Business Industry: Retail & Distribution
Location: Remote (Candidate may be based in their country of residence)
Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Key Stakeholders: Regional Directors, Country Management Teams, and HR Leaders
Travel: Frequent travel across West Africa and the UAE (fully sponsored by the Company)
About the Role
A leading retail and distribution group operating across West Africa and the UAE is seeking an experienced, business-oriented, and people-focused Senior HR & Governance Officer to strengthen HR governance, organizational compliance, leadership effectiveness, and people management standards across its regional operations.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and working in close partnership with Regional Directors, Country Management teams, and HR leaders, this role is responsible for driving consistency in HR governance, policies, compliance, performance management, leadership development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness across all business units.
This is a highly visible regional role that combines strategic oversight with operational involvement. The successful candidate will regularly visit operating companies to assess HR practices, support local management, coach HR teams, conduct governance reviews, and ensure that Group standards are consistently applied.
Beyond technical HR expertise, this position requires an individual with high emotional intelligence (EQ), exceptional interpersonal skills, and the ability to build trusted relationships across different cultures, personalities, and leadership styles. The ideal candidate is a natural influencer who earns credibility through professionalism, integrity, and collaboration rather than authority alone.
This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious HR professional seeking regional exposure while contributing to the continued growth and operational excellence of one of West Africa’s leading retail and distribution groups.
Key Responsibilities
HR Governance & Organizational Compliance
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve Group HR policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
- Ensure compliance with local labor legislation, corporate policies, and internal governance standards across all operating countries.
- Conduct regular HR governance and compliance audits across business units.
- Identify governance risks and compliance gaps, recommending practical corrective actions.
- Monitor implementation of agreed action plans following audits and reviews.
- Maintain and update HR policies, employee handbooks, governance documentation, and organizational procedures.
- Monitor legislative developments and recommend policy updates where required.
Strategic Business Partnership
- Act as a trusted HR advisor to the CEO, Regional Directors, and Country Management teams on organizational, people, and governance matters.
- Partner with business leaders to align HR initiatives with the Group’s strategic objectives.
- Support organizational transformation, restructuring, and change management initiatives.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across all business units.
- Build trusted relationships with senior leaders while influencing key people decisions through credibility, professionalism, and sound judgment.
Talent Management & Succession Planning
- Design, implement, and oversee the Group’s succession planning framework for critical and leadership positions.
- Identify high-potential employees and support the development of strong internal leadership pipelines.
- Facilitate talent review sessions with Regional Directors and Country Management teams.
- Monitor succession readiness, leadership capability, and talent risks across the organization.
- Support workforce planning initiatives aligned with current and future business needs.
- Promote internal mobility and career development to strengthen local leadership capabilities and reduce dependency on expatriate talent.
Performance Management & Organizational Development
- Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the Group’s performance management framework.
- Ensure performance reviews are completed consistently and objectively across all operating companies.
- Coach managers on effective performance management, employee development, and leadership practices.
- Monitor organizational performance trends and recommend initiatives to improve productivity, engagement, and leadership effectiveness.
- Support leadership development and organizational capability-building initiatives.
Employee Relations & Leadership Support
- Provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters while ensuring compliance with local legislation and Group policies.
- Support investigations, disciplinary processes, grievances, and conflict resolution where required.
- Coach managers in handling people-related matters with fairness, consistency, and professionalism.
- Promote a positive employee experience and a culture based on trust, integrity, and respect.
HR Excellence & Continuous Improvement
- Review and optimize HR processes, systems, and controls to improve efficiency and service delivery.
- Support the implementation of HR technologies, digital transformation initiatives, and process automation.
- Promote best practices and standardization across all HR functions and operating companies.
- Identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness through innovative HR solutions.
Reporting, Analytics & Regional Engagement
- Prepare executive HR dashboards, governance reports, and people analytics for the CEO and senior leadership.
- Monitor key HR metrics, including turnover, engagement, succession readiness, leadership development, compliance, and performance indicators.
- Travel regularly across West Africa and the UAE to conduct governance reviews, support local management teams, strengthen HR capabilities, and ensure alignment with Group standards.
- Represent the Group’s HR function with professionalism while building strong relationships across all levels of the organization.
- Recommend strategic improvements based on business needs, governance findings, and people analytics.
Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is an energetic, approachable, and commercially aware HR professional who enjoys working with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
They possess a natural ability to build trust quickly, establish credibility with senior leaders, and influence stakeholders through strong relationships rather than hierarchy.
Success in this role requires someone who combines sound HR judgment with diplomacy, emotional intelligence, resilience, and excellent communication skills. They are equally comfortable discussing governance matters with executives, coaching managers, supporting HR teams, and resolving complex people-related situations with professionalism and discretion.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, Psychology, or a related discipline.
- Professional HR certification (CIPD, SHRM, HRCI, or equivalent) is highly desirable.
- Master’s Degree or MBA is considered an advantage.
Experience
- 8–12 years of progressive Human Resources experience.
- Minimum 4–6 years in an HR Business Partner, HR Governance, HR Compliance, HR Operations, Employee Relations, or Organizational Development role.
- Experience supporting executive leadership and senior business stakeholders.
- Previous regional or multi-country experience is highly desirable.
- Experience within Retail, FMCG, Distribution, Consumer Goods, Hospitality, or other multi-site organizations is strongly preferred.
- Experience working remotely while supporting geographically dispersed teams is an advantage.
Technical Competencies
- HR Governance
- HR Compliance
- Labor Law
- Corporate Governance
- HR Policies & Procedures
- Succession Planning
- Talent Management
- Leadership Development
- Workforce Planning
- Performance Management
- Organizational Development
- Employee Relations
- HR Auditing
- Change Management
- HR Analytics & Reporting
- HRIS / ERP Systems (experience with Odoo is an advantage)
- Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
Leadership & Personal Competencies
- Exceptional emotional intelligence (EQ).
- Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
- High level of integrity and professionalism.
- Strong communication, presentation, and influencing abilities.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to coach and support managers at different organizational levels.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Diplomatic, tactful, and culturally aware.
- Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- Strong organizational and planning abilities.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work independently in a remote environment.
- Adaptable, resilient, and comfortable managing multiple priorities.
- Commercial awareness and business acumen.
- Passion for developing people and strengthening organizational culture.
- Willingness and flexibility to travel frequently.
Reporting Relationships
Reports To:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Works Closely With:
- Regional Directors
- Country General Managers
- Country HR Managers and Officers
- Finance Leadership
- Legal Team
- Department Heads
Working Arrangement
- Remote position based in the successful candidate’s country of residence.
- Frequent travel across West Africa and the UAE is required.
- All approved business travel expenses, including flights, accommodation, local transportation, and related travel costs, will be fully covered by the Company.
- The role requires regular visits to operating companies to conduct governance reviews, strengthen HR practices, coach local teams, and build effective working relationships with management.
What This Role Is
- A regional HR Governance and Business Partnering role.
- A trusted advisor to executive leadership on people and organizational matters.
- A hands-on position combining governance, compliance, coaching, and operational support.
- A relationship-driven role focused on strengthening organizational capability and consistency across multiple countries.
What This Role Is Not
- An HR Administration position.
- A Payroll or Recruitment-focused role.
- A standalone Country HR Manager position.
- A purely strategic role with no operational involvement.
- A role limited to policy development without field engagement.
Key Success Measures
The successful candidate will be measured on:
- Consistency of HR governance standards across all operating countries.
- Compliance with Group HR policies and local labor legislation.
- Successful completion of HR governance audits and corrective action plans.
- Quality of partnerships built with Regional Directors and Country Management teams.
- Improvement in HR process standardization and operational efficiency.
- Timely execution of performance management cycles.
- Quality and accuracy of executive HR reporting.
- Employee engagement and leadership feedback.
- Continuous improvement of governance, compliance, and organizational effectiveness.
- Development of strong succession pipelines for critical positions.
- Increased internal promotion rate for leadership positions.
- Reduction in succession risks across the organization.
- Improved leadership bench strength across operating companies.
- Successful identification and development of high-potential employees.
- Reduction in dependency on expatriate talent through local leadership development.
