The People and Culture Lead provides strategic and operational leadership for the people agenda at Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa. As a member of the Academy Leadership Team, the role serves as a trusted advisor and thought partner to school leaders on people, culture, organisational effectiveness and employee experience. The role also contributes to selected Kenya-wide HR initiatives and projects, supporting the broader strategic priorities of Aga Khan Schools in Kenya.
Key Responsibilities
Serve as a member of the Academy Leadership Team and trusted advisor to the Head of Academy and school leaders on people, culture and organisational matters.
Lead workforce planning, recruitment and selection, onboarding and talent acquisition to attract and retain the talent required to achieve the Academy's strategic objectives.
Support organisational change and provide guidance on people-related implications, implementation and organisational effectiveness.
Lead initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, wellbeing, psychological safety and organisational culture, including staff listening, engagement surveys and recognition programmes.
Lead talent management, succession planning, leadership development, learning and development, training needs analysis and management capability-building initiatives.
Lead implementation of performance management processes, supporting goal setting, feedback, performance improvement and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Provide expert guidance on employee relations, grievances and disciplinary matters, fostering constructive relationships and ensuring fairness, consistency and compliance.
Participate in labour relations processes and support implementation of relevant collective bargaining agreements.
Serve as the lead for adult safeguarding at the Academy and ensure compliance with employment legislation, organisational policies and safeguarding requirements.
Oversee HR service delivery across the employee lifecycle, ensuring consistent implementation of policies, procedures and service standards.
Partner with Finance on payroll inputs, benefits administration and employee records, while ensuring confidentiality and appropriate management of employee information.
Contribute to AKES, Kenya-wide HR strategies and lead designated HR initiatives, projects or functional portfolios.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management, Organisational Development, Business Administration or a related field.
Master's degree in Human Resource Management, Organisational Development, Leadership, Education Management or a related discipline is preferred.
Professional HR qualification and membership of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM).
Minimum of 10 years progressive HR experience, with at least 3 years in a managerial role.
Demonstrated experience partnering with senior leaders on people and organisational matters, with strong experience in employee relations, organisational development and culture-building.
Experience leading recruitment, performance management, talent development, organisational change and people-related projects.
Experience within an international school, IB environment, educational institution or mission-driven organisation is highly desirable.
Experience operating within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment is an advantage.
Key Skills and Competences
The ability to lead with empathy and emotional intelligence while maintaining high standards of accountability and performance.
A service-oriented leadership philosophy centred on supporting schools, leaders and staff to achieve educational excellence.
An ability to build leadership capability and cultivate high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring and influence.
A commitment to stewardship, ensuring responsible, ethical and sustainable management of people, culture and institutional resources.
The ability to build trust, foster inclusion and nurture a positive and supportive organisational culture.
Proven capability to lead change while remaining attentive to people, context and institutional values.
High levels of integrity, professionalism and personal accountability.