All roles

HR Business Partner - Northern

Gulu · Full-time

BANK OF AFRICA UGANDA

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title

Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) – Northern Uganda

Department

Human Resources

Duty Station

Northern Uganda – preferably Gulu, with regular travel to branches and business locations across Northern Uganda

Reports To

Head of Human Resources / Head of Human Capital

Role Purpose

The Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) – Northern Uganda will provide strategic and operational HR partnership to the Bank's business units and branches across Northern Uganda.

The role will work closely with branch and business leaders to translate the Bank's people strategy into practical initiatives that support business growth, employee engagement, talent development, performance, workforce productivity, and compliance with employment and regulatory requirements.

The HRBP will serve as a trusted advisor to managers and employees while ensuring consistent application of Bank policies, procedures, values, and people practices across the region.

The role requires a strong understanding of the banking environment, excellent stakeholder-management capabilities, sound employment-practice knowledge, and willingness to travel extensively across the Northern Uganda region.

Key Responsibilities

HR Business Partnering

  • Partner with branch managers and business leaders to understand workforce requirements and align people initiatives with business objectives.
  • Provide professional HR advice and guidance to managers on employee relations, performance management, staffing, organizational development, and people-related matters.
  • Act as the primary HR point of contact for designated branches and business units within Northern Uganda.
  • Participate in business planning and provide HR input on workforce requirements, organizational changes, and people-related risks.
  • Conduct regular branch and employee visits to understand workforce challenges and provide timely HR support.
  • Support managers in implementing HR policies, procedures, and initiatives consistently across the region.

Workforce Planning and Recruitment

  • Work with business leaders to identify current and future staffing requirements.
  • Support workforce planning, headcount management, succession planning, and talent deployment for Northern Uganda.
  • Coordinate recruitment activities in collaboration with the Talent Acquisition team.
  • Support effective onboarding and integration of new employees.
  • Monitor staffing levels, vacancies, turnover, absenteeism, and other workforce indicators and provide recommendations to management.
  • Develop talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill banking positions in Northern Uganda.

Employee Relations

  • Provide guidance to managers and employees on employee relations matters.
  • Support the resolution of employee grievances, disciplinary matters, conflicts, and workplace concerns in accordance with Bank policy and applicable employment legislation.
  • Ensure proper documentation and timely escalation of employee relations cases.
  • Promote a positive, inclusive, respectful, and productive workplace culture.
  • Identify emerging employee-relations risks and recommend appropriate interventions.

Performance Management

  • Drive effective implementation of the Bank's performance management process across assigned business units.
  • Coach managers on objective setting, performance reviews, feedback, performance improvement plans, and documentation.
  • Monitor completion and quality of performance management activities.
  • Identify performance trends and recommend interventions to improve employee productivity and effectiveness.
  • Support managers in identifying high performers and employees requiring additional development.

Learning and Talent Development

  • Work with the Learning and Development function to identify regional training and capability-building requirements.
  • Support implementation of learning and development initiatives for employees across Northern Uganda.
  • Identify high-potential employees and support succession and career-development initiatives.
  • Promote continuous learning and professional development across the region.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of HR development initiatives and provide feedback to management.

Employee Engagement and Culture

  • Support initiatives aimed at improving employee engagement, motivation, retention, and wellbeing.
  • Conduct or support employee engagement activities and gather feedback from employees.
  • Act as a culture champion by promoting the Bank's values and expected behaviours.
  • Support communication of HR policies, programs, organizational changes, and employee initiatives.
  • Identify regional employee-engagement challenges and recommend practical solutions.

HR Analytics and Reporting

  • Maintain accurate HR information and employee records for assigned business units.
  • Prepare regular HR reports covering headcount, recruitment, turnover, absenteeism, employee relations, performance, and other key people metrics.
  • Analyze workforce data and provide actionable insights to business leaders.
  • Monitor regional HR trends and identify areas requiring management intervention.
  • Ensure timely submission of HR reports and other required documentation.

HR Policy, Compliance and Risk Management

  • Ensure consistent application of Bank HR policies and procedures across Northern Uganda.
  • Support compliance with applicable employment laws, regulatory requirements, and internal controls.
  • Participate in HR audits and follow up on agreed recommendations.
  • Identify people-related operational and compliance risks and escalate them appropriately.
  • Maintain confidentiality and integrity when handling employee information and sensitive HR matters.

Regional Stakeholder Management

  • Build strong working relationships with Branch Managers, Regional Managers, Heads of Departments, employees, and other internal stakeholders.
  • Work collaboratively with Finance, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Operations, and other functions on people-related matters.
  • Maintain effective communication with the central HR team and provide timely updates on regional workforce matters.
  • Represent HR in regional meetings and business initiatives as required.
  • Build an effective HR presence across Northern Uganda through regular engagement with employees and management.

Other Responsibilities

  • Participate in HR projects and organizational-development initiatives as assigned.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of HR processes, systems, and employee experience.
  • Perform any other duties commensurate with the role as may be assigned from time to time.

Academic and Professional Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management, Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, Industrial Relations, or a related discipline from a recognized institution.
  • A postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field is an added advantage.
  • Professional HR qualification or membership of a recognized HR professional body is desirable.

Experience

  • Minimum of 5 years' relevant HR experience, preferably within banking, financial services, telecommunications, FMCG, or another large and geographically distributed organization.
  • At least 3 years' experience in an HR Business Partner, HR Generalist, HR Manager, or similar role.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting managers and employees across multiple locations.
  • Experience in employee relations, performance management, recruitment, talent management, and HR analytics.
  • Experience working in a regulated environment is an added advantage.
  • Previous experience supporting branches or geographically dispersed teams will be highly advantageous.

Technical Competencies

  • Human Resource Business Partnering
  • Employee Relations
  • Employment and Labour Practices
  • Performance Management
  • Workforce Planning
  • Talent Management
  • Recruitment and Selection
  • Learning and Development
  • HR Analytics and Reporting
  • HR Information Systems
  • Organizational Development
  • Policy Interpretation and Implementation
  • Change Management
  • Conflict Resolution

Behavioural Competencies

  • Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills
  • Excellent communication and influencing skills
  • Strong business acumen
  • Sound judgement and problem-solving ability
  • High level of confidentiality and integrity
  • Strong coaching and advisory capability
  • Results-oriented approach
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively
  • High attention to detail
  • Resilience and ability to work under pressure
  • Strong stakeholder-management skills
  • Adaptability and willingness to travel
  • Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and employee wellbeing

Additional Requirements

  • Willingness and ability to travel extensively across Northern Uganda.
  • Ability to work effectively with employees and managers across different branches and locations.
  • Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
  • Familiarity with HRIS and HR analytics tools.
  • Good understanding of the Ugandan employment environment.
  • High ethical standards and commitment to the Bank's policies, values, and regulatory requirements.

Key Performance Indicators

The successful candidate will be measured against, among others:

  • Timely resolution of employee relations matters.
  • Employee engagement and retention trends.
  • Recruitment turnaround time and quality of hires.
  • Workforce-plan implementation.
  • Performance-management completion and effectiveness.
  • Training and talent-development outcomes.
  • HR policy and regulatory compliance.
  • Accuracy and timeliness of HR reporting.
  • Stakeholder satisfaction with HR support.
  • Effectiveness of HR interventions across Northern Uganda.

Bank Values

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate and promote the BANK OF AFRICA values of:

Transparency | Expertise | Proximity | Responsibility

Equal Opportunity

BANK OF AFRICA Uganda is committed to providing an equal-opportunity working environment and encourages qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Apply