People Operations Associate

About Wave

Wave is working toward a future where Africa becomes the first fully cashless continent. The company builds practical financial services designed for everyday use — with no account fees, instant access, and acceptance across many places where traditional banking is difficult to reach. Since launching a mobile app in Senegal in 2017 for cash deposits, withdrawals, and peer-to-peer as well as business payments, Wave has expanded to millions of users across 9 countries and continues to grow rapidly.

Role overview

The People Operations Associate will be the main support person for keeping the Kampala office and field locations running smoothly. This role combines people operations, office administration, events, and general coordination. It is best suited to someone who works quickly, uses data well, and enjoys setting up systems that help things run efficiently.

What you will do

In this position, you will handle HR administration, office coordination, team support, and a range of operational tasks across Wave Uganda.

• Set up, improve, and maintain HR policies, internal procedures, and administrative systems for the Uganda team.
• Support the onboarding of new employees and help them adapt to Wave’s culture.
• Maintain employee information covering pay, benefits, insurance, promotions, transfers, reviews, and exits.
• Coordinate work permit processing when employees require it.
• Act as a key point of contact for people-related questions and support.
• Monitor daily office operations and ensure the workplace remains safe, functional, and compliant with health and safety standards.
• Oversee reception, utilities, security, supplies, equipment, and inventory control.
• Assist with sourcing and setting up new office space and related logistics.
• Manage employee and service communication, complaints, and general enquiries.
• Supervise, coach, and support office staff while assigning work to improve productivity.
• Track office budgets and procurement activities.
• Organize local and international travel, including flights, accommodation, and car hire.
• Plan company gatherings such as happy hours, retreats, and conferences.
• Prepare presentations and management reports.

Work location and conditions

This role is based in Kampala, Uganda, with occasional travel to upcountry field locations. Work authorization in Uganda is required. The position is permanent. The company also notes that flexibility may be needed for irregular working hours.

Compensation and benefits

Wave states that compensation is competitive and determined through a transparent formula. Benefits include health insurance for the employee and dependents, 26 weeks of parental leave for mothers, 4 weeks of parental leave for fathers, subsidized childcare when parents return to work, airtime reimbursement, free meals, and access to a well-designed office space.

Requirements

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or professional training in business administration, human resources, or a closely related discipline. A minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar role is expected, ideally within a fast-moving international company. Familiarity with HRIS platforms such as BambooHR or Workday is preferred, and candidates should also be comfortable using Google Suite or Microsoft Office. Strong organization and prioritization skills are essential.

What makes a strong fit

The company is looking for someone who is persistent, self-directed, highly collaborative, and comfortable working through complexity and change. The ideal candidate will be analytical, detail-focused, solution-oriented, and capable of developing and implementing processes with limited supervision. Strong communication, negotiation, interpersonal, and people-management abilities are important, along with a genuine respect for internal policies and a willingness to over-communicate when coordination is required.

About the team

Wave has a fast-growing local presence across several African countries, with team members in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Uganda, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon, as well as remote colleagues around the world. The organization is strongly mission-driven and gives employees ownership over their work from problem definition through to implementation and monitoring. It is backed by major investors and is among Y Combinator’s top companies by revenue.

Application process

Applicants are asked to submit a resume in English together with a cover letter explaining their interest in Wave and in this role.

Equal opportunity

Wave is an equal opportunity employer and aims to maintain an inclusive workplace for people from all backgrounds.