HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER

Industry: Retail – Furniture

Experience: 8+ Years

Employment Type: Fulltime

Reports To: Head of Finance, IT and HR.

About the Company

We are a growing furniture retail business with multiple branches and a strong commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences through our people. We are seeking an experienced, hands-on and commercially minded Human Resource Manager to lead our people strategy and HR operations across the business.

The successful candidate will be responsible for building a high-performance culture, strengthening employee engagement, ensuring compliance with employment legislation, and providing strategic HR support to management and branch leadership teams.

Key Responsibilities

1. HR Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement the company's HR strategy in alignment with overall business objectives.
• Provide strategic HR advice to the CEO and senior management team.

• Develop and monitor the annual HR workplan, budget and key HR priorities.
• Align people initiatives with business growth, branch expansion and operational requirements.

• Provide HR leadership across all branches and departments.

1. Recruitment & Workforce Planning

• Lead end-to-end recruitment for sales, warehouse, delivery, finance, administration and management positions.
• Develop effective manpower plans based on business and branch requirements.

• Strengthen recruitment processes, including competency-based interviews, assessments, reference checks and onboarding.
• Build talent pipelines for critical retail positions.

• Ensure new employees receive an effective and structured onboarding experience.

1. Performance Management

• Develop and implement effective performance management systems across the business.
• Work with managers and team leaders to establish clear KPIs and performance expectations.

• Monitor employee performance and provide guidance on performance improvement plans (PIPs).
• Drive a culture of accountability and high performance.

• Support managers in addressing underperformance fairly, consistently and in accordance with company policy and employment law.

1. Employee Relations & Discipline

• Manage employee relations matters, grievances, disciplinary cases and workplace conflicts.
• Guide managers on appropriate handling of misconduct, absenteeism, poor performance and other employee issues.

• Ensure disciplinary processes are fair, consistent and properly documented.
• Draft and review HR correspondence, including warning letters, show-cause letters, disciplinary notices and separation documentation.

• Promote positive employee relations and a professional workplace environment.

1. HR Compliance & Policies

• Ensure compliance with the Employment Act and other applicable Kenyan employment legislation.
• Review, update and implement HR policies, procedures and the employee handbook.

• Ensure proper management of employment contracts, leave, attendance, working hours,

benefits and employee records.

• Maintain accurate and confidential personnel records.
• Keep management informed of relevant changes in employment legislation and HR best practice.

1. Employee Engagement & Company Culture

• Develop initiatives that improve employee engagement, motivation, retention and wellbeing.
• Champion the company's values and desired workplace culture.

• Conduct employee engagement surveys and develop practical action plans based on feedback.
• Promote effective communication between management, branch teams and employees.

• Develop employee recognition and reward initiatives.
• Support culture-change and team-building initiatives.

1. Learning & Development

• Conduct training needs assessments and develop annual training plans.
• Coordinate training programmes for sales teams, branch managers, team leaders and other employees.

• Develop leadership and people-management capabilities among line managers.
• Support career development, succession planning and talent management.

• Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of training programmes.

1. HR Analytics & Reporting

• Develop and monitor HR metrics and dashboards covering:

o Employee turnover and retention

o Absenteeism and attendance

o Recruitment and time-to-fill

o Employee performance

o Training and development

o Employee engagement

o Headcount and workforce costs

o Disciplinary and employee relations matters

• Provide regular HR reports and insights to senior management.
• Use HR data to identify trends and recommend practical business solutions.

1. Branch & Retail HR Operations

• Partner closely with Branch Team Leaders and department heads to address people-related challenges.
• Conduct regular branch visits and HR audits.

• Identify staffing, performance, discipline and engagement gaps across branches.
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies across all locations.

• Support managers in building productive, accountable and customer-focused teams.

1. Payroll & HR Administration

• Oversee accurate and timely payroll inputs and HR-related payroll processes.
• Ensure proper administration of leave, benefits, employee changes and statutory requirements.

• Maintain accurate HR records and HR information systems.
• Work closely with Finance on payroll and employee-related matters.

Key Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration, Industrial Relations or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive HR experience, preferably within retail, FMCG, hospitality, distribution, manufacturing or another multi-site operational environment.

• At least 3–5 years' experience in a managerial or senior HR leadership position.
• Professional HR qualification and/or membership with the relevant professional body will be an added advantage.

• Strong working knowledge of Kenyan employment laws and HR best practices.
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations, disciplinary processes and performance management.

• Proven experience supporting multiple branches or geographically dispersed teams.
• Experience in recruitment, talent management, training and employee engagement.

• Strong HR reporting, analytics and data interpretation skills.
• Experience working closely with senior management and operational leaders.