HR Manager - DRC

About the role

BURN is scaling its manufacturing, distribution and carbon operations across the DRC. The HR Manager owns the full people function for the country: a compliant, audit-ready, well-administered workforce that supports both permanent operations and time-bound, project-based teams. The role is equal parts strategic HR business partner and hands-on compliance and operations lead.

The successful candidate will bring the DRC people function to a fully compliant, defensible standard – closing gaps in statutory registration, contract management, payroll tax treatment and audit readiness – while building the HR framework (grading, policy, records) that allows the operation to grow without legal or reputational risk.

Duties and Responsibilities

Project-Based & Fixed-Term Contract Management

• Contract design: Structure, issue and track all contrats à durée déterminée (CDD) so that duration, renewals and permissible number of renewals stay within Code du Travail limits and do not inadvertently convert to CDI.
• Contract register: Maintain a live register of every fixed-term and project contract with start/end dates, renewal history, funding source and required approval trail, so no contract lapses, auto-renews or over-runs unnoticed.
• Project close-out: Manage project ramp-downs and end-of-project separations lawfully – correct notice, final dues, certificate of service and documentation – mirroring the disciplined approach applied in other markets.
• Approval discipline: Ensure every contract renewal or non-renewal carries the documented internal approval required by group policy, with a retained evidence trail.
• Forward planning: Advise the business early on workforce planning for project peaks and exits to avoid rushed, non-compliant hiring or terminations.

Statutory Compliance & Audit Readiness

• CNSS: Own the relationship with CNSS and lead responses to any CNSS audit or inspection – ensuring correct registration of all employees, accurate contribution bases, timely declarations and payments, and a clean, reconstructable record.
• IPR & payroll taxes: Ensure correct calculation, withholding and remittance of IPR (impôt professionnel sur les rémunérations) and all payroll-related taxes and levies (INPP, ONEM and others), keeping the payroll tax structure aligned to current law.
• Minimum wage: Implement and maintain SMIG (minimum wage) compliance, promptly reflecting rate changes (including the increases effective January 2026) across affected grades and contracts.
• Grading framework: Keep the DRC labour-grade framework current – the mapping of the official occupational categories to BURN roles – and use it to govern pay, benefits and internal equity.
• Records & files: Maintain complete, inspection-ready employee files (contracts, IDs, CNSS numbers, medical, disciplinary records) so the operation can withstand a labour inspection or statutory audit at any time.
• Regulatory watch: Track and action changes in DRC labour law, ministerial orders and social-security rules, briefing the CPO on material risks.

Payroll & Compensation Administration

• Payroll integrity: Oversee accurate, on-time monthly payroll for all DRC staff, eliminating data-quality failures (blank pay fields, duplicate entries, mis-mapped grades) through disciplined pre-payroll checks and reconciliations.
• Adjustments: Administer allowances, backpay and salary adjustments precisely, with signed agreements retained on file (bilingual where required).
• Grievances: Handle employee compensation grievances (e.g. disputed deductions, interim allowances) fairly, promptly and with a clear documented resolution.
• Cost analysis: Support cost modelling for headcount, project staffing and reorganisations.

HR Business Partnering & Employee Relations

• Advisory: Act as trusted advisor to DRC country leadership on organisation design, performance and people risk.
• Lifecycle: Manage the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, confirmation of probation, performance management, discipline and separation – each step properly documented and legally defensible.
• ER cases: Lead disciplinary and grievance procedures in line with DRC law and internal policy, coordinating with legal counsel where needed.
• Policy: Localise and apply group HR policies to the DRC context, ensuring they are lawful and understood in French.

Leadership & Team Development

• Team: Lead, coach and develop the DRC HR team, raising the standard of HR administration and compliance.
• Collaboration: Partner with group HR data and legal functions for reporting, analytics and case management.

Skills and Experience

• Languages: Full professional fluency in French and English – able to draft contracts, policies and formal correspondence, and negotiate, in both languages.
• Experience: 7+ years of progressive HR experience, including a senior generalist or HR management role, in the DRC.
• DRC labour law: Demonstrable, current knowledge of the DRC Code du Travail, CNSS, IPR/payroll taxation, INPP/ONEM and minimum-wage (SMIG) regulations.
• Project contracts: Proven track record managing fixed-term / project-based contracts and lawful project-linked workforce ramp-downs.
• Audit: Experience owning or surviving a statutory/CNSS audit or labour inspection with clean records.
• Payroll rigour: Strong payroll and HR data discipline – accuracy, reconciliation and control mindset.
• Education: University degree in HR, Law, Business or related field.
• Sector: Experience in manufacturing, energy, distribution or a multi-site industrial environment.
• Projects: Exposure to donor- or carbon-funded projects and their employment requirements.
• Systems: Familiarity with HRIS/payroll systems and mail-merge / bulk document generation at scale.
• Credential: Professional HR certification.
• Compliance-first mindset with meticulous attention to detail and documentation.
• Sound judgment and integrity when handling sensitive cases and confidential data.
• Clear, confident communicator in both official languages.
• Organised and proactive – anticipates deadlines, renewals and risks before they become problems.
• Collaborative business partner who balances employee fairness with business protection.