Senior Manager, Global People & Human Resources

Title: Senior Manager, Global People & Human Resources

Location: The United States (HQ-based) is the preferred option, with Belgium or UK offices as alternatives.

Salary: $90,000 - 115,000 annum (Please note that the salary range indicated applies to US-based positions only. For Belgium or UK-based positions, compensation will be aligned with the respective country’s salary scale.)
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Travel: Limited to moderate (up to 20%)

About NEF

Since 1915, NEF has supported community-led economic and social development in Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus. As a non-profit international development organization, NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to reduce poverty, create economic opportunity, increase resilience, and empower conflict, climate- and crisis-affected people to improve their outlook and wellbeing.

NEF works through a network of country offices and with local partners, with current or recent operations in Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Our global headquarters are based in Syracuse, NY, London, UK, and Brussels, Belgium.

Position Overview

NEF is recruiting a Senior Manager, Global People & Human Resources to play a central role in strengthening, coordinating, and advancing the organization’s people, culture and HR systems across all locations.

The Senior Manager, Global People & Human Resources is responsible for leading NEF’s global people strategy, organizational culture, and human resources governance, while directly overseeing HQ-based administrative HR operations in the United States.

Sitting between executive leadership and country-level HR management, this role ensures that NEF’s people practices are strategic, compliant, consistent, and values-driven, while remaining practical and context-sensitive across diverse HQ and country operations.

The position acts as the institutional owner of People & Culture, translating NEF’s mission and values into everyday HR practice, leadership behavior, and staff experience globally.

Core Responsibilities

1. Global People & Culture Leadership

• Lead NEF’s People & Culture agenda at global level, promoting an inclusive, ethical, and high-performance organizational culture.


• Champion staff engagement, wellbeing, learning, leadership development, and retention across all entities.

• Partner with senior leadership to embed NEF’s values (integrity, accountability, equity, safeguarding) into HR systems and leadership practices.


• Lead global initiatives related to organizational development, change management, and leadership effectiveness.
  

2. Global HR Strategy & Governance

• Translate NEF’s global HR strategy (set at executive level) into operational frameworks, policies, and implementation guidance.


• Serve as institutional owner of global HR policies for HQ and country staff (recruitment, compensation, performance management, leave, severance, benefits, disciplinary processes, etc.).


• Ensure consistent application of HR frameworks across HQ and country offices while allowing justified local adaptation.


• Maintain oversight of compliance with labor laws, donor requirements, and internal HR controls.

3. Headquarters (US) Administrative HR Leadership

• Take direct responsibility for all HQ-based HR administration, including:
  
  
  
  • US employment contracts and compliance,
  
  
  • payroll coordination,
  
  
  • benefits administration,
  
  
  • performance management,
  
  
  • staff relations and case management.
  
  
  
  


• Act as the primary HR focal point for US-based staff and leadership.


• Ensure HQ HR practices align with NEF’s global standards while complying with US labor law.

4. Oversight of Country HR Operations

• Provide functional leadership and supervision to Global HR Managers responsible for country offices.


• Review and endorse country HR structures, salary scales, job classifications, and workforce plans before escalation for executive approval.


• Ensure consistent application of:
  
  
  
  • recruitment and vetting standards,
  
  
  • performance appraisal systems,
  
  
  • disciplinary and grievance processes,
  
  
  • safeguarding-related HR measures.
  
  
  
  


• Support country HR teams in complex cases while avoiding micromanagement of day-to-day execution.

5. Talent Management & Workforce Planning

• Lead global workforce planning and succession planning in coordination with senior leadership.


• Oversee recruitment strategy for senior and hard-to-fill roles.


• Ensure transparent, competitive, and equitable recruitment processes across NEF.


• Support leadership development and internal mobility initiatives.

6. Compensation, Benefits & Performance Frameworks

• Oversee implementation of NEF’s Salary & Compensation Policy for HQ and Country Staff, including:
  
  
  
  • salary scales,
  
  
  • annual increases,
  
  
  • step progression,
  
  
  • market benchmarking.
  
  
  
  


• Ensure performance management systems are applied consistently and fairly across countries.


• Provide guidance on exceptional cases and escalate to the COO and CEO as required.

7. HR Risk, Staff Care & Accountability

• Oversee HR-related risk management, including:
  
  
  
  • staff relations,
  
  
  • grievances,
  
  
  • disciplinary processes,
  
  
  • safeguarding-linked HR matters (excluding investigations handled by Compliance).
  
  
  
  


• Ensure staff care mechanisms (EAP, wellbeing initiatives, duty of care) are accessible and effective.


• Strengthen documentation, audit readiness, and defensibility of HR decisions.

8. Systems, Data & Reporting

• Oversee global HR systems (e.g. BambooHR), data quality, and reporting.


• Produce HR dashboards and analysis to support leadership decision-making.


• Ensure secure, compliant handling of staff data.

Key Interfaces

• COO


• CEO and Executive Leadership Team


• Global HR Managers & Country Directors


• UK and Belgium Executive Directors


• Compliance, Legal, and Safeguarding functions


• Finance (payroll, benefits, budgeting)

Profile & Experience

• Senior HR leader with 10+ years progressive experience in international organizations or NGOs.


• Proven experience managing global HR functions and US-based HR administration.


• Strong background in organizational development, people strategy, and culture change.


• Demonstrated ability to balance policy, compliance, and pragmatism.


• Excellent judgment, credibility, and ability to operate at senior leadership level.

Eligibility Criteria

Preference will be given to candidates based in the United States (Syracuse, HQ). However, candidates based in Belgium or the United Kingdom will also be considered. Candidates should possess the right to work in the location where they are applying.

Please note that the salary range indicated applies to US-based positions only. For Belgium or UK-based positions, compensation will be aligned with the respective country’s salary scale.

NEF will accept a rolling application until the position is filled. Review of application will begin on April 20, 2026. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

To apply:

Please apply by submitting the following documents to the Near East Foundation’s careers page at https://neareast.org/current-opportunities/:

1. Cover letter outlining all relevant experience, how you meet the essential criteria.


2. Curriculum Vitae.


3. List of three references (including one from current, or most recent, employer). You will be given further notice prior to us contacting references.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org

The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seeking employment and NEF employees.

Pre-employment Checks 

Any Employment with the Near East Foundation will be subject to the following checks prior to start date: 

• A satisfactory Restricted Party Screening; 


• Receipt of satisfactory references;


• Proof of eligibility to work in the national location for this role.