Human Resources Manager

Location: Remote

Contract Type: Consultancy Contract

Reports to: Operation Director

Who are we?

Project Expedite Justice (PEJ), founded in 2016, is a United States-based NGO with 501(c)(3) charitable organization designation.

PEJ’s mission is to use all available legal options to seek justice for individuals inadequately protected under the law, who cannot access legal resources, and who are exploited by governments, corporations, or others.

PEJ applies a novel, victim-centered approach to addressing mass atrocities. PEJ’s 3-step model includes training, mentoring, and providing independent legal consulting. We partner with and train local lawyers and investigators to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence according to international legal standards. Without evidence, there can be no accountability. We further build local capabilities and advance the justice process through case-specific mentoring and strategic guidance to local legal practitioners and investigators. Finally, we partner with local NGOs, pro bono law firms, and legal clinics to represent victims of international crimes and serious human rights abuses in court or alternative judicial mechanisms.

PEJ has projects in several countries. Our inclusive team includes people working remotely from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and the US. We are deeply committed to increasing opportunities for lawyers and other human rights defenders from the global majority to participate in international rule-of-law-based work. People from countries from the global majority are encouraged to apply for this role.

Position Overview

The Human Resources Manager contributes to PEJ’s mission by working with senior management, staff and consultants to ensure that PEJ can recruit, hire, train and retain top-notch talent in a work environment that is compliant with prevailing law and best practice and is diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Key Responsibilities

Recruitment, onboarding, orientation, and off-boarding

• Collaborate with senior leadership to understand and implement PEJ’s strategy and goals related to human resources;
• Manage and administer human resource functions, including, but not limited to, recruitment, onboarding new employees and consultants, adherence to PEJ compensation structures, and enrollment in benefits;
• Contribute to developing and maintaining best practices in recruitment and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion;
• Onboard new employees and consultants, including collecting and verifying documents and enrolling personnel in benefits;
• Coordinate multi-departmental orientation on policies and Standard Operating Procedures and organize multi-departmental training;
• Ensure all employees and consultants receive mandatory training, including training on sexual harassment and health and safety;
• Track and maintain detailed records related to recruitment, onboarding, orientation, training and ongoing staff development;
• Filter field and administration requests for needed staffing and route such requests through designated channels;
• Off-board employees and consultants, including compensation payouts and termination of benefits;
• Help research human resource laws and regulations in foreign locations, and create a platform for organizing and storing such data; and
• Ensure compliance with human resource policies and procedures and relevant employment laws and regulations, including in foreign locations.

Compensation, payroll and benefits

• Develop or refine equity-based compensation strategies, surveys, decisions and implementation;
• Serve as the main point of contact between PEJ and its payroll and employer-of-record partners, collect needed forms and information;
• Prepare contracts for consultants based on scopes of work provided by the relevant PEJ team;
• Lead global conversion from consultants to employees, including identifying and engaging foreign labor law experts, as needed, to comply with laws in various countries where PEJ retains talent; and
• Track and maintain detailed records related to recruitment, onboarding, compensation, benefits and leave entitlements.

Performance evaluation

• Design performance evaluation templates and work with staff and consultants to implement routine performance evaluation;
• Maintain calendar for and cue up performance evaluations;
• Set and maintain guidelines for merit increases based on performance reviews; and
• Track and maintain detailed records related to evaluations, recommendations and follow-up requests or requirements.

Employee and consultant requests, suggestions and complaints

• Develop and conduct surveys to monitor employee and consultant satisfaction, or for other purposes, as needed;
• Handle employee requests, suggestions or complaints and triage those that rise to a level where senior management or Board need to be involved;
• Engage with senior management, as needed, to address issues;
• Ensure compliance with law and best practice in disciplining employees or handling complaints; and
• Handle confidential human resource information with discretion and professionalism (breeches of confidentiality may be grounds for termination).

Qualifications and Attributes

• At least ten years of experience working for a nonprofit or non-governmental organization specifically handling human resources;
• Familiarity with human resource laws, benefits, taxes, and regulations in the U.S. and ideally in other countries (to be tested);
• Exceptional planning and project management skills and attention to detail;
• A proactive approach to problem-solving;
• A collaborative and culturally aware mindset with the ability to work effectively in a team environment, including with a diverse team and across multiple time zones;
• Flexibility and strength in multi-tasking, goal-setting, and workload prioritization;
• High level of discretion and respect for privacy and confidentiality;
• Commitment to international human rights and the principles of the rule of law and social justice;
• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred, but may be substituted with an additional years of experience; and
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.