Senior Officer, HR & Admin at World University Service of Canada

Role Description:

• Provide technical and operational support across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment coordination, onboarding, contract administration, HR records, and offboarding.
• Ensure HR and administrative processes are applied consistently, fairly, and in line with applicable policies, donor requirements, and local labour requirements.
• Work closely with the Operations lead, Program Leads, Finance, Procurement, and other functional teams to identify operational gaps and support practical solutions.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, safe, and well-organized work environment that enables teams to deliver effectively.

Responsibilities

People and Culture Support

• Coordinate and support recruitment, onboarding, staff documentation, contract tracking, and offboarding processes.
• Support the consistent application of HR policies, procedures, and templates across staff and consultants.
• Maintain accurate employee and consultant records, ensuring documentation is complete, up to date, and audit-ready.
• Support safeguarding-related HR processes, including documentation, acknowledgements, onboarding requirements, and follow-up tracking.
• Provide first-level guidance to staff and managers on routine HR and administrative processes, escalating complex issues as required.

HR Compliance and Documentation

• Support the preparation, review, and tracking of employment contracts, consultancy agreements, amendments, and related HR documentation.
• Help monitor compliance with internal policies, donor requirements, and applicable country-level labour requirements.
• Maintain organized HR files and data systems in line with confidentiality and data protection expectations.
• Support audit preparation by ensuring HR and administrative records are complete, accurate, and accessible.
• Flag potential HR, contracting, or compliance risks to the Operation lead for review and action.

Administration, Facilities, and Workplace Support

• Support the coordination of office administration, facilities, logistics, and workplace arrangements.
• Help maintain safe, inclusive, and functional office environments across assigned locations.
• Support workplace safety checks, emergency preparedness processes, and duty-of-care documentation.
• Coordinate administrative workflows to reduce delays and improve service delivery to project teams.
• Liaise with vendors, service providers, and internal teams to support smooth office operations.

Process Improvement and Team Support

• Identify gaps or inefficiencies in HR and administrative workflows and propose practical improvements.
• Support the implementation of tools, templates, trackers, and standard operating procedures.
• Work collaboratively with Operations, Finance, Procurement, and Program teams to resolve routine operational bottlenecks.
• Provide technical guidance and day-to-day support to officers and coordinators where relevant, without carrying full line-management responsibility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred;
• 7+ years of progressive experience in HR and office operations, preferably within the international development sector and multi-country programs;
• In-depth knowledge of regional labor laws, HR best practices, and donor compliance standards;
• Proven experience providing operational supervision in cross-cultural and multi-country contexts;
• Exceptional writing, negotiation, and communication skills in English; professional proficiency in French is a strong asset;
• Strong planning, organizational, and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to work independently and collaboratively in fast-paced environments;
• Commitment to WUSC’s mission of supporting displaced and refugee youth, ensuring programs are delivered effectively, ethically, and transparently;
• Membership in a recognized national or regional HR or professional management association is a strong asset.