Project Officer: Talent Acquisition & Onboarding at Panagora Group

Position Summary

The Technical Support Services (TSS) Activity helps USAID/Southern Africa and Regional Health Office (RHO) to address technical priorities and develop creative, innovative solutions to strategically allocate resources, strengthen connections with partners, and replicate best practices and effective program models. Through the TSS contract, Panagora Group augments capacity by providing technical, operational, and administrative support to USAID’s largest health portfolio. TSS deploys advisors in response to USAID requests for priority work with government stakeholders, implementing partners, and/or other entities. TSS supports Health Office staff and teams to integrate creative solutions into routine work. TSS also provides international and local expertise for surge support, as needed, for USAID Program Cycle requirements, planning, development, outreach, communications, and Health Office human resource functions.

The assignment will focus on all aspects of the recruitment and onboarding of Activity Office staff and consultants. This includes sourcing and attracting qualified candidates, streamlining screening, selection, and hiring practices, and ensuring an excellent candidate experience from first contact through onboarding.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities 

• The Project Officer: Talent Acquisition & Onboarding will support and/or lead one or more of the following tasks, core activities, and deliverables as listed below and as assigned by their POC based on TSS quarterly work plans with USAID:

Recruitment

• Manage recruitment efforts for both South Africa-based and regional positions
• Screen candidates by reviewing CVs and job applications, conducting phone screenings, and presenting hiring managers with recommendations for the most suitable candidates 
• Conduct thorough intake sessions with hiring managers to gain deep insights into their staffing needs
• Continuously refine job advertisements that resonate with prospective candidates. Develop outreach campaigns (through platforms such as LinkedIn), source qualified candidates, and efficiently fulfill staffing requirements
• Conduct thorough professional reference checks for candidates
• Prioritize and ensure a positive candidate experience by fostering proactive communication, implementing a well-structured recruitment process, and offering comprehensive information to candidates about Panagora's culture and benefits
• Screen candidates recommending best suited to hiring managers 
• Ensure the timely and accurate preparation of all relevant recruitment documentation 
• Provide functional oversight of applicant tracking systems and other tools to collect data efficiently and effectively, analyze and evaluate information 
• Collaborate closely with the Deputy Chief of Party: Operations and Deputy Chief of Party: Technical to analyze the recruitment process, pinpoint bottlenecks, and explore new recruitment sources. 
• Ensure all recruitment activities adhere to legal requirements and compliance standards
• Provide input to the overall recruitment/advertising process including budget 

Database Management 

• Manage the candidate/ consultant databases striving continuously to populate with appropriate candidates 
• Ensure that the international candidate and consultant databases are kept current and user-friendly 
• Continuously source new recruitment sites and update recruitment sources database 
• As appropriate, provide training on database use and management to hiring managers and other staff members as needed 

Supervision

• Provides coaching, guidance and mentorship to direct report(s) where needed 
• Set targets and objectives for assigned area and delivers results 
• Grows team expertise to align with program and organizational direction while continually looking for ways to provide / enhance the value delivered 
• Track, monitor and effectively addresses and / or rewards performance of supervisee 
• Manage employee in compliance with all HR policies, procedures, guidelines 

Employee Onboarding

• Develop and implement comprehensive onboarding programs to facilitate a seamless transition for new hires (including consultants) into the organization
• Collaborate with various departments to ensure a holistic onboarding experience, covering areas such as HR paperwork, IT setup, orientation sessions for HR and technical, and introductions to key team members
• Act as a point of contact for new employees during the onboarding process, addressing questions, concerns, and providing support as needed

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in HR, Business Administration, or another relevant field
• A minimum of three to five years of experience, including progressively responsible work experience in Talent Acquisition/ Recruitment 
• Working knowledge of USAID and other international donor agencies preferred
• Demonstrated success at recruiting for technical positions preferably in public health, data analytics, strategic information, or other related technical field
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills
• Experience with Google, Adobe, and other related software and platforms is a plus
• Proven capacity to work independently, take initiative and have a willingness to learn new skills as needed
• Strong relationship building and maintaining skills