JOB DESCRIPTION
Title: People & Culture Manager, Nigeria
Reports to: Country Director
Employment Type: Full-time
About Impact Water
Want to help make safe drinking water a reality for every student, everywhere?
Impact Water is a nonprofit that provides point-of-use water treatment systems and safe water education to public schools in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. Today, we support more than 24 million students in over 60,000 schools.
Our model is simple and practical. We install point-of-use water treatment systems in schools, keep them resupplied, and maintain them so they keep working year after year. Our field teams visit schools regularly to train teachers on safe water practices, check that water is actually being treated, and teach students why they should only drink treated water.
We work closely with national and subnational governments, and over the next five years we are supporting them to take greater ownership of safe water in their schools, from budgeting and procurement to delivery and monitoring. Our goal is for every public school in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda to have safe drinking water by 2030, provided as a routine government service.
Position Overview
We are seeking our first People & Culture Manager to build and lead the people function for Impact Water Nigeria. Impact Water has been implementing programmes in Nigeria since 2017 and serves over 40,000 schools across 22 states, through a workforce that spans head office staff, field coordinators, technicians, field agents and seasonal workers. As we rebuild our team in 2027, the role will lead a large volume of recruitment from day one.
The role covers the full employee lifecycle: workforce planning and recruitment, onboarding, HR compliance and policy, performance management, employee relations, compensation and benefits, learning and development, and culture. It takes the lead on putting strong HR processes in place and on bringing our employment practice, payroll inputs, statutory remittances, records and safeguarding to a strong standard under Nigerian law and Impact Water policy.
This is a senior role for someone who has done it before: who has built HR processes and systems in a growing organisation, brings clear convictions about what good looks like, and is a thought partner to the Country Director, confident enough to question and challenge. They combine empathy with sound judgement and integrity, connect easily with people at every level, and take initiative without waiting to be told.
Key Responsibilities
Workforce Planning, Recruitment & Onboarding
Own end-to-end recruitment for all roles, including senior hires: job descriptions, application forms, tracking sheets, competency-based interviews, case studies and reference checks, so that every hire is fair, documented and merit-based
Lead high-volume recruitment of Field Coordinators and Field Agents across states with the People Operations Associates, keeping quality high while meeting programme timelines
Hold hiring managers to our recruitment standards, including representation, conflict of interest rules and timely updates to applicant records
Conduct reference, qualification and background checks, including safeguarding checks for roles with access to schools and students
Prepare employment contracts, offer letters and consultancy agreements in line with Nigerian labour law and Impact Water policy
Deliver structured onboarding and induction so that new staff understand their role, their targets, organisational policies and the safeguarding and code of conduct standards expected of them
Coordinate the engagement, documentation and exit of seasonal and temporary workers used during distribution and installation periods
HR Compliance, Policies & Processes
Ensure employment practice complies with the Nigerian Labour Act and other applicable employment, pension, tax and data protection legislation
Take the lead on bringing HR policies, the employee handbook and compliance to a strong standard: assess current practice, set clear priorities, and communicate changes across the organisation
Build standard HR processes and templates, including contracts, offer letters, onboarding checklists, performance forms and disciplinary procedures, with clear turnaround times
Maintain complete, accurate and secure employee records and HR information systems, and handle personal data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act
Maintain the staff establishment list and organogram, and ensure all staff hold valid contracts and up-to-date documentation
Prepare regular HR reports and analytics for the Country Director covering headcount, recruitment, turnover, leave, performance and staff costs
Support internal and external audits and donor reviews with accurate HR documentation
Performance Management & Employee Relations
Act as custodian of a high-quality performance management system: goal setting, probation reviews, mid-year check-ins and annual appraisals, and hold managers accountable for completing reviews on time and to a consistent standard
Coach managers on setting clear expectations, giving constructive feedback and managing underperformance through documented performance-improvement plans
Serve as the first point of contact for employee concerns, handling grievances, disciplinary matters and conflicts fairly, confidentially and in line with policy and law
Advise the Country Director on employee relations risks and recommend proportionate, well-documented courses of action
Handle disputes and legal risk decisively, working with external counsel where needed
Support safeguarding implementation, including awareness, reporting channels and coordination of case handling in line with Impact Water's safeguarding requirements
Compensation, Benefits & Payroll Support
Maintain the salary structure and grading framework, and advise on pay decisions, promotions and acting arrangements to keep them internally consistent and externally competitive
Prepare and verify monthly payroll inputs, including new hires, exits, salary changes, allowances, leave without pay and other adjustments, and submit them to Finance within agreed deadlines
Administer staff benefits, including health insurance enrolment, renewals and resolution of member queries
Administer leave, ensuring accurate records of annual, sick, maternity, paternity and other leave entitlements
Work with Finance to ensure PAYE, pension, NHF, NSITF, ITF and other statutory deductions and remittances are accurate and submitted on time, in line with the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 and applicable regulations
Lead salary and benefits benchmarking, advise the Country Director when we are not competitive, and support the preparation of annual staff cost budgets and review proposals
Learning & Development
Identify capacity gaps across departments and develop an annual learning and development plan within approved budgets
Coordinate the delivery of training, including induction, management development, compliance and safeguarding training, and evaluate its effectiveness
Support succession planning and internal career progression for high-performing staff
Culture & Employee Experience
Work with the Country Director to define what our values, including integrity and accountability, mean in practice, and embed them in onboarding, performance reviews and management
Build trust with staff at every level, at head office and in the field, so issues are raised and resolved early
Measure employee satisfaction, engagement, turnover and absence through surveys and exit interviews, and act on what they show
Supervision & Team Leadership
Supervise and develop the People Operations Associates, setting clear expectations, allocating work and monitoring performance against agreed targets
Train the team on recruitment administration, onboarding, records management, payroll inputs, leave administration and statutory documentation
Establish clear procedures, service standards and turnaround times for routine HR requests, and hold the team accountable for meeting them
Travel to field locations to provide HR support to dispersed teams and ensure consistent application of policy across states
Required Qualifications
Experience & Track Record
At least 8 years of progressive human resources experience, including at least 4 years leading the HR or people function
A proven track record of building HR processes, policies and systems from the ground up in a growing organisation, not only running systems that already existed
Experience leading high-volume recruitment, including field-based roles across multiple locations
Demonstrated experience managing the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, performance management, employee relations and offboarding
Hands-on experience with payroll administration, benefits administration and Nigerian statutory compliance
Experience supervising and developing HR or administrative staff
Experience supporting geographically dispersed teams across multiple states or locations
Skills & Competencies
Strong judgement, discretion and integrity, with a proven ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters
Maturity and conviction: a thought partner to senior leaders who brings clear views on what good looks like and holds their ground
Empathy combined with sound judgement: understands people's situations while staying fair and consistent
Integrity and accountability: owns decisions and mistakes, and can be trusted with sensitive matters
A problem solver who takes initiative and does not wait to be told what to do
Connects easily and builds trust with staff at every level
Strong coaching and influencing skills, with the ability to advise and challenge managers constructively at all levels
Excellent planning, organisation and documentation discipline, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines
Good analytical skills, with the ability to interpret HR data and translate findings into practical recommendations
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear reports for senior management
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and confidence using HR information systems and digital record-keeping tools
Willingness and ability to travel to field locations across Nigeria
Knowledge & Network
A bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations, Psychology, Business Administration, Law or a related discipline
Sound working knowledge of the Nigerian Labour Act and applicable employment, pension, tax and data protection requirements
Knowledge of local languages and Nigerian field operating contexts
Preferred Qualifications
Professional certification such as CIPM, SHRM-CP/SCP, CIPD or an equivalent HR qualification
Experience in a growing organisation with a large or dispersed workforce, NGO or private sector
Experience managing seasonal, casual or high-volume temporary workforces
Experience implementing or administering an HRIS or payroll system
Familiarity with safeguarding requirements in programmes working with schools and children
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
Health insurance
21 days of paid time off (PTO)
Career growth and professional development opportunities
Regular performance feedback and learning opportunities
The opportunity to contribute to improving access to safe drinking water for schoolchildren
Location & Travel
This position is based at the Impact Water Nigeria head office in Lagos. The role requires periodic travel to states and field locations where Impact Water operates, to support dispersed teams, conduct inductions and training, and ensure consistent application of HR policy. Target start date: as soon as possible.
Reporting Structure
This position reports to the Country Director. The People & Culture Manager supervises the People Operations Associates and works closely with the Operations Director, department heads and the Finance and Administration teams to ensure effective and coordinated delivery of the people function.
Application Process
To apply, please submit an application here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Impact Water is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, particularly those with lived experience in our countries of operation.
