Human Resources Manager

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on responsibility for the long-term management of protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 24 protected areas in 13 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Currently African Parks in Malawi manages Majete Wildlife Reserve, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserves, Liwonde National Park and Mangochi Forest. African Parks – Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve invites suitably qualified, experienced and passionate Malawians to fill the following vacant positions.

POSITION: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

Contract Duration: Two-year contract subject to renewal based on performance. African Parks-Nkhotakota seeks to appoint a highly competent and experienced Human Resources Manager to lead and manage all park-level human resources functions. The Human Resources Manager will report directly to the Park Manager with dotted lines to the Regional Head of Human Resources for Southern Africa.

The position is critical in ensuring compliance with Malawian labour laws, effective implementation of African Parks’ HR policies, and the promotion of a values driven organizational culture. The successful candidate will play a strategic and operational role in workforce planning, employee relations, governance, and organizational effectiveness within a complex conservation environment.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE (but not limited to):

1. Strategic HR Leadership

• Translate African Parks’ Group and Regional HR strategies into effective park-level HR plans.
• Align HR initiatives with park operational priorities, including conservation and community engagement objectives.
• Identify workforce risks, emerging people-related challenges, and succession needs, and provide timely reports to Regional HR leadership.
• Ensure workforce planning is aligned with approved budgets and staffing ceilings.

2. HR Operations and Service Delivery

• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning and development, and employee separation processes
• Maintain accurate, secure, and confidential HR records, personnel files, and payroll inputs.
• Ensure full compliance with employment documentation, contracts, and HR procedures.
• Coordinate training activities and maintain learning and development records.

3. Governance, Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure strict adherence to Malawian labour legislation, African Parks’ HR policies, and the Code of Conduct.
• Manage disciplinary hearings, grievances, safeguarding, and employee relations cases in a fair, lawful, and consistent manner.
• Serve as the primary HR contact for labour offices, audits, inspections, and external compliance reviews.
• Maintain HR risk registers and support internal and external audits.

4. Organisational Culture and Capability Development

• Promote African Parks’ values, ethical standards, and Code of Conduct across the park.
• Support employee engagement, wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion initiatives
• Identify skills gaps and coordinate targeted training and capacity-building interventions.

5. Leadership, Advisory and Representation

• Supervise and mentor HR Officers, Administrators, and Payroll staff.
• Provide sound HR advice and coaching to line managers and supervisors.
• Represent the HR function in park management meetings and relevant external forums.
• Model professionalism, confidentiality, integrity, and respect in all employee interactions.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• A Degree or Diploma in Human Resources Management or a related field (A Master’s Degree will be an added advantage), with ability to translate Group and Regional HR frameworks into park-level implementation.
• Minimum 5 years HR generalist experience in an operational or site-based environment, covering recruitment, onboarding, HR administration, payroll inputs, and records management.
• Strong working knowledge of Malawian labour laws, disciplinary procedures, and employee relations.
• Demonstrated experience handling audits, inspections, and compliance processes.
• Proven supervisory and people management experience.

POSITION: SAFEGUARD OFFICER

Contract Duration: Two-year contract subject to renewal based on performance

The Safeguard Officer will report directly to the Community Development Manager and Safeguard Manager at Country level. The Safeguard Officer will ensure effective management and collaboration at park level. They will be supported by the Safeguard Manager who will provide functional guidance and (where needed) independence from the Operations chain of command.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE (but not limited to):

• Supporting implementation of the park Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) and other defined safeguards mitigation measures.
• Ensuring regular reporting of progress on ESAP implementation, and other assessed risks and mitigation efforts to internal and external stakeholders, as required.
• Ensuring an effective grievance and redress mechanism in the park, with functioning reporting channels, timely review of all grievances and development of appropriate mitigation and/or follow up in coordination with the Park Grievance Committee and with the HRCJA (serious misconduct).
• Supporting the training of park staff and partners on human rights and managing the partnership with NGO for independent audit and monitoring.
• Promoting a human rights-based approach to conservation that recognizes and respects the rights of all communities, including Indigenous Peoples – and supporting management of consistent compliance with human rights across park operations.
• Support capacity building for park staff to ensure correct implementation of, and compliance with, the Environmental & Social Safeguards standard operating procedures.
• Supporting implementation of safeguards procedures on key projects and complex initiatives (e.g. land use planning, carbon credits) – with a focus on ensuring compliance with Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) guidelines. Preparing monthly technical reports.
• Defining and maintaining a register of service providers to support safeguarding efforts for victims, vulnerable groups, and other affected persons – and leveraging these services appropriately for grievance management and provision of remedies.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field in Human Rights/ Law/International Development/Conservation or a related field.
• Must have minimum of 5 years of relevant experience demonstrating knowledge of, and a track record of managing issues relating to human rights, indigenous peoples’ rights, land tenure, and/or social safeguards, preferably in a conservation or development context.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English and local language is a plus.
• Demonstrated discretion and ability to work with sensitive information.
• Ability to support training programmers.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with ability to work across cultures and to foster collaboration.
• Affinity with conservation and social development in Africa.
• Experience of working in Africa and willingness to travel to and work in rural settings.

Applicants should submit their CVs with a covering letter clearly stating how their skills and experience meet the requirements of the position. At least three traceable referees should be included, but copies of certificates are not required at this stage. Applications should be emailed to recruitMalawi@africanpacks.org by 16h00, 30th of June 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be acknowledged. Should you not hear back from us within two weeks after closing date, please take it that your application was unsuccessful. African Parks is an equal opportunity employer, female candidates who are qualified are encouraged to apply. Please note that we do not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.