HR Manager

BURN · Blantyre, Malawi

Posted November 4, 2026Listing expires November 11, 2026

About the Role

The HR Manager leads the full employee lifecycle for the organization in Malawi, from workforce planning and recruitment to employee relations, pay, development and exit. The role makes sure every people practice complies with Malawian labour law and with the statutory authorities that regulate employers.

Key responsibilities

Strategic HR leadership

• Partner with senior management to align HR strategy, workforce plans and budgets with business goals.
• Advise leadership on organizational design, restructuring, localisation and succession planning.
• Prepare HR reports and analytics (headcount, turnover, absenteeism, cost of labour) for management and the board.

Recruitment, onboarding and workforce planning

• Manage end-to-end recruitment, including job evaluation, advertising, shortlisting, interviews, reference and qualification checks.
• Issue compliant contracts of employment and written particulars, and run a structured induction and probation process.
• Manage the recruitment of expatriate staff, including work permit and visa applications and the case for localisation.

Employee relations and discipline

• Handle grievances, disciplinary hearings, suspensions, terminations, redundancies and retrenchments fairly and in line with the law.
• Maintain constructive relations with any recognized trade union, including collective bargaining and recognition agreements.
• Represent the organization in conciliation, the Ministry of Labour, and the Industrial Relations Court, working with legal counsel.

Compensation, benefits and payroll

• Design and review salary structures, grading, allowances and benefits against the Malawi market.
• Oversee monthly payroll, with accurate statutory deductions, remittances and filings.
• Administer medical, group life, pension and other employee benefits and manage the related vendors and brokers.

Performance, learning and talent development

• Run the performance management cycle, including goal setting, appraisals, performance improvement plans and calibration.
• Plan and budget for training, in line with the organization’s TEVET levy obligations, and track capacity building.
• Lead talent, leadership and succession programmes.

Culture, wellbeing, health and safety

• Promote a respectful, inclusive workplace and handle harassment, gender and disability matters.
• Run wellness, HIV and AIDS workplace and occupational health and safety programmes.
• Lead employee engagement and communication, including surveys and exit interviews.

HR operations, policy and systems

• Develop, review and communicate the HR policy manual, staff handbook and procedures.
• Maintain accurate employee records and an HRIS, protecting personal data in line with data protection law.
• Manage the HR budget, vendors, and the supervision, coaching and performance of the HR team.

Statutory and compliance duties

The HR Manager owns compliance with the laws and regulators below, keeps registrations and filings current, and reports any exposure to management. Rates and thresholds change, so confirm current figures with each authority before acting.

Employment Act (as amended, including the 2021 amendment)

• Ensure employees have written employment contracts and documented employment particulars.
• Manage probation periods and working hours, including overtime.
• Ensure compliance with leave entitlements, including annual, sick, maternity and family leave.
• Manage notice periods, termination, severance and redundancy processes.
• Prevent forced labour and child labour.

Labour Relations Act (as amended in 2021) and Ministry of Labour

• Manage trade union recognition and collective bargaining processes.
• Handle labour conciliation and employee disputes.
• Ensure compliance with strike regulations.
• Manage cases referred to the Industrial Relations Court.

Minimum Wage Orders (Ministry of Labour)

• Ensure employee salaries meet or exceed the gazetted minimum wage for each job category.

Pension Act 2023 and Reserve Bank of Malawi (Registrar of Financial Institutions)

• Ensure all eligible employees are enrolled in a pension scheme.
• Deduct and remit minimum pension contributions of 10% (employer) and 5% (employee) of pensionable pay.
• Ensure contributions are remitted to a licensed pension administrator by the 14th of the following month.
• Maintain employee life insurance cover.
• Prevent pension contribution arrears and associated penalties.

Taxation Act and Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA)