Director of People and Culture at Trees for the Future

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Country People and Culture Leadership 

• Serve as the senior People and Culture leader for Kenya, providing overall strategic leadership and direction for all people-related matters across the country program. 
• The Director plays a critical role in shaping a high-performing, values-driven, and compliant work environment that enables staff to effectively deliver on TREES’ mission. 
• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to the Country Director and Management Team, providing guidance on organizational design, workforce strategy, performance, culture, risk management, and compliance. 
• Translate global People and Culture strategies, frameworks, and policies into locally relevant, legally compliant, and operationally effective country-level practices. 
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Kenya People and Culture functions team, building strong functional capability, clear accountability, and succession within the function. This role manages one direct report, and they will be in charge of the role definition and hiring.  
• Partner closely with Global People and Culture, Finance and Operations teams to ensure strong governance and alignment. 

People Operations, Systems and Compliance​​​​​​​ 

• Provide overall leadership and quality assurance for all People and Culture operations in Kenya, ensuring consistent, timely, and high-quality service delivery. 
• Ensure full compliance with Kenyan labor laws, statutory requirements, and internal organizational policies. 
• Oversee the adaptation, implementation, and enforcement of the Kenya People and Culture Manual, Code of Conduct, and safeguarding policies. 
• Serve as the country lead for HRIS (Rippling), ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and reporting quality. 
• Provide strategic oversight of payroll preparation and benefits administration. 
• Lead internal and external audits related to HR and compliance. 

Workforce Planning, Recruitment and Performance Management​​​​​​​ 

• Lead workforce planning aligned with strategic priorities and funding realities. 
• Provide oversight of recruitment for all Kenya-based roles. 
• Ensure onboarding and offboarding processes support strong employee experience. 
• Oversee implementation of the performance management framework. 
• Support and coach managers on people leadership. 

Employee Relations, Safeguarding and Staff Welfare​​​​​​​ 

• Serve as the senior lead for employee relations in Kenya. 
• Collaborate with the CARE Office and Legal on safeguarding matters. 
• Promote a psychologically safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment. 
• Ensure compliance with occupational health, safety, and welfare requirements. 

Engagement, Culture, Learning and Development​​​​​​​ 

• Champion TREES’ mission, values, and organizational culture. 
• Oversee staff engagement surveys and action planning. 
• Identify learning and development needs and oversee training initiatives. 
• Support teams through organizational change. 

Strategic Projects, Analytics and Continuous Improvement​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

• Lead country-level People and Culture strategic projects. 
• Use people data and analytics to inform decision-making. 
• Contribute to global People and Culture initiatives. 
• Continuously improve People and Culture systems and practices. 

WHO YOU ARE 

• An enthusiastic advocate for TREES’ mission and values. You are inspired to empower teams working to grow vibrant economies, thriving food systems, and a healthier planet. 
• A firm and empathetic People and Culture leader. You bring deep experience leading country-level HR functions within complex, growing organizations, ideally in international development or nonprofit environments. 
• A trusted strategic advisor. You are comfortable partnering with senior leaders, navigating complexity, and balancing people-centered leadership with operational rigor. 
• A systems and operations expert. You have strong experience with HRIS platforms, compliance, payroll coordination, and process improvement. 
• A values-driven leader. You are guided by integrity, confidentiality, and fairness, and you bring a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and safeguarding. 
• A strong communicator and relationship builder. You build trust easily across functions, cultures, and levels of the organization. 

QUALIFICATIONS​​​​​​​ 

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field strongly preferred. 
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive People and Culture / HR experience, including senior leadership responsibility. 
• Demonstrated experience leading country-level HR operations and advising senior leadership. 
• Strong knowledge of Kenyan labor law and HR compliance requirements. 
• Professional HR certification (e.g., SHRM, HRCI, IHRM, or equivalent) is strongly preferred. 
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Kiswahili is required. Fluency with local languages is a huge plus.