Senior HR Business Partner - Africa

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya

The Senior HR Business Partner is a strategic leadership position responsible for driving the Africa Field Management Unit's (FMU) people strategy in alignment with global People and Culture priorities, conservation goals, and funding models. The role provides executive-level partnership, guiding workforce planning, talent retention, financial governance, and organizational effectiveness across multiple countries. This position serves as the primary HR liaison for senior global and regional stakeholders and models ethical conduct, fosters inclusive and respectful work environments, and upholds accountability mechanisms that reinforce the desired culture.  It requires the ability to design long-term people strategies that embed values into management practices, team dynamics, and organizational culture. The role brings a strong focus on sustainability, executive coaching, employment risks, and regional compliance, while ensuring Africa’s workforce structure remains agile and fit-for-purpose.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic People and Culture Leadership & Governance

• Work with the Africa leadership team to lead the design and execution of a continent-wide People and Culture strategy aligned with Africa’s strategic objectives and global frameworks.
• Establish robust governance systems that meet global compliance requirements while accommodating complex regional labour laws.
• Drive the development and implementation of scalable People and Culture models that balance sustainability, delivery, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure plans and strategies align with CI's values and expected behaviours in workplace conduct,  inclusive and respectful work environments, and team culture.

Financial Governance & Workforce Budget Management

• Oversee regional workforce budgets, ensuring alignment with project funding cycles and donor expectations.
• Develop and govern cost-effective workforce planning approaches to manage talent investment within available resources.
• Provide oversight of payroll structures across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring equity and fiscal responsibility.
• Mitigate employment-related financial risks through strategic contract design, benefits planning, and severance modeling.

Executive Leadership Coaching & Talent Development

• Act as a trusted advisor to Africa’s executive team, providing high-value coaching, sounding-board support, and leadership counsel.
• Guide succession planning efforts for senior leadership to ensure long-term organisational continuity.
• Implement high-impact leadership development strategies tailored to regional and global requirements.

Organizational Design & Talent Strategy

• Shape and refine organisational archetypes to ensure structural alignment with strategic delivery and cost effectiveness.
• Lead senior-level talent acquisition, ensuring leadership quality and technical excellence.
• Drive agility in workforce structures to enable responsiveness to evolving business and conservation priorities.

Additional Responsibilities

• Align People and Culture functions with internal client service expectations and CI’s strategic objectives.
• Champion cross-functional collaboration and maintain key partnerships across CI divisions.
• Support programmatic and systems rollouts, providing strategic guidance on HR integration.
• Serve as a change leader to drive adaptation, innovation, and alignment with CI’s evolving global strategy.

People and Resource Management Responsibilities

• Manage a large, geographically distributed People and Culture team through three direct reports that oversee Africa’s sub-regions.
• Lead a team of approximately 10 HR professionals serving an FMU of more than 300 staff.
• Lead recruitment, performance management, and succession planning for the People and Culture team.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some days remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience, plus 10 or more years of Senior HR leadership experience at regional or global scale in a large organisation.
• 5 or more years of supervisory experience. 
• Experience with high-risk employee relations cases or investigation management experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial governance of people functions, workforce cost optimisation, and strategic planning.
• Proven success in executive coaching, talent management, and leadership pipeline development.
• Experience working within donor-funded organisational environments, aligning HR strategy and investments with project-driven funding models.
• In-depth knowledge of Africa’s employment regulations and labor market dynamics across multiple countries.
• Experience working across African countries and regions.
• Fluency in French, Portuguese, and other major African languages preferred.
• Deep alignment with and passion for CI’s mission and conservation objectives

Strategic Leadership & Organisational Development

• Proven ability to design and operationalise HR strategies across geographies.
• Deep understanding of designing and sustaining effective organizational structures.

Executive Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Ability to influence board-level and executive discussions to shape regional HR priorities.
• Skilled in cross-functional collaboration and aligning diverse leadership agendas.

Financial Governance & Risk Management

• Expertise in people-related financial planning, including budgeting, forecasting, and employment risk mitigation.
• Strong understanding of labor law compliance in multi-country contexts.

Talent Acquisition & Leadership Development

• Demonstrated ability to manage senior-level recruitment and succession planning.
• Track record of building leadership capacity through coaching and structured development.

Integrated Workforce Planning & DEI Strategy

• Proficient in building inclusive workforce plans that align with DEI principles.
• Experience customising diversity strategies for varied cultural environments.

Change Management

• Ability to lead organisational transformation initiatives with clarity and resilience

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

Application Deadline: July 11, 2025  (11:49 PM EST)

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.