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Human Resources & Administration Manager

About Partners of the Americas 

Partners of the Americas (POA) is a private, nonprofit volunteer organization founded in 1964 that connects people, institutions, and communities across the Western Hemisphere, especially between the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Its purpose is to build bridges of collaboration to promote sustainable development, strengthen civil society, and create opportunities that improve people’s lives. Over the past six decades, POA has become a strong network that engages volunteers, professionals, governments, and businesses, generating positive impact in education, economic development, agriculture, health, youth leadership, and community resilience.

Summary of the Project

The USDA Food for Progress Nigeria project (FFPr Nigeria) is an initiative funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and implemented by Partners of the Americas (POA). The project’s objective is to expand trade by strengthening food safety, advancing systems efficiency, and reducing non-trade barriers across Nigeria’s agricultural sector. FFPr Nigeria also seeks to increase agricultural productivity through capacity development and enhanced efficiency, while increasing smallholder farmers’ and agribusinesses’ access to finance. The project is implemented from POA’s office in Lagos, with project activities extending to other parts of the country.

Position Summary 

The Human Resources & Administration Manager (HR&AM) manages and oversees Human Resources (HR) practices and introduces workplace policies for FFPr Nigeria project implementation, ensuring day-to-day HR functions are performed in accordance with Partners policies, procedures, and HR best practices. The HR&AM leads HR activities including recruitment, selection, hiring, payroll, training, development, performance management, well-being, health, and safety in compliance with Nigerian labor regulations and POA policies, and provides direct guidance to the Chief of Party and staff on HR policies and procedures.

In addition to HR responsibilities, the HR&AM supports the day-to-day administrative operations of the Lagos office and the project’s satellite offices, including travel and event logistics, procurement support, inventory control, and office management. The HR&AM works in close coordination with the Finance and Administration Director, Chief of Party, and Home Office to ensure compliance and best practices across HR and administrative functions. The HR&AM is based in Lagos, Nigeria, with occasional travel to other parts of the country, and reports to the Finance and Administration Director.

Roles & Responsibilities 

Human Resources Management

  • Lead, in coordination with the Finance and Administration Director, the HR area for the project, ensuring all processes are handled confidentially and with the sensitivity required.
  • Implement and manage the entire HR cycle and processes, such as, but not limited to, recruitment, selection, onboarding, training, benefits, performance, disciplinary actions, professional development, promotions and salary increases, organizational restructuring, and offboarding, guaranteeing compliance with the rules established by USDA, Nigerian law, and POA.
  • Lead full-cycle recruitment: identify, attract, and screen qualified candidates; coordinate interviews and testing; check references; prepare job offers; and ensure transparent, bias-free selection processes.
  • Maintain up-to-date HR records, organized and with all necessary information for all project employees, ensuring confidentiality.
  • Maintain an updated HR database, tracking employment agreements, start/end dates, compensation, and contract amendments.
  • Ensure accurate payroll and personnel records, including leave balances and compliance with Nigeria’s Pension Reform Act, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and PAYE tax obligations.
  • Train staff and reinforce rules and regulations of the U.S. government (USG), USDA, and POA-HR, including annual training as required on issues of sexual and workplace harassment, code of conduct, among others.
  • Maintain close communication with the Finance and Administration Director, Chief of Party (COP), and Home Office, as necessary, on sensitive issues related to HR.
  • Promote and implement best practices to ensure an excellent work environment and professional development of staff.
  • Monitor the satisfaction of project personnel to serve as relevant decision-making information regarding working conditions and work environment.
  • Resolve problems that may arise related to HR and promote dignified and favorable policies for the project’s employees to increase their satisfaction, productivity, and performance.
  • Monitor and follow up on critical HR issues such as probationary periods, performance evaluations, performance monitoring and improvement plans, promotions and salary increases, and organizational restructuring, among others.
  • Collaborate with the COP, the Finance and Administration Director, and the POA home office in making necessary adjustments to the organizational chart and human resources related policies and procedures.
  • Collaborate with other POA HR managers to unify and implement personnel-related processes and procedures.
  • Develop and improve internal employee communications.
  • Manage benefits administration, broker negotiations, and open enrollment.
  • Anticipate and mitigate HR risks including the physical and emotional safety of personnel.
  • Ensure proper offboarding processes: exit interviews, clearance of property, and communication of benefits/entitlements.
  • Other duties, as assigned.

Administration and Operations

  • Coordinate administrative matters for the Lagos office.
  • Manage and organize travel and event logistics, such as hotel reservations, price quotes, and transportation for team members or visitors.
  • Support the execution of purchases, obtaining quotes, and maintaining the supplier master list up to date, as well as establishing agreements with hotels and other suppliers necessary for the proper functioning of the project.
  • Control and monitor the project inventory, including properly marking supplies and equipment for tracking, in coordination with the Finance and Accounting team.
  • Oversee the maintenance of the office, ensuring proper use of furniture, equipment, supplies, materials, and physical spaces.
  • Responsible for receiving general/office invoices and processing them with the accounting department, providing the corresponding documentation.
  • Define, monitor, and ensure proper compliance with the document and archive management policy, as well as conduct periodic reviews to ensure the team’s compliance.
  • Other duties, as assigned.

Compliance and Institutional Strengthening

  • Support internal and external audits, providing HR and administrative documentation as required.
  • Ensure zero tolerance for corruption, harassment, and unethical behavior, and promote safeguarding policies throughout the project.
  • Contribute to institutional strengthening by advising on HR and administrative policy improvements.
  • Ensure all staff are aware of and uphold POA’s values, ethics, and safeguarding commitments, including compliance with POA’s Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Policy, and applicable USG regulations on employee conduct.

Coordination and Leadership

  • Serve as liaison between the Finance and Administration Director, the Chief of Party, and HR/administrative staff in Lagos and other project locations.
  • Support program planning by ensuring timely HR and administrative support to all teams.
  • Provide managers with clear evaluation guidelines and excellency standards to ensure all applicants meet the desired criteria.
  • Promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in all HR and administrative processes.

Responsibilities of All Partners’ Team Members

  • Have a clear and deep understanding of POA and donor policies and standards to comply with programmatic, financial, administrative, procurement, logistics, human resources, and security processes.

Qualification and Minimum Requirements

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related discipline. A Master’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related discipline is preferred.
  • Experience: Minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in human resources, legal and/or personnel management, payroll, recruitment, filing, hiring, and occupational health and safety, preferably within international NGOs, donor-funded projects, or federally funded programs.
  • HR and Compliance Expertise:
    • Familiarity with recruitment and screening techniques and practices in Nigeria.
    • Demonstrated technical HR skills related to HR processes and proficiency in HR Information Systems.
    • In-depth knowledge of labor and administrative laws and regulations in Nigeria, including the Labour Act, the Pension Reform Act, and related statutory obligations (NSITF, ITF, PAYE).
    • Experience aligning HR and administrative practices with donor regulations, particularly those outlined in 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance).
    • Ability to ensure timekeeping, payroll allocation, and personnel cost documentation are compliant with federal grant requirements.
    • Demonstrated success leading full-cycle recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluation, and staff development plans.
  • Administration and Operations Oversight:
    • Technical knowledge of archiving and document systematization.
    • Experience managing office operations, logistics, procurement, travel, and asset management.
    • Ability to multitask and process information quickly, exhibiting strong attention to detail.
  • Leadership and Integrity:
    • Strong problem-solving ability, outstanding interpersonal skills, and high energy and enthusiasm.
    • Ability to support audit readiness, documentation retention, and response to compliance reviews.
  • Technical Skills: Knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and SharePoint. Experience with HRIS or ERP systems is an asset.
  • Language: Native or highly proficient English required, written and oral.
  • Workplace: Based in Lagos, Nigeria, with occasional travel to other parts of the country.

Preferred

  • Prior experience in a nonprofit organization; USG program implementation experience.
  • Experience in the Human Resources area of international development projects and/or international cooperation.
  • Knowledge of U.S. Government rules and regulations.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and to track and report on progress.
  • Excellent organization and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively and meet deadlines.
  • Interest in international development, project management, and organizational development.

To apply, please submit your resume to Gustavo Galdo at the following email address “ggaldo at partners dot net” with the subject “Human Resources & Administration Manager, Nigeria – Candidate Last Name”. Please note that only finalists will be contacted.

Partners is Proud To Be An Equal Employment Opportunity And Affirmative Action Employer. Partners Does Not Discriminate In Employment On The Basis Of Race, Color, Religion, Sex (Including Pregnancy And Gender Identity), National Origin, Political Affiliation, Sexual Orientation, Marital Status, Disability, Genetic Information, Age, Membership In An Employee Organization, Retaliation, Parental Status, Military Service, Or Other Non-Merit Factor.