Head, Talent Acquisition

About us

Hugo is committed to Africa, to the future of its workforce, and to building an opportunity-engine worthy of both. Our path: we build high-performing remote-teams for some of the world’s largest technology and media companies, and specialize in omnichannel customer support, digital and AI operations, and trust and safety solutions.

Our “Why?” is simple. Outsourcing generates billions in income and opportunities globally, but less than 2% reaches African communities. We’re here to change that.    

As a company, we’re obsessed with excellence—we ask smart questions to build a thorough understanding of our clients’ needs; then pour ourselves into delivering not just great work, but also a perfect user experience. 

The only commitment greater than the one we have to our clients is the one we have to our community. We are dedicated to carving out a place in the digital economy for bright, young Africans, and we work tirelessly to equip them with the skills needed to build meaningful careers. Join us!

 

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING 

As an outsourcing company, our greatest asset is our People. People are the key to unravel the limitless possibilities that Africa has to offer, and unlock opportunities to compete on a global stage. This role will architect and scale our core competitive advantage, which we view as the cornerstone of our strategic success.

 

The Head of People Strategy & Operations (Corporate), will be responsible to stand up the People function as a Strategic Business Unit for Hugo’s Corporate division. This role is critical in defining a talent strategy that aligns with our corporate goals, ensuring a frictionless employee experience journey, a high-performance culture, and high employee engagement across the organization. The Head will lead a team of seasoned People/HR professionals, to define and establish all People value streams: from talent acquisition and development to performance management and employee relations, with a focus on positioning talent as a unique and differentiated advantage for Hugo; and establishing Hugo as a recognised leader in attracting and retaining top talent.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior management to develop and operationalize a talent strategy that aligns with, and feeds into the Company’s mission, vision and strategic goals.
• Design a sourcing and onboarding strategy that keeps a steady stream of world-class talent (across a range of roles/functions) coming through our doors, and staying for the long-term.
• Establish Hugo as the brand of choice for seasoned professionals looking to do practical, high-impact work on the continent, leading employer brand initiatives.
• Lead organizational development and change management initiatives.
• Lead performance management and employee development initiatives.
• Build and effectively lead a team of HR professionals to support business-as-usual HR functions(e.g. recruiting, onboarding, managing records, payroll & benefits); ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations.
• Develop and utilize relevant metrics and data analysis to drive decision-making.
• Build and maintain a positive company culture that aligns with company values.
• Develop and maintain standard HR policies, processes and procedures.
• Create framework(s) for managing and resolving simple to complex employee relations issues.
• Implement a robust recruitment KPI tracking and data management system.

If you are someone who thrives in a fast-paced, hyper-growth environment where a “speed to value” mindset is essential, and has a proven track record of building up high-performance teams, then this is the job for you!

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS YOU’LL NEED

Competencies

• Strong team management skills
• Strong business acumen, sales and negotiation skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on data-driven decision-making
• Perfect written and oral communications skills
• Deep commitment to the organization’s mission and values
• Articulate and effective communicator, both orally and in writing, with strong presentation skills
• Experience in fostering a positive company culture and driving senior-level engagement
• Experience managing budgets and financial forecasts
• Ability to navigate in ambiguous and dynamically changing environments

Experiences

• Experience as a business leader familiar with setting up a business unit from ground up; preferably in leading multinational companies (including startup/scale-up’s) and/or global consultancies/professional services firms.
• Experience managing strategic and operational “People” issues in a fast-paced business context. Functional People/HR experience however, is not a prerequisite.
• Proven track record of driving process improvements, setting/executing strategy in dynamic and complex business environments and achieving exceptional operational performance.
• Demonstrable project management, organizational and management reporting skills
• Management consulting experience (or other client-management experience that demonstrates strategic thinking) preferred
• Must have: A deep understanding of, and extensive experience operating in Africa
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required. MBA/Advanced degree preferred.
• Nice-to-have: Fluency in French

WHAT WE PROVIDE

Hugo offers a hybrid work environment that balances employee flexibility with a collegial, fun “office” culture. We pride ourselves on offering a dynamic environment where ambitious professionals can make a measurable impact and accelerate their career. Our compensation and benefits are highly competitive.