BRAC’s Ultra Poor Graduation Initiative (UPGI) is dedicated to scaling up the Graduation approach globally, empowering the world's poorest to achieve sustainable livelihoods and overcome extreme poverty. We are seeking a qualified national candidate based in India to support all aspects of the HR processes in delivering the UPGI scale-up strategy. This position requires close collaboration with staff in Africa, Asia, the USA, the UK, and other countries worldwide.

We are looking for a proactive and dedicated HR Specialist to join our dynamic team. The ideal candidate will play a vital role in supporting the Head of HR in various HR functions, ensuring alignment with our organizational goals, and fostering a positive workplace culture. The HR Specialist will contribute to the implementation of HR policies, enhance employee engagement, and provide crucial support to the HR department's overall operations.

The HR Specialist will report directly to the Head of Human Resources for UPGI. The incumbent will be responsible for managing multiple HR responsibilities while ensuring efficiency and compliance within the program, all while managing employee expectations and fostering engagement in a multicultural environment. Additionally, this role requires ensuring compliance with local labor laws and global HR policies, addressing employee relations issues, and maintaining organizational culture and integrity. The HR Specialist will also support rapid organizational growth and change management initiatives.

About BRAC and the Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative

BRAC is an award-winning international non-governmental development organization, with the vision of a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination, where everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential.  BRAC is a leader in developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programs to assist poor and disadvantaged communities in low-income countries, including in conflict-prone and post-disaster settings. It is an organization of and for the people of the Global South, pioneering new development and social enterprise approaches to equip communities to achieve prosperity. As well as being the world's biggest NGO by the number of staff and people directly reached, BRAC has regularly been ranked the number one NGO in the world by the Geneva-based NGO Advisor, an independent organization committed to highlighting innovation, impact, and governance in the non-profit sector.  BRAC retained the top spot in 2020 among the top 500 NGOs for the fifth consecutive year.

BRAC was founded in Bangladesh in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. It started its first program outside of Bangladesh in Afghanistan in 2002 and has since reached more than 6.5 million people in 11 countries in Africa and Asia. BRAC has a holistic approach to development that uses a wide array of programs that include microfinance, education, health, agriculture, gender, and human rights. BRAC invests in communities’ own human and material resources, catalyzing lasting change and creating an ecosystem in which the poor have the chance to seize control of their own lives.

The Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative is a global unit within BRAC International that was founded in 2016 to build off the success of BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation program in Bangladesh. Graduation is an evidence-based, scalable intervention proven to break the poverty trap for the long term. So far, BRAC’s flagship Graduation program has impacted over 2 million Bangladeshi households—totaling over 9 million people. To help eradicate extreme poverty, BRAC UPGI is working to scale globally by integrating Graduation into existing government programs and help 21 million more people lift themselves from extreme poverty by 2026. At present UPGI has interventions with governments in South Africa, Rwanda, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Ethiopia.

Recruitment & Selection:

●        Manage end-to-end recruitment, from job posting to onboarding, by developing job descriptions, screening resumes, conducting initial interviews, and coordinating the selection process. Organize interview panels, facilitate candidate assessments, and ensure a smooth onboarding experience, including orientation and cultural integration. Maintain an updated recruitment tracker and generate reports on hiring trends and timelines.

Employee Relations & Workplace Culture:

●        Act as a point of contact for employee inquiries, addressing concerns and resolving workplace issues to maintain a positive work environment Serve as a point of contact for employee concerns, fostering an open and inclusive workplace. Implement employee engagement initiatives, such as feedback mechanisms and well-being initiatives.

Performance Management & Employee Development:

●        Coordinate the annual performance appraisal cycle, ensuring timely completion of reviews. Support managers in setting performance goals and development plans. Track and analyze performance metrics to identify trends. Organize internal capacity building sessions on BI PMS cycle.

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Training & Development:

●        Identify employee training needs and coordinate training programs to enhance skill sets and promote professional growth.

HR Policies & Compliance:

●        Ensure compliance with local labor laws and BRAC International’s HR policies. Assist in developing and updating HR policies in line with organizational and regulatory requirements. Communicate HR policies effectively and ensure employee awareness and adherence. Maintain HR records, ensuring accuracy and compliance with data protection regulations

Compensation & Benefits Administration:

●        Support the administration of employee compensation, benefits, and payroll processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Administer employee benefits programs, including health insurance, leave policies, and other incentives. Work with finance teams to reconcile HR-related expenses and provide required documentation. Stay updated on market salary trends and support compensation benchmarking exercises.

Employee Engagement:

●        Collaborate on initiatives to promote employee engagement, retention, and a strong organizational culture.

HR Data Management & Reporting:

●        Maintain HR Systems (HRIS), HR databases, ensuring data accuracy and confidentiality. Generate reports on key HR metrics such as recruitment efficiency, attrition rates, and training completion. Conduct periodic workforce analysis to support strategic HR planning. Assist in audits and compliance reviews by providing necessary HR documentation. Support in the time reporting management systems.

Onboarding & Offboarding:

●        Ensure new employees receive comprehensive onboarding, including orientation, training schedules, and resource allocation. Conduct periodic check-ins with new hires to ensure a smooth transition. Manage the offboarding process, ensuring exit formalities, knowledge transfer, and final settlements are completed.

Special HR Projects & Employee Engagement:

●        Lead or support HR projects such as employee satisfaction surveys, workforce planning, and participate in internal and external HR initiatives to enhance BRAC International’s employer brand.

Safeguarding:

●        Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the program’s goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.

●        Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.

●        Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, encourage others to do so.

●        Bachelor/Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

●        Minimum 5 -6 years of relevant HR experience, ideally in an international or non-profit organization.

●        Strong understanding of HR practices, labor laws, and regulations. 

●        Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.

●        Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment.

●        Proficiency in HR software and Microsoft Office Suite. 

●        A commitment to BRAC’s mission and values, with an understanding of the global context in which we operate.

BRAC is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share the same commitment. We believe every stakeholder and every member of the communities we work with has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation - regardless of age, race, religion, and gender, status as an individual with a disability or ethnic origin. Therefore, our recruitment process includes extensive reference and background checks, self-disclosure of prior issues regarding sexual or other misconduct and criminal records and our values are a part of our Performance Management System.