HR Manager – People Experience

Unga Group is seeking a dynamic and strategic HR Manager – People Experience to lead the design and execution of employee experience initiatives across the organisation. This role sits at the heart of Unga Group's people agenda, responsible for transforming how employees engage with the company at every stage of their journey — from onboarding through to development and retention.

The successful candidate will partner closely with HR Managers, EXCO, and business leaders to build a high-performance culture, deliver world-class HR service, and align people strategies with Unga Group's overall business objectives. This is a senior, hands-on role that demands both strategic vision and operational excellence.

• Design and implement onboarding programmes that create an outstanding new joiner experience from day one.
• Drive and monitor employee engagement initiatives, including annual Employee Engagement Surveys (EES) and structured feedback loops.
• Lead internal communication strategies across multiple channels to ensure organisational alignment and culture clarity.
• Manage employee welfare programmes, team-building activities, and culture transformation initiatives in collaboration with value champions.
• Oversee all benefits communication and culture update campaigns organisation-wide.
• Partner with HR Managers and EXCO to design and operationalise robust talent strategies aligned to business goals.
• Lead a rigorous internal talent review process to build a dependable succession bench of ready-now leaders.
• Spearhead leadership development, structured coaching, and mentoring programmes to strengthen the talent pipeline.
• Collect, analyse, and leverage talent analytics to inform succession planning and leadership development frameworks.
• Formulate and continuously improve retention and internal promotion programmes to protect institutional knowledge.
• Manage the end-to-end corporate performance management lifecycle, including governance, sensitisation, timelines, and reporting.
• Oversee and optimise the Unga Performance Management System (Hoshin Kanri – HK), ensuring individual KPIs align tightly with business objectives.
• Facilitate goal-cascading workshops and eliminate operational bottlenecks that impede performance outcomes.
• Serve as a strategic talent acquisition partner to hiring managers, developing high-impact sourcing strategies and talent channels.
• Support workforce planning to ensure timely and adequate recruitment in line with organisational blueprints.
• Deploy data-led recruitment approaches to secure top-tier candidates across business units.

• Must demonstrate at least 7 years of progressive HR experience, with a minimum of 3 years in a people strategy or HR management role.
• Must be able to design and deliver end-to-end employee engagement strategies that produce measurable behavioural and cultural change.
• Must have hands-on experience managing performance management systems, preferably Hoshin Kanri or an equivalent structured framework.
• Must be capable of translating talent analytics into actionable succession plans and leadership development roadmaps.
• Must demonstrate experience facilitating leadership development programmes, coaching frameworks, and mentorship models.
• Must be able to partner effectively with C-suite and EXCO stakeholders, influencing people decisions at the highest levels.
• Must possess strong communication skills — able to develop and execute multi-channel internal communication strategies.
• Must hold a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; a postgraduate qualification or CHRP/IHRM certification is an added advantage.
• Must be comfortable using HRIS systems and HR data tools to generate insights and reports.
• Experience in the FMCG, manufacturing, or agribusiness sector is a strong advantage.

Unga Group offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience and seniority. Based on Kenyan market benchmarks for HR Manager roles at this level, the estimated monthly salary range is KES 180,000 – 280,000. The package is expected to include medical cover, performance-based incentives, and other standard corporate benefits.

Ideal candidate: A seasoned HR professional with a genuine passion for employee experience and culture transformation. You are data-savvy, an empathetic communicator, and a credible business partner who can influence senior leadership while rolling up your sleeves to deliver on ground-level HR operations. You thrive in complex, fast-moving environments and have a track record of building engaged, high-performing teams.

Do NOT apply if: You have fewer than 5 years of HR experience, have not managed a team or cross-functional HR projects, or are looking purely for a transactional HR administration role. This position requires strategic ownership — not task execution alone.

• Prepare an updated CV clearly outlining your HR experience, key achievements, and any relevant certifications.
• Write a concise cover letter explaining why you are the right fit for the HR Manager – People Experience role at Unga Group.
• Submit your application through Unga Group's official careers portal or the job platform where this posting is listed.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial HR screening interview, followed by panel interviews with senior leadership.
• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of the closing date, consider your application unsuccessful.