Background

Adept Systems is a Kenyan company established in 1994, providing a full range of management consultancy services in the areas of human resources.

Job Purpose

The Head of Human Resources will provide strategic and operational leadership for the full people agenda across a large, labour-intensive manufacturing environment. The role will oversee industrial relations, HR administration, employee welfare, compliance and stakeholder engagement for a multi-site workforce, ensuring that people practices directly support production continuity, workforce productivity, quality, safety, cost discipline and responsible business performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the HR strategy for a large, labour-intensive, multi-site manufacturing operation, ensuring alignment with production continuity, workforce productivity, quality, safety, cost efficiency and business growth.
• Lead end-to-end HR operations across factory, technical, supervisory, administrative and leadership teams, ensuring consistent service delivery across shifts, sites and employee categories.
• Partner with operations leadership on manpower planning, workforce deployment, organization structure, labour utilization, absenteeism, overtime, attrition and labour cost controls required to meet production targets.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, deployment and retention of employees, with emphasis on speed, quality of hire, workforce readiness and continuity of critical skills.
• Maintain a stable industrial relations environment through proactive union engagement, collective bargaining, grievance handling, disciplinary processes, dispute resolution and fair application of employment policies.
• Ensure compliance with Kenyan labour laws, occupational health and safety requirements, social compliance standards, buyer codes of conduct, ethical sourcing expectations and global labour practice requirements.
• Lead social compliance audits, customer assessments, statutory inspections and remediation plans, ensuring audit readiness, accurate records, disciplined documentation and timely closure of corrective actions.
• Drive employee engagement, welfare, workplace dignity, inclusion, safeguarding, anti-harassment and well-being initiatives that improve morale, retention and productivity across the shop floor.
• Build capability through training systems, supervisory development, performance management, succession planning and career progression pathways that support operational excellence and leadership depth.
• Oversee administration services including transport, security, accommodation where applicable, canteen operations, general services, vendor management, emergency preparedness and cost-efficient service delivery.
• Manage relationships with labour authorities, regulators, government agencies, industry bodies, community leaders, NGOs and development partners, representing the company professionally in employment and community matters.
• Establish HR dashboards, governance routines and executive reporting that track workforce availability, labour cost, absenteeism, turnover, productivity, employee relations, compliance, audit actions and people-related business risks.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's degree in HR, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, Psychology, Law, or related field.
• Professional HR qualification (CIPD, SHRM, HRCI, CHRP-K or equivalent).
• Additional qualifications in Industrial Relations, Labor Law, or Organizational Development are advantageous.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience with at least 8 years in a management role within large-scale manufacturing environments.
• Proven experience in labour-intensive industries.
• Strong experience in unionized environments and CBA negotiations.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Experience working with international customers, compliance standards, and export-oriented businesses will be an added advantage.

Key Competencies

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Excellent communication, coaching and change leadership skills.
• Strong analytical orientation.
• High integrity
• Resilience, cultural sensitivity and sound judgment.

• Develop and execute the HR strategy for a large, labour-intensive, multi-site manufacturing operation, ensuring alignment with production continuity, workforce productivity, quality, safety, cost efficiency and business growth.
• Lead end-to-end HR operations across factory, technical, supervisory, administrative and leadership teams, ensuring consistent service delivery across shifts, sites and employee categories.
• Partner with operations leadership on manpower planning, workforce deployment, organization structure, labour utilization, absenteeism, overtime, attrition and labour cost controls required to meet production targets.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, deployment and retention of employees, with emphasis on speed, quality of hire, workforce readiness and continuity of critical skills.
• Maintain a stable industrial relations environment through proactive union engagement, collective bargaining, grievance handling, disciplinary processes, dispute resolution and fair application of employment policies.
• Ensure compliance with Kenyan labour laws, occupational health and safety requirements, social compliance standards, buyer codes of conduct, ethical sourcing expectations and global labour practice requirements.
• Lead social compliance audits, customer assessments, statutory inspections and remediation plans, ensuring audit readiness, accurate records, disciplined documentation and timely closure of corrective actions.
• Drive employee engagement, welfare, workplace dignity, inclusion, safeguarding, anti-harassment and well-being initiatives that improve morale, retention and productivity across the shop floor.
• Build capability through training systems, supervisory development, performance management, succession planning and career progression pathways that support operational excellence and leadership depth.
• Oversee administration services including transport, security, accommodation where applicable, canteen operations, general services, vendor management, emergency preparedness and cost-efficient service delivery.
• Manage relationships with labour authorities, regulators, government agencies, industry bodies, community leaders, NGOs and development partners, representing the company professionally in employment and community matters.
• Establish HR dashboards, governance routines and executive reporting that track workforce availability, labour cost, absenteeism, turnover, productivity, employee relations, compliance, audit actions and people-related business risks.

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Excellent communication, coaching and change leadership skills.
• Strong analytical orientation.
• High integrity
• Resilience, cultural sensitivity and sound judgment.

• Master's degree in HR, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, Psychology, Law, or related field.
• Professional HR qualification (CIPD, SHRM, HRCI, CHRP-K or equivalent).
• Additional qualifications in Industrial Relations, Labor Law, or Organizational Development are advantageous.