Benin Head of Human Resources

Job Title: Benin Head of  Human Resources  

Department: Human Resources   

Reporting Line: Country Director

Location: Cotonou, Benin

About ENGIE Energy Access 

ENGIE Energy Access is one of the leading Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grids solutions provider in Africa, with a mission to deliver affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions and life-changing services with exceptional customer experience. The company is a result of the integration of Fenix International, ENGIE Mobisol and ENGIE PowerCorner; and develops innovative, off-grid solar solutions for homes, public services and businesses, enabling customers and distribution partners access to clean, affordable energy. The PAYGo solar home systems are financed through affordable installments from $0.19 per day and the mini-grids foster economic development by enabling electrical productive use and triggering business opportunities for entrepreneurs in rural communities. With over 1,700 employees, operations in 9 countries across Africa (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), over 1.5 million customers and more than 8 million lives impacted so far, ENGIE Energy Access aims to remain the leading clean energy company, serving millions of customers across Africa by 2025.  

www.engie-energyaccess.com 

 https://www.linkedin.com/company/3055106

Job Purpose/Mission  

The Head of HR role is an exciting role responsible for supporting ENGIE Energy Access (EEA) team members in Benin with end-to-end HR matters in a dynamic and quick way. The role will work closely with the Country Director and in-country HR Team to implement multiple HR strategies related to employee engagement, benefits administration, talent management, and employee relations. In addition, this role will require a strong ability to build remote relationships, take initiative, and understand the local systems used in Benin. The HR lead develops, implements, and aligns HR programs with the business while supporting day to day team HR needs as well as Centre’s of Excellence (CoE) as pertaining to each of the HR functions.

Responsibilities 

• Ensure alignment between business operations and the HR practices and objectives as defined by the respective CoEs as well as country HR plans
• Responsible for delivering a people driven service, aligning both people management and company needs to help drive our vision, mission and values according to EEA policies and practices
• Management of the in-country payroll and benefits
• Provide training, coaching, and advice to business leaders and senior executives on how the workforce supports the business strategy
• Responsible for data integrity to enable data-driven insights for the CoE strategies relating to talent planning and development, and compensation and benefits initiatives
• Manage employee data and contracts and stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, CoE processes and labour laws related to the specific country
• Coach employees and managers as they navigate employee relations processes and provide guidance, coaching, and/or training through the employee lifecycle
• Lead and manage country specific IR/ER issues in collaboration with the Culture and Change CoE
• Act as the primary point person for employee relations ensuring compliance with all local labor laws and policies by being available with a quick turnaround time to resolution
• Deliver all in country HR projects and initiatives with regards to the entire employee lifecycle, all in accordance with the Country strategies as well as projects and initiatives that are driven by the respective CoEs
• Work closely with the Talent Management CoE regarding Recruiting/Talent Sourcing and onboarding of talent as well as performance management and training and development and ensure alignment to defined policies
• Manage recruitment plan for all in-country recruitment needs by continuing to hire exceptional and diverse talent, with efficiency, high quality, and a positive candidate experience and Continuously create a strong alumni community of former EEA employees for future sourcing requirements
• Ensure all hires and internal promotions/movements/mobility requests are managed according to the Compensation and Benefits CoE processes and benchmarks
• Manage engagement and team culture through annual engagement surveys, hosting check-ins, quarterly team recognitions and provide regular feedback to the Culture and Change CoE
• Build and maintain strong and trusting relationships with the relevant government bodies for workforce management (Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Immigration).
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and learning by supporting employees through performance management cycles and reviews (in alignment with the performance management strategy and process as defined by the Talent Management CoE), identifying learning and development opportunities, defining career paths and succession planning for key leadership roles, and facilitating leadership coaching programs in alignment with the Talen Management CoE
• Manage performance of the in country HR Team as well as the HR budget
• Provide input to the EEA retention and diversity strategies and ensure execution of the CoE defined strategies at a country level
• Ensure alignment with the Compensation and Benefits strategy, principles, guidelines and EVP as defined by the Compensation and Benefits CoE (Centre of Expertise)
• Adhere to the EEA job grading framework and the accompanying salary structures as defined by the respective CoEs
• Manage the EEA country administration team to ensure an efficient working environment for staff which may include management of office location to ensure workspace is fit for purpose
• Manage business continuity initiatives relating to the HR agenda and collaborate closely with the Technology team

At EEA, we have high expectations for our managers. Each manager plays a key role in creating an exceptional experience not only for our customers but for every person on our team. Our managers help EEA realize our ambitious goals while developing their own leadership skills and facilitating growth for their direct reports.  

We believe that great managers: 

• Deliver ambitious results: As a high-performing and accountable leader, you create an enabling environment for effective action and bold decision which contribute to successful delivery of results. 
• Act with integrity: As an ethical leader you are honest, respectful, objective, and transparent. You create and build upon a foundation of trust and openness.
• Inspire and mentor the team: As an inspirational leader you walk the talk. You empower and coach your team with trust and humility. 
• Are accessible: as an accessible leader, you develop and maintain deep connections with stakeholders through approachability and active listening. 
• Ensure diversity and inclusion: as an inclusive leader, you ensure diversity and foster a sense of belonging. 

Knowledge and skills   

Experience: 

• 8-10 years minimum work experience implementing and leading Talent or Human Resources teams, preferably with an international company consisting of diverse teams
• Proven organizational skills to succeed in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to lead teams and work closely with senior stakeholders on a global multi-cultural team
• In depth understanding of local employment law
• Experience with the core elements of HR including: full-cycle recruitment, job grading, workforce planning, team engagement, coaching, learning and development, diversity and inclusion, reporting and analytics, etc
• Demonstrates exceptional levels of integrity, is energetic and decisive
• Outstanding planning and implementation skills
• Ability to work in an environment with high levels of ambiguity and lead teams through change
• Entrepreneurial spirit and collaborative nature
• Strong Business Acumen and solutions focused
• Outstanding written and verbal communications skills in English
• Microsoft office Tools
• Strong stakeholder management experience
• Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field
• Proficiency in HR systems and databases
• Proficiency in Microsoft office products, especially Word and Excel, as well as Google Docs

Language(s):  

• Good command of the English language is a definite requirement
• French (Required)

We thank all applicants for their interest, however due to the large volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  

ENGIE is an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. All applications are screened based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without any regard to origin, age, name, sexual identity, orientation or preference, religion, marital status, health, disability, political opinions, union involvement or citizenship. Our differences are our strengths!