Director People, Talent & Culture at African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

We’re transforming Africa through innovative scientific training, technical advances and breakthrough discoveries!

Established in 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a Pan-African network of centres of excellence offering postgraduate training, research, and public engagement for the advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Africa. Building on the success of its first Centre in South Africa, AIMS launched the Next Einstein Initiative (NEI) in 2008 to scale up and roll out the AIMS model across the continent. Five additional centres were established in Senegal (2011), Ghana (2012), Cameroon (2013), Tanzania (2014), and Rwanda (2016). Its global secretariat is situated in Kigali, Rwanda and it has global offices in United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.

AIMS vision is to lead the transformation of Africa through innovative scientific training, technical advances and breakthrough discoveries which benefit the whole of society and its mission is to enable Africa’s brightest students to flourish as independent thinkers, problem solvers and innovators capable of propelling Africa’s future scientific, educational and economic self-sufficiency.

Collectively, AIMS centres provide an intensive and broad education to over 275 African students each year and prepares them for leadership careers in academia, government and industry. The AIMS educational program relies on top international lecturers who teach in a 24-hour learning environment.

If you bring a collaborative spirit with a passion to effect change, consider this opportunity as the…

Director, People, Talent & Culture

Based from the AIMS-NEI Secretariat, and reporting to the President & CEO the Director, People, Talent & Culture (DPTC) you will be responsible to oversee, plan for and champion talent attraction, development and retention across the global network. In support of the organization’s goals and objectives, you will give leadership to all aspects of human resources including organizational planning and development, recruitment and selection, learning and development, reward and recognition, people and culture, employee services, employee relations, volunteer relations, and regulatory compliance across multiple international jurisdictions. In addition, the DPTC will be an active member of the senior leadership team and be an exemplary model to contribute to, set and encourage a values-driven organizational culture.

As a well-established human resource professional, you have a demonstrated ability to interpret, develop and implement thoughtfully constructed strategies to engage the talent base in meaningful work and to inspire unwavering commitment to the continued growth and advancement of the organization’s goals and objectives – ultimately to cultivate the Next Einstein – all while giving leadership to and managing a team of up to 9 direct and indirect team members.

You recognize the power of a values-based culture because you lead by example. You are known for your ability to nurture, develop and sustain effective relationships with senior leadership members, varying levels of staff, volunteers, vendors and suppliers and you are particularly in-tune with diverse cultural sensitivities across international lines. You take a collaborative approach to ensure stakeholder perspectives are considered and you are comfortable to effectively manage the complexities of conflicting priorities with utmost grace and diplomacy.

You are no stranger to the realities of a service delivery model and have the ability to establish and implement a variety of operational and administrative protocols, practices and systems to support and manage all aspects associated with the end to end cycle of people attraction, management, development and retention, across multiple geographical lines.

This is a full-time, open opportunity based at the Secretariat in Kigali, Rwanda.

Do you have what we need?

· Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred), and a minimum of 10 years of HR experience in the above areas at a leadership role

· Thorough understanding of HR policies and procedures (including compensation, recruitment, benefits, training)

· Familiarity with labour laws in multiple jurisdictions including Africa, Europe, and North America and more specifically South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Tanzania, Rwanda, Germany, Canada, UK, and USA

· Must possess excellent decision-making, strategic thinking, interpersonal, and ethical conduct capabilities

· Must be a self-starter with natural leadership and team building abilities

· Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills are essential, with the ability to lead meetings and presentations, and to interface with all levels of staff with tact and diplomacy

· Strong English language skills is must; knowledge of another language, preferably French, an asset

· At ease to champion and incorporate change management principles to give guidance to organizational design and development

· Must be a collaborative team player, possess a strong orientation for services and must be a consultative problem solver

· Ability to balance organizational and employee interests

· Highly proactive style of work, with a demonstrated track record of developing innovative approaches

· Strong organizational and analytical skills

· Ability to understand and adapt behaviour to a decentralized governance structure working with local HR expertise at centre level for harmonization and quality assurance across the network

· Knowledge of the labour market in Africa is an asset

· Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required; knowledge of any HR software or payroll management system will be an asset

· Ability and willingness to travel internationally

How to apply:

Are you ready to be a part of the transformation?

Submit your letter of motivation, including salary expectations together with a detailed CV as one document, in English to: [email protected](Please quote “Director, PTC” in the subject line). Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2018.

Should no feedback be received from AIMS-NEI within four weeks of your submission, kindly accept that your application will not be further pursued. AIMS-NEI reserves the right not to make an appointment at its sole discretion.

AIMS-NEI is an equal opportunity employer.

Closing date: 31 Dec 2018