HR Business Partner

Department: Human Resources

Reports To: Director, People and Culture

About Kifiya:

Kifiya is an AI-powered financial and market infrastructure company advancing inclusive economic growth across Africa. We design and deploy risk decisioning systems, intelligent financial infrastructure, and market linkage platforms that unlock credit, insurance, payments, and capital access for MSMEs and smallholder farmers. We build the AI, data, and financial infrastructure that helps financial institutions serve hard-to-finance segments at scale.

Business Unit Description

The Human Resources function at Kifiya plays a strategic role in enabling organizational scalability, performance excellence, and talent sustainability across all business units. HR partners closely with leadership to translate business strategy into people, structure, capability, and culture solutions.

Position Summary

The HR Business Partner is responsible for delivering end-to-end HR support to assigned business units, ensuring alignment between business objectives and people practices. The role combines strategic advisory, hands-on execution, and employee advocacy, supporting leaders and employees across the full employee lifecycle (recruitment through exit).

The HRBP plays a critical role in workforce planning, performance management, employee relations, talent development, and change initiatives ensuring consistent application of HR policies while adapting solutions to business-specific contexts.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnership and Advisory

• Serve as the primary HR point of contact for assigned business units.
• Advise managers on people-related decisions, workforce planning, performance issues, and organizational changes.
• Translate business needs into practical HR solutions aligned with company policies and labor law.

Workforce Planning and Recruitment

• Support headcount planning, role clarity, and organizational alignment within assigned units.
• Own end-to-end recruitment delivery for assigned units, including requisition initiation, role scoping, candidate assessment coordination, and hiring manager engagement.
• Validate job descriptions, participate in interview panels as required, and ensure hiring decisions comply with internal governance, equity, and quality standards.
• Monitor recruitment progress, risks, and bottlenecks, escalating issues proactively to HR leadership where needed

Performance Management and Capability Development

• Facilitate the implementation of performance management processes, including goal setting, reviews, and probation assessments.
• Coach managers on performance improvement plans and employee development actions.
• Identify skills gaps and support learning and development initiatives.

Employee Relations and Engagement

• Manage employee relations issues, including grievances, disciplinary actions, and conflict resolution, in line with policy and Ethiopian labor law.
• Support engagement initiatives and monitor employee sentiment within assigned units.
• Promote a positive, inclusive, and performance-oriented workplace culture.

Policy Implementation and HR Operations Oversight

• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, procedures, and controls.
• Collaborate with People Operations Associates to ensure accurate documentation and timely HR service delivery.
• Maintain accurate HR data and contribute to people analytics and reporting.

Key Outputs

• Effective HR support embedded within business operations
• Improved manager capability in people management
• Timely recruitment and workforce alignment
• Reduced employee relations escalations
• Consistent application of performance and HR policies

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Management, Business Administration, or related field (required)
• Master’s Degree in HR, Management, or Organizational Development (preferred but not mandatory)

Experience

• 4.5–8 years of progressive HR experience, preferably in a business partnering or generalist role
• Experience supporting managers and teams in dynamic, fast-growing organizations
• Exposure to technology, operations, or project-based environments is an advantage

Core Competencies

• Strong business partnering and advisory capability
• Problem-solving and sound judgment
• Effective communication and stakeholder management
• Ability to balance employee advocacy with business needs
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and accountability