Global Director, People Capability

Application Deadline:
31 October 2025

Department:
Operations

Location:
Remote/Flexible

Description

Purpose

The Global Director, People Capability and Culture, leads a proactive, trusted People Capability and Culture (PCC) function in the Global Support Center (GSC) that supports the organization's diverse staff and leadership to drive a high-performing and values and mission-driven culture. The Global Director PCC is accountable across all WfWI entities. (S)he builds a learning culture, holds the trust and confidence of staff in the PCC function, and keeps policies, processes and tools simple and usable. The Global Director PCC strengthens cohesion across and within teams, builds and supports capable managers so delivery is consistent, compliant, fair and values-led. The Global Director PCC is a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion. This role stewards a single, well-governed PCC knowledge hub so everyone knows what to use, where to find it, and which version is current. This role is a member of the Global Leadership Team (GLT) and is called upon to join the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) when relevant issues are tabled. A key member of the Operations Leadership Team, the Global Director PCC develops the PCC strategy, plans effectively, and ensures that all operational functions and global leadership are aligned with organizational PCC policies, procedures, and a commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.

Candidates must be located in WfWI Operation countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, the UK, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Palestine.

Key Responsibilities:

Engagement

Strategy and Direction

• Set the global PCC strategy and annual plans that support the building of a high-performing, mission-driven organization and a culture that reflects the values of the organization to achieve excellence in program delivery, fundraising goals, and financial sustainability.
• Develop, update and manage the Global Support Centre People budget.
• Own global PCC policies and standards with country addenda.
• Sponsor the learning and accountability elements of the culture - Skills Assessment, Managers and Leadership Academy, simple toolkits, and routines that help managers lead well and for staff to learn, grow and hold one another accountable
• Partner with ELT, GLT, Country Directors, Finance, Safeguarding, and Legal so people, risk and cost decisions are integrated.
• Embed fairness and equity principles across cycles, transparent criteria, documented exceptions, and routine equity checks.

Leadership and Representation

• Be the visible PCC lead with ELT GLT, Country Directors, Boards and external partners.
• Support the CEO and COO and the Director of Governance and Executive Operations to prepare for the Global Governance Committee and People's Committee of the UK Board of Trustees.
• Model WfWI values and builds trust with Country Offices, Supporter Country Offices and GSC.
• Cultivate a strong unified leadership culture that supports, develops, and empowers a diverse, equitable and inclusive global organization
• Ensuring a cohesive global people and culture team that is motivated, technically proficient, consistent, and proactive with their advice and able to provide accurate data and advice in the required timeframes
• Communicate simply, one-page guides, flows and FAQs so managers act with confidence.
• Maintain an external benchmarking network to keep WfWI current on best practice, e.g., Project FAIR, Birches Group, Humentum/InterAction, CHS Alliance, CIPD, and regional HR forums.

Delivery

Culture, Learning and Leadership

• Build a learning culture and lead the Skills Assessment and the Manager & Leadership Academy with practical toolkits and coaching that strengthen manager capability and accountability.
• Turn survey insights and after-action reviews into concrete management habits and coaching.
• Embed DEIB into hiring, development and progression

People Operations and Policy

• Own the Global Employee Handbook and country addenda with attestation and version control.
• Develop and execute people-centred organizational development strategies, processes and tools that support a high-performing, diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.
• Standardize core processes - recruiting, onboarding, performance management, Employee Relations (ER), exits, and data changes.
• Partner with Internal Communications so guidance is clear, findable and used.

Employee Relations, Compliance and Risk

• Oversee timely, fair ER cases across jurisdictions with proper documentation and audit trails.
• Ensure legal compliance on contracts, working time, leave, benefits, data privacy and records retention.
• Lead labor-relations engagement where applicable.

Compensation, Benefits and Workforce Costing

• Apply the global compensation approach consistently, market data use, offers, adjustments and promotions within bands.
• Partner with Finance on annual COLA, merit and market adjustments, forecasting and headcount governance.
• Oversee benefits strategy and statutory requirements across entities with a fairness and equity lens.

Talent Acquisition and Mobility

• Run a transparent global recruitment framework, time-to-hire targets, and internal mobility pathways.
• Manage executive and scarce-skills searches with clear briefs and vendor oversight.
• Design, execute, and maintain a progressive, flexible, inclusive, and responsible talent management strategy, policies, and program, ensuring that WfWI continues to attract, retain, support, and develop staff across levels and locations.

Workforce Planning and Organization Design

• Lead position control and organisation structure accuracy across systems.
• Co-lead restructuring, spans and layers reviews, and change plans with all departments and functions.
• Maintain succession plans for critical roles and a simple internal moves process.

HRIS, Knowledge & Document Management, Data and Analytics

• Own people data quality in core systems and define the minimum data set, approvals and audits.
• Employ new technologies (when necessary) to produce a global agile work environment supported by fit-for-purpose and fast digital solutions.
• Steward the PCC Knowledge Hub as the single source of truth
• Provide a quarterly PCC dashboard for leadership decision-making

Wellbeing, Health & Safety

• Lead a practical Staff Wellbeing Policy and Programme
• Promote practical wellbeing and reasonable workload norms,
• Ensure required training coverage for safeguarding, conduct and compliance.

Governance, Budget and Vendors

• Manage PCC budget and vendors,
• Prepare ELT and Board inputs on people risks, plans and costs.

All our staff are required to adhere to WfWI's Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policies and to our organizational values: Empowerment, Integrity, Respect, and Resilience and WfWI Leadership Principles.

Skills, Knowledge And Expertise

Required

• Master's degree and or relevant professional accreditation.
• A minimum of 10+ years of progressive PCC/HR leadership in multi-country contexts (INGO or similar), with a track record of delivering change.
• Senior PCC leadership in multi-country INGOs or similar, including leading change across entities and legal contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in culture building and reinforcing and change management.
• Strong record simplifying policy and processes, building manager capability and holding or strengthening trust in HR.
• Deep Employee Relations and investigations experience, partnering with Legal and Safeguarding.
• Proven compensation, benefits and workforce cost management in resource-constrained settings.
• HRIS/ATS and analytics proficiency with measurable improvements in data quality and reporting.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication, coaching, and influencing skills in complex matrices.

Preferred

• Experience with works councils or unions in related contexts.
• Experience in at least some of the legal contexts of WfWI Country Offices.
• Experience integrating safeguarding, legal and PCC workflows.

Physical Demands:

• May require bending, lifting, standing, sitting, computer work, etc.

• International travel will be required for up to 10% of the time.

• *This job description may be modified from time to time at the discretion of WfWI*