DRC People Operations & Duty of Care Associate

Job description

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa’s farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

About the Role

The DRC People Operations & Duty of Care Associate will drive the daily execution, administration, and continuous maintenance of health, safety, and duty of care systems for the DRC program. Acting as a crucial operational and staff-facing focal point, this role is responsible for ensuring compliance with staff safety and security protocols across offices, transport, accommodations, warehouses, and field operations in a complex environment. You will ensure that established standard operating procedures (SOPs), incident management processes, and people safety and security systems are practically implemented, clearly communicated, and consistently followed by all staff.

This role has a 12-month fixed-term contract, with the option to renew on business terms.

Responsibilities

Duty of Care & Safety Administration

• Maintain and regularly update foundational risk profiles, movement protocols, and safety logs across all operational locations.
• Serve as the central administrative focal point for incident management, ensuring timely documentation, structured reporting, and tracking of corrective actions.
• Act as the budget administrator for staff well-being, safety, and security expenditures, ensuring resources are tracked and utilized efficiently.
• Oversee the day-to-day implementation and upkeep of established Health, Safety, and Security SOPs (including staff movement, office/warehouse safety, and emergency response).
• Ensure all policies and procedures are practically integrated into daily routines, clearly communicated, and consistently applied across all departments.
• Maintain organized physical and digital filing systems for all compliance, safety, and personnel records.
• Monitor local security developments, political events, and public health situations (e.g., protests, elections, regional conflicts, or health alerts) to proactively provide intelligence updates and advise on necessary operational adjustments.

Training, Onboarding & Capacity Building

• Coordinate the logistics, scheduling, and tracking for staff well-being, duty of care, and basic safety training programs.
• Facilitate thorough administrative inductions for new staff, consultants, and visitors, ensuring they receive, understand, and acknowledge all safety protocols.
• Maintain accurate tracking systems to ensure 100% staff compliance with organizational training requirements.

Incident Management & Support

• Serve as the first-line point of contact for staff reporting workplace incidents, accidents, or health events.
• Maintain up-to-date emergency contact trees, phone trees, and vendor lists to ensure rapid execution of crisis management plans when needed.
• Champion a culture of care, proactively encouraging staff to utilize available resources and reporting systems.
• Serve as the primary operational focal point and key contact for external health and security service providers.

Cross-Functional Execution & Office Management

• Oversee day-to-day office management and facility administration, ensuring workspaces consistently meet foundational health, safety, and duty of care standards.
• Partner closely with HR, Operations, and Supply Chain to embed people-centric systems into broader operational planning.
• Manage administrative relationships with vendors related to office facilities, basic guarding, and staff health services.
• Proactively establish, maintain, and leverage positive working relationships with local authorities, emergency services, police, and traffic departments to ensure rapid support during incidents.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Academic Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Operations Management, Public Administration, Organizational Psychology, or a related field.
• Professional Certifications (Optional but Advantageous):
  • HR or administrative certifications (e.g., SHRM-CP, PHR, CIPD, or local equivalents).
  • Project management or process improvement certifications (e.g., CAPM, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt).
  • Basic safety or trauma-informed care certifications (e.g., Advanced First Aid, Mental Health First Aid).
• Experience: 3–5 years of experience in HR administration, operations, office management, or duty of care, preferably within an NGO, humanitarian, or fast-paced operational context.
• Systems Execution: Proven track record of implementing, maintaining, and enforcing organizational SOPs, policies, and administrative frameworks.
• Process-Oriented: Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage documentation, track compliance, and administer budgets accurately.
• People Skills: High emotional intelligence with the ability to act as a trusted “para-HR” figure; capable of championing staff safety while firmly ensuring policy compliance.
• Crisis Competence: Calm under pressure, with the ability to follow established emergency protocols and manage the administrative logistics of incident response.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; fluency in English and French required.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

1 year

Eligibility

One Acre Fund can support a work permit for this role. However, nationals of (or those with an extensive professional background and work history in) our countries of operation are preferred.

Application Deadline

17 January 2027. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @oneacrefund.org address. Please report any suspicious communication here (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization’s mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.