People & Culture Manager – Operations

Job description

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. We continue to change the lives of over 2.4 million children who today will receive Mary’s Meals. We have been working in Zambia since 2014, and over 500,000 school children in Zambia receive Marys’ Meals every day.

We are now recruiting for a People & Culture Manager – Operations to join our team in Chipata. Reporting to the Head of People & Culture, this role will lead on the delivery of high-quality HR operational services across Mary’s Meals Zambia, helping to ensure we remain a great place to work and grow.

You will play a central role in supporting the day-to-day people experience, from recruitment and onboarding to compliance, performance, payroll coordination, and employee relations. You will also collaborate closely with the People & Culture Manager – Learning & Development to ensure seamless integration between learning and operational practices.

Key responsibilities:

Leading HR operations including recruitment, onboarding, benefits administration, and HR records management.
Providing practical guidance and coaching to managers on people policies and employee relations matters.
Overseeing HR systems and processes to ensure compliance with labour laws and Mary’s Meals global standards.
Managing performance tracking, probation timelines, and contract management.
Supporting internal engagement and culture-building activities in collaboration with the wider P&C team.
Supervising the People & Culture Officer and contributing to a positive and high-performing P&C function.

About you:

You’re a values-driven HR professional who brings energy, empathy, and a collaborative approach to your work. You enjoy supporting others, solving problems, and improving processes. You’re proactive, adaptable, and confident working with managers across levels. You lead with integrity and are comfortable guiding both day-to-day operations and longer-term people initiatives. You take pride in building a workplace culture where people feel supported, included, and able to thrive.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

A relevant degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
Paid-up member of the Zambia Institute of Human Resources Management (ZIHRM).
Minimum 5 years’ experience in a generalist HR role with operational and advisory exposure.
Strong knowledge of Zambian labour law and HR compliance standards.
Demonstrated experience implementing HR strategies and managing day-to-day HR operations.
Strong planning, coordination, and supervisory skills.
Ideally, experience working in or with non-profit or international organisations.
Familiarity with HR systems and digital platforms.
Interest or involvement in development or community-based work.

Method of Application

If our vision, mission and values resonate with you, we would love to hear from you. To apply please click below to send your CV and a succinct covering letter, of no more than 1 page, telling us why you are a great fit for this role by the closing date of Monday 30th May, 2025. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Please note this role will be based in Chipata, Zambia.

Mary’s Meals is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work and we expect all of the Mary’s Meals family to share this commitment and work in the best interest of the communities we serve. Our safe recruitment practices ensure that only those that are committed to our high standards join our movement.

Mary’s Meals never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the recruitment process.