Associate Director of Human Resources - College of Engineering - CMU Africa

Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) is Carnegie Mellon University's global location in Africa, based in Kigali, Rwanda. Through graduate education, research, innovation, and strategic partnerships, CMU-Africa is advancing technology and digital transformation across Africa.

As part of Carnegie Mellon University's global community, CMU-Africa operates within a highly collaborative international environment that combines University policies, systems, and practices with local regulatory and operational requirements.

Human Resources at CMU-Africa operates through a distributed HR service model that brings together the CMU-Africa HR team in Kigali with the College of Engineering's HR Business Partner, Chief Business Officer, and Carnegie Mellon University's central HR teams and specialist functions in Pittsburgh. Many HR policies, processes, systems, transactions, and higher-risk employee matters are governed or managed through the University's central structures, requiring close partnership and coordination across teams.

The CMU-Africa HR team provides the on-the-ground HR presence, operational leadership, employee support, local context, and coordination required to ensure University HR practices are implemented effectively within CMU-Africa.

The Opportunity

CMU-Africa is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and service-oriented Associate Director of Human Resources to lead its HR operations in Kigali. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Associate Director will serve as CMU-Africa's senior local HR partner and will be responsible for effective delivery of HR services across the employee lifecycle, organizational culture and employee experience, and HR governance and compliance.

The Associate Director will lead the CMU-Africa HR team and work closely with the College of Engineering HR Business Partner and other University HR colleagues, particularly on employee relations, performance management, policy, hiring, and other matters requiring specialist guidance or University oversight.

CMU-Africa operates with a lean, hands-on leadership model. The Associate Director will therefore combine leadership and advisory responsibilities with direct execution, remaining actively involved in recruitment, onboarding, employee support, HR administration, problem-solving, and other day-to-day HR activities as required.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead HR operations and employee lifecycle delivery for CMU-Africa, ensuring effective and well-coordinated recruitment, onboarding, employment administration, employee support, benefits coordination, relocation and mobility support, employee transitions, and offboarding, while working within Carnegie Mellon's established HR policies, systems, and processes.
• Serve as the senior local HR partner and advisor to the Chief Operations Officer, CMU-Africa Director, leadership team, and supervisors, providing practical HR guidance, local context, and support while engaging the College HR Business Partner and relevant University specialists where matters require broader University guidance, approval, or expertise.
• Partner with the COO, College Chief Business Officer, and HR Business Partner on employee relations and performance management, supporting supervisors in addressing performance, conduct, workplace concerns, grievances, and other sensitive employee matters, ensuring appropriate documentation, consistency, escalation, and adherence to University processes.
• Build and nurture a strong organizational culture grounded in Carnegie Mellon University's values, working with leadership and employees to strengthen collaboration, inclusion, accountability, communication, engagement, and a positive working environment across CMU-Africa.
• Strengthen recruitment, onboarding, and employee transition processes, ensuring candidates and employees receive clear, timely, and well-coordinated support from recruitment through arrival and integration into CMU-Africa. Lead continuous improvement of orientation, relocation, settling-in, onboarding, and offboarding practices using employee and manager feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain a strong CMU HR governance, compliance, and risk environment, ensuring local HR practices, records, documentation, and processes are consistent with University requirements and applicable Rwandan employment requirements, and appropriately escalating legal, policy, employee relations, compensation, or other higher-risk matters through established University channels.
• Coordinate effective delivery of benefits, employee support, learning and development, and related HR services, working with University specialist teams and external providers as appropriate and ensuring employees and supervisors can effectively navigate available programs and processes.
• Lead continuous improvement of CMU-Africa's HR operations and employee experience, using employee feedback, workforce information, and operational insights to simplify processes, strengthen documentation, improve service delivery, and make effective use of technology and automation.
• Lead and develop the CMU-Africa HR team, establishing clear responsibilities and service expectations, coordinating workload and priorities, developing team capability, and fostering a responsive, collaborative, discreet, and employee-focused approach to HR service delivery.
• Strengthen collaboration across CMU's distributed HR model, maintaining effective working relationships with the College of Engineering and University HR teams and ensuring responsibilities, handoffs, communications, and escalation pathways between Kigali and Pittsburgh are clear and effective.
• Undertake other HR responsibilities and special initiatives as required to support CMU-Africa's people and institutional priorities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Qualifications:

Education

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related discipline preferred.
• A recognized professional HR qualification such as SHRM, CIPD, HRCI, CHRP, or equivalent is preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience may be considered.

Experience

• Significant progressively responsible HR experience across employee lifecycle operations, recruitment, employee support, employee relations, performance management, and HR administration, including experience at a management or senior professional level.
• Demonstrated experience providing practical HR advice and support to supervisors and senior leaders.
• Strong experience managing or coordinating recruitment, onboarding, employee transitions, and other employee lifecycle processes.
• Experience supporting employee relations and performance matters in partnership with senior HR colleagues, legal counsel, or specialist HR functions.
• Experience strengthening organizational culture, employee engagement, onboarding, or employee experience.
• Experience leading and developing HR professionals and coordinating HR service delivery.
• Experience working within a matrixed, centralized, or shared-services HR model where decision-making and responsibilities are distributed across multiple teams.
• Experience operating within established corporate or institutional HR policies and governance frameworks.
• Experience working across different countries, cultures, or regulatory environments is highly desirable.
• Higher education, research, nonprofit, international organization, or similarly complex institutional experience is an advantage.

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Broad HR knowledge with particular strength in HR operations, employee lifecycle management, employee relations, performance management, and employee experience.
• Strong HR partnering and advisory skills, including the judgment to recognize when matters should be handled locally and when specialist or University-level involvement is required.
• Strong understanding of HR governance, confidentiality, documentation, compliance, and risk management.
• Ability to build organizational culture and translate institutional values into practical employee and management practices.
• Strong interpersonal, coaching, influencing, and relationship-management skills.
• Excellent judgment and discretion when handling confidential, sensitive, or complex employee matters.
• Ability to balance leadership responsibilities with detailed, hands-on execution.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across functions, cultures, geographic locations, and reporting relationships.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with excellent attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to use employee data, feedback, and operational information to identify issues and improve HR processes.
• A practical, responsive, service-oriented approach to HR delivery and continuous improvement.

Why Join CMU-Africa?

This is an opportunity to lead the on-the-ground HR function for Carnegie Mellon University's global location in Africa while working as part of the University's broader HR community.

The Associate Director will play an important role in ensuring that CMU-Africa's faculty and staff are effectively supported throughout their employee lifecycle, that supervisors have access to sound HR guidance, and that Carnegie Mellon's policies and practices are implemented effectively within the local operating environment.

The role offers the opportunity to lead and develop a growing HR team, strengthen organizational culture and employee experience, improve HR processes and services, and build strong partnerships between CMU-Africa and HR colleagues across the University.

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.

Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions. Unlock your potential with tuition benefits, take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays, and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance. 

Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access, and much more!

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page.

At Carnegie Mellon, we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond credentials, we evaluate the role and responsibilities, your valuable work experience, and the knowledge gained through education and training. We appreciate your unique skills and the perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; it’s about finding the perfect fit for your professional growth and personal aspirations.

Are you interested in an exciting opportunity with an exceptional organization?! Apply today!

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More Information: 

• Please visit “Why Carnegie Mellon” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world. 

• Click here to view a listing of employee benefits

• Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran. 

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