Resources (HR) is
responsible for the management of the HR Department. The post holder oversees
all HR functions at the Unit and is responsible for the development and
operational efficiency all HR services.

The Head of HR is
responsible for leading the development and implementation of the Unit’s HR
plan which supports the Unit’s strategy. The post holder is a
champion of implementing change and is pro-actively driving the continuous
improvement of the HR team, service delivery and cost-effective operational
capacity. The post holder directly reports to the Unit Chief Operating Officer
and line manages a team of HR department staff.

The Head of HR
interacts positively and closely with Unit academics, Heads of Departments and
external collaborators to ensure services are delivered promptly and Unit
policies, including HR policies and procedures, are adhered to as expected. The post holder
works closely with other professional support staff and shares information as
needed. The post is based in
Entebbe although the post holder is expected to make regular visits to the
Unit’s other field stations in Uganda which may include overnight stays.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

Main Accountabilities

·       Work with the Unit Chief Operating Officer
(COO) to ensure the Unit has a highly motivated and skilled workforce to
deliver its vision and objectives.

·       Ensure at all times that the HR service
delivers an efficient and effective service with due regard for value for money
aligned to the Units strategic vision.

·       Ensure that HR department staff level and
capacity is at the required level to effectively deliver all HR-related
activities at the Unit.

·       Effective planning, forecasting, monitoring
and management of the HR department budget and promptly reporting any variances
to the Chief Operating Officer with proposals for adjustment.

·       Lead the development, implementation and
review of HR policies and procedures across all Unit sites.

·       Act as expert advisor on Ugandan legislation
affecting HR policies and practices at the Unit

·       Lead and manage Unit HR services that are in
compliance with Ugandan law and other regulations, as well as LSHTM and Unit
policies and procedures.

·       Ensure the recruitment of staff and
development of an appropriate skill set within the HR department that is able
to meet changing demands, deliver projects on time and to budget and to improve
the quality of service provided across the Unit.

·       Implement strategic HR projects in
consultation with the Unit COO.

·       Set, monitor and regularly report on HR
department Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

·       Provide regular and adhoc reports to the Unit
COO providing accurate and up-to-date data and analyses.

·       Ensure that Unit staff are able to acquire
the skill sets and leadership competencies required to achieve the Unit’s
strategic objectives and to maintain its excellent reputation.

·       Ensure there is effective communication
between the HR department and Unit staff.

·       Ensure that Unit recruitment and remuneration
and benefits arrangements enable it to recruit and retain high-caliber staff
ensuring there are retention strategies that are benchmarked against similar
organizations.

·       Implement processes for performance
management and succession planning consistent with the needs, culture and
complexity of the organization.

·       Work with the Unit’s Training department to
implement activities that facilitate staff development in support of the Unit’s
vision and capacity building objectives.

·       Ensure that HR records and databases and
related information systems are fit-for-purpose, well-maintained and capable of
providing management information promptly and accurately.

·       Ensure that ongoing monitoring of all HR
plans and Unit employment policies is undertaken and that accurate, timely, and
relevant employment/workforce related data is reported to the Unit Chief
Operating Officer to inform strategic decision-making.

·       Provide leadership for employee relations
working with line Managers and staff as appropriate to resolve conflict and
where appropriate work with appointed external parties (including lawyers where
required) on any required legal issues.

·       Ensure that employment cases are managed
swiftly and effectively, and all associated corporate risks are raised to the
Unit Chief Operating Officer to mitigate any reputational, financial or
operational risk.

·       Ensure all staff managed by the post holder
are trained and managed to a high level and that they are competent in
undertaking all required duties competently.

·       Work with the Unit’s Health & Safety
department to ensure that working practices take due regard of the health and
safety of employees and visiting persons ensuring controls are in place to
adhere to Unit/LSHTM, national and international standards.

·       Stay up to date with changes in HR practices
and laws communicating and develop proposals for their implementation.

·       Manage change projects such as the
implementation of new HR measures.

·       Conduct staff consultations and surveys to
asses impact of proposed measures and monitor overall staff satisfaction
through formal surveys and meetings.

·       To provide guidance and assistance to
international staff when joining and leaving the Unit

·       To develop strong links between the Unit’s
main site in Entebbe and the Field Stations through regular direct
communication and meetings.

·       Lead by example and act as strong advocate of
the Unit’s core values such as equality and diversity as well as best practices
including in the areas of Health & Safety, data protection, and any other
legislative requirements.

·       Ensures that HR Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) are regularly reviewed and changes made as necessary.

·       Ensure that Conflict of Interest guidance and
notifications are regularly reviewed, and action taken as appropriate.

·       Actively support the conduct of internal and
external audits.

·       Implement and oversee systems to effectively
manage annual leave, sick leave and other planned/unplanned absence from work.

·       Regularly review staff insurance cover to
maximize staff benefit under the principles of value for money.

·       Benchmark from time to time staff
remuneration against comparable institutions in the region.

·       Devise and lead equal opportunity initiatives
at the Unit, including gender equity.

·       Act as the Unit’s safe guarding lead.

Service Delivery

It is important that
the HR team’s services are delivered in a staff centered manner. This
post-holder ensures the department is;

·       Responsive.

·       Promptly communicating to users new
developments such as new services, changes to services etc.

·       Pro-actively resolving issues.

·       Upholding high standards of professionalism.

·       Take responsibility for the overall quality
of the service delivery.

·       Lead the team’s self-assessment process
supporting the team in setting targets and agreeing performance indicators for
improvement.

Financial Management

Financial management
responsibilities of this post include;

·       Managing the HR department budget, including
forecasting staff and non-staff cost on an annual basis.

·       Managing/updating the payroll ensuring the
correct projects charged for personnel costs.

·       Approval of overtime and on-call allowances
for staff in line with Unit policy.

Line Management Responsibilities

The post holder is
responsible for managing a dynamic multidisciplinary team. The Head of HR
ensures that;

·       Staff are enabled to perform their assigned
duties as expected.

·       Staff professional development is nurtured in
line with the Unit’s and LSHTM’s capacity building goals.

·       There is a positive and supportive work
environment in the department.

·       Staff feel included and valued and their
professional feedback and proposals are heard and considered.

·       Staff expectations are clearly communicated.

·       Staff performance is regularly monitored.

·       Conflicts are resolved promptly and
decisively.

·       Formal appraisals are conducted within the
departments and scientific programmes in line with the Unit’s schedule.

·       Applicable LSHTM and Unit HR policies are
being followed at all levels.

·       Participate in the development of equal
opportunities, diversity and inclusion.

LSHTM Integration

The Unit has
transferred to LSHTM in 2018. The post-holder is expected to support the
further integration of the Unit into the School by;

·       Providing updates and information to the
Director of Human Resources in London.

·       Providing data and information to other
London-based managers as needed.

·       Engage positively and collaboratively with
colleagues at the sister Unit in The Gambia, sharing knowledge, documents and
experiences as needed.

·       Engage constructively with departments across
all LSHTM locations, as needed.

·       Support harmonizationof HR Policies and
procedures across LSHTM sites.

·       Undertake any other duties within the grade
as set out by the Unit COO.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

·       The ideal applicant must hold a Master’s
degree in Business Administration, Business Management, Human Resources, or
other related field.

·       Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Human
Resources, Business Administration, Psychology or other related.

·       Member of a professional body like HRMAU,
CIPD, and CHRM.

·       At least eight years’ experience managing an
HR Team, with 4 years’ experience at a senior level in a reputable
organization.

·       Experience providing HR services in a
research setting or a grant-funded environment is desired.

·       Should have significant change management
experience and evidence of delivering large change projects.

·       Should have knowledge of HR strategic
principles, and updated HR nationally acceptable laws and regulations.

·       Should have knowledge of Ugandan labor laws.

·       Ability to build effective working
relationships at all levels.

·       Excellent analytical skills and ability to
trouble shoot complex issues.

How to Apply:

Fill an online form
accordingly by following the link below and there after submit your application
documents to the e-mail below:

Head of Human
Resources:

Click Here

Filling the form
more than once will lead to automatic disqualification. High level of integrity
while filling the form is required and will be considered during shortlisting.

Please email your
application to recruitment@mrcuganda.org. Applications should include academic
documents, a cover letter, CV, daytime telephone contact and three traceable
professional references. Combine all application documentation into one PDF
document. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview. This
position is open to Ugandan nationals only.

NB: Please quote the
following position code in the subject line of the email:

·       Head of Human Resources: HHR-520

Strictly follow the
application procedure as failure to do so will lead to automatic
disqualification.

The applications
should be addressed to:

The Recruitment
Team,

MRC/ UVRI and LSHTM
Uganda Research Unit,

P.O. Box, 49,

Entebbe, Uganda.

Consider your
application unsuccessful if not contacted within eight (8) weeks after the
closing date of the advert. Any form of lobbying at any stage will lead to
automatic disqualification. By submitting your personal information, you
consent to the MRC/ UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit holding and using it in
accordance with its recruitment policy and procedure. The Unit reserves the
right to verify documents attached with the relevant awarding institutions to
authenticate their validity.

MRC/UVRI and LSHTM
Uganda research Unit is an equal opportunity employer committed to having a
diverse work force and does not ask for money at any stage of recruitment.

Deadline: 5^th June 2020 at 5:00pm

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