People Operations Associate

About Wave Mobile Money

Wave Mobile Money is on a mission to transform Africa into the first cashless continent. With over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa unbanked due to high fees, distant branches, and lack of card acceptance, Wave aims to break down these barriers by delivering accessible financial services. Launched in 2017 in Senegal, our mobile app facilitates cash deposits, withdrawals, and peer-to-peer and business payments. Today, Wave serves millions of users across nine countries and continues to expand rapidly.

Role Overview

As a People Operations Associate based in Kampala, you will be instrumental in ensuring smooth operations across our Kampala and regional offices. Your responsibilities will include managing people operations, office administration, and a broad range of organizational tasks. This role demands a fast-paced, data-driven approach to system building and problem solving.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement and uphold HR policies, procedures, and administrative systems across Wave's Uganda operations.
• Conduct onboarding to seamlessly integrate new employees into the company culture.
• Maintain comprehensive employee records including compensation, benefits, insurance, promotions, transfers, performance reviews, and terminations.
• Manage work permit processing for employees as necessary.
• Act as the primary contact and business partner for all employee-related matters.
• Ensure effective daily office management including workplace safety, utilities, security, supplies, and equipment maintenance.
• Handle correspondence, complaints, and queries related to personnel and services.
• Oversee acquisition and setup of new office spaces and coordinate related logistics.
• Supervise, mentor, and train office staff, optimizing task delegation to boost productivity.
• Manage office budgets, procurements, and organize domestic and international travel arrangements.
• Plan and execute corporate events such as happy hours, retreats, and conferences.
• Prepare presentations and reports for management review.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree or relevant professional training in business administration, HR, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a comparable role, preferably within a fast-moving international organization.
• Familiarity with HRIS platforms, especially BambooHR or Workday.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets) or Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent organizational and prioritization capabilities.

Candidate Profile

• Highly tenacious with a proactive mindset to complete tasks thoroughly.
• Appreciative of how physical environment influences workplace culture.
• Capable of independent work with minimal supervision.
• Skilled in collaboration, communication, negotiation, and interpersonal relations.
• Adheres strictly to ethical standards and internal policies.
• Experienced in effective people management and staff development.
• Proven track record in guiding teams to accomplish challenging objectives.
• Prefers over-communication and extensive coordination in teamwork.
• Adaptable to changing priorities and comfortable navigating complexity.
• Analytical thinker with problem-solving aptitude.
• Experienced in process development and implementation with little oversight.
• Detail-oriented and solutions-focused with strong task follow-through.
• Ability to comprehend and adhere to set priorities.
• Willingness to work flexible and sometimes irregular hours.

Additional Information

• Work location primarily in Wave's Kampala office with occasional travel to regional field sites.
• Work authorization for Uganda is mandatory.
• Permanent employment with competitive salary determined by a transparent methodology.
• Generous health insurance coverage for employees and their dependents.
• Support for working parents including 26 weeks of maternity leave, 4 weeks of paternity leave, and subsidized childcare post-return.
• Reimbursement for airtime expenses.
• Complimentary meals and access to a well-designed office environment.

About the Team

Our team spans multiple countries including Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Uganda, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon, complemented by remote members worldwide. We are deeply committed to our mission of delivering affordable financial services to underserved populations and encourage employee autonomy by granting ownership of projects throughout their lifecycle. Wave secured the largest Series A funding in Africa in 2021, backed by prestigious investors such as Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, and others.

Equality and Inclusion

We are an equal opportunity employer dedicated to fostering diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all employees.