People and Culture Coordinator – Afrobarometer

Job Description

Organisation overview

Afrobarometer (AB) is a pan-African, nonpartisan, nonprofit research network that tracks political, economic, and social conditions in Africa. AB envisions a world in which Africa’s development is anchored in the realities and perspectives of its citizens.  AB provides high-quality data and analysis on citizens’ evaluations and experiences of democratic governance and quality of life. The data are provided as a public benefit and are freely available to governments, policymakers, policy advocates, civil society organizations, academics, news media, donors and investors, and ordinary Africans.

Launched in 1999 in 12 countries, AB has completed more than 300,000 interviews in survey rounds in 42 African countries. Afrobarometer currently conducts face-to-face computer-assisted interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice with nationally representative samples. Effective analysis and communication of survey findings, as well as capacity building for survey research, analysis, and communications skills, are integral parts of AB’s work.

Among Afrobarometer’s key achievements are demonstrating that opinion research can be conducted even in fragile, post-conflict, and closed political environments in Africa; legitimating public opinion as a pillar of African democracy; and building a network of researchers that has earned the reputation as the go-to source for reliable data on what Africans are thinking.

Afrobarometer’s institutional values are independence, excellence, collaboration, and commitment. Afrobarometer individual values are integrity, respect, responsiveness, cooperation, and fairness. Funders and other stakeholders are treated as partners in the advancement of Afrobarometer’s endeavors. Relationships, non-partisanship, trust, and accountability are at the core of our work. Afrobarometer staff and network members appreciate benefiting from colleagues’ creativity, diligence, and enterprise and value the ability to work individually and as part of a team. The qualities of leadership, initiative, and excellence are nurtured and rewarded. In pursuance of these values, all staff are required to abide by the Afrobarometer Statement of Personal and Professional Standards of Conduct.

Role summary

The People and Culture Coordinator supports the delivery of AB’s people and culture operations by coordinating recruitment and onboarding processes, maintaining accurate and confidential staff records, overseeing performance management and learning activities, and supporting managers and staff with people-related processes.

The role contributes to the consistent adoption of people and culture policies, procedures, tools, and standards across the network. It also supports a positive employee experience by ensuring timely communication, accurate documentation, responsive service delivery, and effective coordination of staff lifecycle processes.

The role provides coordination support across the Secretariat and Network through meeting documentation, action tracking, consolidation of routine reports, and support for implementation of people, culture, and organisational development initiatives.

Main duties and responsibilities

Recruitment and selection coordination

• Coordinate end-to-end recruitment for staff and consultants, including vacancy advertising, candidate communications, shortlisting, interview scheduling, and all associated administration.
• Support recruitment documentation by preparing recruitment packs, maintaining candidate records, and ensuring recruitment files are complete and aligned with Afrobarometer standards.
• Coordinate reference checks and support verification processes as assigned, ensuring appropriate documentation is retained.
• Support contracting administration by coordinating the preparation, issuance, signing, and filing of offer letters, employment contracts, and consultant contracts, working with relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain and update recruitment trackers and provide regular status updates to the People, Culture and Operations Manager and hiring managers.
• Support a professional candidate experience by ensuring timely communication, respectful engagement, and accurate follow-up throughout the recruitment process.

Onboarding, induction and employee lifecycle administration

• Coordinate onboarding and induction processes for new hires, ensuring all onboarding documentation is completed, signed, filed, and properly tracked.
• Prepare onboarding materials and coordinate induction schedules, meetings, briefings, and introductions with relevant units and teams.
• Track probation timelines and documentation requirements; issue timely reminders and follow up with managers to support probation reviews and confirmations.
• Support employee lifecycle changes, including contract changes, transfers, extensions, role changes, acting arrangements, and separations by preparing and coordinating documentation under guidance.
• Maintain staff contract and lifecycle trackers to support compliance, continuity, workforce planning inputs, and timely management action.
• Support offboarding administration by coordinating exit documentation, handover requirements, clearance processes, and records updates as assigned.

Staff records and people data administration

• Maintain confidential and accurate staff records, both physical and electronic, ensuring data integrity, appropriate access controls, secure storage, and proper retrieval.
• Update and maintain people-related databases and trackers, including staff list, leave tracker, contract tracker, probation tracker, recruitment tracker, performance tracker, and training tracker.
• Ensure staff documentation is prepared, filed, and retrievable in a manner that supports audit readiness, organisational continuity, and confidentiality.
• Support periodic staff file checks and documentation reconciliations, including confirming signed contracts, identification documentation, policy acknowledgements, emergency contacts, and other required forms.
• Follow up on documentation gaps and maintain evidence of corrective actions.
• Prepare routine people data summaries, extracts, dashboards, and updates as required for management reporting and operational decision-making.
• Work with Finance to provide accurate and timely payroll-related inputs, including staff changes, new hires, separations, and approved employment changes.

Performance management and learning coordination

• Administer performance management cycles: circulate templates, track submissions, issue reminders, and ensure completed documents are filed appropriately.
• Maintain performance management trackers (probation, confirmations, goal setting, appraisals) and support timely completion across units.
• Work with the Capacity Building team to coordinate learning and development logistics (staff training schedules, training attendance records, completion tracking) and maintain evidence of participation and completion.
• Support learning and development documentation, including training requests, approvals, attendance evidence, and completion records.
• Support implementation of people/OD tools and track usage/adoption as assigned.

Staff support and people service delivery

• Provide first-line support to staff and managers on routine people and culture processes, including recruitment, onboarding, leave administration, performance timelines, documentation requirements, and policy/process inquiries.
• Escalate sensitive, complex, or high-risk matters to the People, Culture and Operations Manager in a timely and confidential manner.
• Support communication of people and culture updates, deadlines, policy reminders, process requirements, and staff notices.
• Support employee relations administration by organising case files, preparing meeting notes, drafting routine correspondence under guidance, and ensuring proper documentation.
• Support internal compliance activities, including policy acknowledgement forms, staff declarations, required documentation, and tracking of completion.
• Maintain a service-oriented approach by ensuring timely responses, accurate information, respectful engagement, and consistent follow-through on assigned actions.

Network and secretariat coordination support

• Prepare accurate minutes for meetings and circulate within agreed timelines.
• Maintain action trackers for assigned meetings and follow up with responsible persons to support closure and accountability.
• Coordinate routine people and secretariat reporting requirements as assigned, including consolidating inputs and maintaining trackers.
• Support preparation of periodic updates by compiling people metrics, recruitment status, onboarding progress, performance cycle status, and learning records.
• Support network-wide HR coordination tasks as assigned (e.g., sharing templates, tracking submissions, supporting adoption of people tools and standards).

Continuity support

• Provide continuity cover for routine people and culture operations during the People, Culture and Operations Manager’s leave, travel, or absence, within agreed delegation boundaries and escalation protocols.
• Ensure handover notes, trackers, calendars, templates, and key process documents are kept up to date to support continuity and service standards.

Minimum experience, education and professional credentials

Education/professional qualifications

• Master’s degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration, Management, or related field; or
• Recognised HR professional certification (e.g., PHRi/SPHRi, SHRM-CP/SCP, CIPD, or equivalent).

Experience

• 5–7 years’ progressive experience in HR operations, people and culture, HR generalist work, recruitment coordination, employee lifecycle administration, or related people operations roles, preferably within a multi-country, multicultural, international NGO, donor-funded, research, or network organisation.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating recruitment, onboarding, staff records governance, performance management administration, learning coordination, and people-related reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare high-quality minutes, maintain trackers, coordinate reporting outputs, and manage confidential information with accuracy and discretion.
• Experience supporting managers and staff on routine HR or people processes, including policy communication, documentation follow-up, performance timelines, and staff lifecycle administration.
• Experience maintaining staff files, people data, HR trackers, and documentation systems that support compliance, audit readiness, and operational continuity.

AB core competencies

• Passion for the AB mission
• Champion of equality, diversity, excellence and inclusion
• Reputation for integrity and sound judgment
• Commitment to ethical, non-partisan best practice

Technical/functional competencies

• Strong people operations capability, including recruitment coordination, onboarding, staff administration, records governance, performance management administration, and employee lifecycle support.
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail, including minutes, trackers, filing, follow-up notes, and reporting inputs.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work professionally with staff, managers, candidates, consultants, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with maturity, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and routine processes with minimal supervision.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong coordination, follow-up, and task-tracking skills.
• Service-oriented mindset with commitment to timely, respectful, and accurate support.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; ability to maintain trackers and generate routine reports.
• Familiarity with HR systems, digital filing tools, or people data platforms is desirable.

Click the Apply Button to apply for this role