Officer, Human Ressources

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R - response, resilience and respect - to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate - our raison d'etre - of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi), the Americas (Panama), Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur), Europe (Budapest), and MENA (Beirut), as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Country Cluster Delegation based in Kinshasa is the frontline team of the IFRC Secretariat supporting the National Societies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. It reinforces the central role of locally led community action, supports operations and programmes, and contributes to the day-to-day management of operational risks in diverse contexts, including health emergencies and large-scale responses.

Based in Bunia, the Human Resources Officer - Ebola Operations reports administratively to the Operations Manager and technically to the Human Resources Coordinator of the Country Cluster Delegation, based in Kinshasa. As the operational HR focal point for the Ebola response in Bunia and other affected areas, the role works with the Ebola operations coordination and relevant HR and operational stakeholders to address staffing needs. The portfolio covers recruitment and mobilisation, operational workforce planning, employment lifecycle administration, employee relations, duty of care, HR data and compliance. The Cluster HR coordination and support functions based in Kinshasa provide technical support, guidance, harmonisation and required approvals.

The purpose of the position is to provide comprehensive, responsive and compliant operational HR support to the Ebola response so that teams have timely access to the staffing and HR services they need. The incumbent supports needs identification, manages recruitment and mobilisation processes, contributes to workforce planning, and administers the employment lifecycle.

The incumbent also ensures the quality of HR data and records, provides first-line support to managers and personnel, and contributes to HR risk monitoring, duty of care and compliance. The position works closely with the Ebola operations coordination and relevant HR and operational stakeholders, with technical support and approvals from the Cluster HR coordination.

Recruitment, mobilisation and onboarding

• Translate staffing needs validated by the Ebola operations coordination, in accordance with guidance and approvals from line management, into a prioritised operational recruitment plan that is regularly updated.
• Lead end-to-end rapid recruitment processes for the Ebola response in Bunia and other relevant operational areas.
• Ensure the quality and compliance of job descriptions, recruitment requests, classification approvals, vacancy announcements, shortlisting, assessments, reference checks, offers and selection records.
• Facilitate the mobilisation of international personnel and reinforcements, then coordinate arrival, onboarding and mandatory briefings for response personnel with the relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain the recruitment tracker, provide regular updates and immediately flag delays or bottlenecks requiring a decision by the Operations Manager or Human Resources Coordinator.

Operational workforce planning

• Contribute, with the Ebola operations coordination and operational and technical managers, to updating staffing needs and scenarios in line with the evolution of the outbreak, operational priorities and available funding, within the Cluster HR framework.
• Maintain a consolidated tracker of positions, contracts, deployments and reinforcements; monitor staffing gaps, end dates, rotations, extensions and replacement needs.
• Provide reliable data and timely alerts to the Operations Manager and Human Resources Coordinator, and implement decisions of the Ebola operations coordination within the guidance and approvals of the Cluster.

Employment lifecycle management and HR administration

• Administer contracts, amendments, probation periods, personnel movements, attendance, leave, separations and departures for response personnel, ensuring that managers receive sufficiently early alerts.
• Maintain individual personnel files, HR system data and personnel documentation in accordance with confidentiality, data protection and audit requirements.
• Prepare and verify payroll variables and information relating to allowances, benefits, insurance and statutory obligations, and submit them on time to the Kinshasa HR and Finance teams.

Employee relations, health and duty of care

• Provide managers and personnel with first-line operational HR guidance, facilitate the resolution of routine matters, and promptly refer grievances, disciplinary cases and other sensitive situations to the Human Resources Coordinator.
• Monitor concerns relating to wellbeing, fatigue, working and accommodation conditions, and personnel health and safety, and coordinate required actions with Staff Health, Security and relevant managers.
• Support duty-of-care arrangements, psychosocial support mechanisms and the HR response to critical incidents or personnel movements.

Safeguarding, compliance and risk management

• Ensure compliance with IFRC policies and procedures, applicable labour law, donor requirements, and obligations relating to safeguarding, PSEA and the Code of Conduct.
• Maintain the response HR risk register, including recruitment and contracting delays, staffing gaps, employee relations, duty of care, compliance and reputational risks; monitor mitigation measures.
• Support HR controls and audits, implement corrective actions within the position's remit, and maintain secure, orderly physical and electronic records accessible to authorised persons.

Operational coordination, reporting and learning

• Participate in the response's operational and HR coordination mechanisms, serve as the field HR focal point, and maintain regular liaison, for technical support and harmonisation, with the Cluster HR team in Kinshasa, the National Society and relevant support functions.
• Contribute to the HR dashboard and produce reliable reports on staffing, recruitment, contracts, compliance, wellbeing and the response's main risks.
• Document lessons, challenges and good practices; contribute to after-action reviews, knowledge transfer, handovers and improvement of emergency HR tools.

Required

• University degree in human resources management, administration, law, management or a relevant field.

Preferred

• Professional certification in human resources management or equivalent training.
• Training in HR in emergencies, safeguarding, PSEA or duty of care.

Required

• At least five years of relevant professional experience in a generalist or operational HR role.
• Demonstrated experience in recruitment and workforce planning in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in contract management, the employment lifecycle and human resources information systems.
• Experience in payroll, benefits, social security or related administration in the DRC.
• Experience handling confidential information and supporting employee relations.
• Experience in a health emergency, humanitarian response or operational field environment.
• Experience in staff wellbeing, duty of care, safeguarding or compliance.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder coordination, HR data analysis and management reporting.

Preferred

• Experience in workforce scale-up or scale-down and the management of surge personnel.
• Experience within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Required

• Good knowledge of DRC labour law and good human resources management practices.
• Proficiency in recruitment, contracting, HR administration, performance management and employee relations.
• Good command of HR systems, Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, data analysis and reporting.
• Ability to organise priorities and make operational decisions in an evolving emergency context and under pressure.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, PSEA, Code of Conduct, confidentiality and data protection requirements.
• Strong interpersonal, advisory, problem-solving and communication skills in a multicultural environment.
• Demonstrated core proficiency in digital communication and collaboration, basic digital content creation, digital safety and security, data literacy, and problem solving with technology, including responsible use of AI assistants.
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC's mission and values.
• Fluent spoken and written French, with a good working command of English.

Preferred

• Good command of Swahili; knowledge of Lingala is an asset.

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National Society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust