Human Resources Advisor VVOB Zambia – Education for Development

VVOB – education for development is an international non-profit organisation with over 40 years’ experience in strengthening the quality of education systems in Africa, Asia and South America in close partnership with ministries of education and their institutions. Our head office is based in Brussels, Belgium.

We implement our programmes and projects with one shared passion: to ensure the improvement of quality education.

Do you share our ambition to ensure that learners around the world can enjoy their fundamental human right to quality education, without exception? Are you convinced as well that quality education guarantees equal opportunities for everyone and is the key to a better world?

We are looking for a Human Resources Advisor who will operate from our Zambian office . Do you want to take on this challenge? Then continue reading!

Result areas of the Human Resources Advisor

Reporting to the Operations Manager, the Human Resources Advisor is central to HR operations and plays a vital role in the successful implementation of VVOB Zambia’s HR strategy.

As HR Advisor you guide all employees through their lifecycle at VVOB; from attracting, recruiting and onboarding staff, their continuous development during their career at VVOB to their off-boarding.

The HR Advisor is the go-to person for employees with any HR related questions they may have. You prepare the monthly payroll and are a gatekeeper for VVOB HR policies and guidelines ensuring they are in-line with local legislation, whilst operationalising the Global HR Strategy and Policies.

You will:

• You coordinate all HR related matters in order to attract and retain high performing and motivated personnel. In order to do this, you manage HR processes such as recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, wellbeing, contract management, employee engagement and offboarding.
• You act as a contact and resource person for all HR related matters for employees and managers.
• Each month you liaise with the payroll provider to ensure that employees are paid correctly and on time.
• As a coach, you provoke and support learning in the VVOB Zambia team. You develop and monitor the professional development plans, addressing VVOB global, team and individual learning needs.
• You provide advice/guidance in developing, implementing, and monitoring local VVOB HR policies, procedures, and practices and ensure those policies are in-line with local legislation and the Global HR Strategies and Policies.
• You keep abreast of legislation and new HR practices to continuously strengthen the HR function at VVOB.

If you’re our Human Resources Advisor, your workweek at the office will include the following highlights:

• Together with the Operations Manager, you log in to a Teams meeting to touch base with VVOB’s head office in Brussels (Belgium) to discuss the updates based on a legal review you organised, on the Zambia HR handbook that you have been revising. You want to verify if the updates are fully in line with the VVOB global HR policy.
• Working with the wellbeing committee, you plan an upcoming celebration and fitness activity in line with the wellbeing plan.
• Lunch! A perfect time to nurture informal relationships with the other team members in Zambia and hear how everyone is doing.
• You review and update the recruitment tracker to ensure we are on track for all current vacant positions. Based on this, you review vacancy adverts, post and share these via the common channels, organise the testing and interviewing, follow up with selected applicants for their qualifications and references and keep the candidates informed of all the different steps in the process.
• In the recurring team meeting of the operations team, you share with your manager and team members the status on the current relevant operations and HR topics.
• Working closely with the procurement team, you finalise on a vendor to conduct a first-aid training for all staff.

Does this look like your dream job?

Then read on and check whether your profile matches the job requirements!

Who are you?

This is a national position, open to Zambian Nationals.

Your expertise and experience

• Master’s degree in Human Resource Management, Public Administration, Psychology or other relevant field or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years’ experience as an HR Generalist, including recruitment, performance management, compensation, training and development and HR administration.
• Proven sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to manage situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.
• Excellent, interpersonal and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.
• Strong proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required.
• Fluent in English.
• Must be an Associate Member of the Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management with a valid practicing license.

Matching competences
VVOB core competences:

• Results and goal oriented
• Lifelong learning and improvement
• Cooperation within a team and with other stakeholders

Function specific competencies:

• Reliability
• Development oriented
• 360 empathy
• Communication skills
• Problem analysis and judgement

What we’re offering:

• A full-time contract with the possibility to extend depending on funding.
• A complete remuneration package, which includes a base salary and benefits.
• A dynamic working environment in an international context.
• Supportive environment, enabling continuous professional development.
• An opportunity to contribute to exciting, evidence-based projects aimed at ensuring the education sector in Zambia is strengthened, by bringing in innovative solutions for professional development of school leaders and teachers.

What’s next?

Your motivation letter detailing your match with the profile as well as your motivation behind applying for the vacancy and a detailed CV are expected no later than 24th June 2025.

All professional and academic qualifications must be verified by ZAQA.

Shortlisted candidates will take a written test, go through an interview process before a final offer.

VVOB firmly believes that quality education can only be achieved if equity is ensured. Qualities of people prevail, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or disability.