[Hiring] Head of People Operations @Simprints

Role Description

We're looking for a hands-on Head of People Operations who loves making things work well, every single day. The foundations are already here: our HR systems, policies, and core processes are in place. What they need now is someone who'll sharpen them, make them consistent across every country we operate in, and keep them running smoothly as we grow.

This isn't a pure strategy role. You'll spend most of your time close to the work:

• Advising managers on tricky employee relations cases
• Checking that a contract in Kenya meets local law
• Fixing the onboarding step that keeps tripping people up
• Finding ways AI can take the admin off everyone's plate
• Owning our yearly company offsite, from the agenda to the moment you open it on day one

Equally vital, you will champion and embody our company culture. You will safeguard our core values, model them in daily interactions, and comfortably lead challenging discussions when expectations aren't met. Acting as a trusted advocate for employees with leadership, you will champion their interests while thoughtfully balancing staff needs, corporate values, and business priorities.

Qualifications

• Solid HR generalist experience: 7+ years in HR, with at least 2 years leading the people function or a significant part of it, including managing a small team.
• Employee relations know-how: Handled a wide range of ER cases, confident, calm, and fair under pressure.
• Labour law across multiple countries: Worked with employment law in the UK and more than one jurisdiction.
• Project-based business experience: Understand how people work in organisations funded by projects or grants.
• A process builder with an eye for detail: Can take a messy or inconsistent process and turn it into something simple and reliable.
• Comfort with HR systems and AI tools: Confident using an HRIS and experimenting with AI tools.
• Event planning experience: Planned and run in-person events, ideally a company offsite or retreat for 50+ people.
• Clear, warm communication: Write clearly, explain policy in plain language, and handle difficult conversations with empathy and directness.
• Happy to travel: Comfortable travelling occasionally to our sites in Africa.

Requirements

• First 3 months: Reviewed every core people process and policy, met each manager, most of the company, and shared a prioritised list of fixes with the leadership team.
• By 6 months: Top-priority processes refined, documented, and owned; open employee relations cases handled consistently.
• By 9 months: At least two AI-supported workflows live and saving the team measurable time.
• By 12 months: Delivered a well-run annual offsite that people rate highly, and managers say HR is fast, clear, and easy to work with.

Benefits

• Genuine Impact: Work directly with partners and users to deliver technology that impacts millions of lives.
• An incredible, diverse team: Work at the intersection of technology and global development.
• Mutual Flex: Work culture where autonomy and trust are paramount.
• Ultimate work-life balance: Encouragement to strike a balance between professional and personal life.
• Professional development: Access to development plans and a generous professional development budget.