People Operations Manager (Site Based Teams)

People Ops Manager, Site-Based Teams 

CrossBoundary Energy 

About the firm 

CrossBoundary Energy develops, owns, and operates distributed renewable energy solutions for businesses, offering cheaper and cleaner energy through power purchase and lease agreements.  

With a US$800M portfolio of awarded, signed, in-construction, and operating energy assets, the company boasts over 600 MWp of solar PV, wind generation, and thermal projects and over 1 GWh of battery energy storage solutions. Its clients include industry leaders like Rio Tinto, Ivanhoe, Unilever, Diageo, Heineken, and the Devki Group.  

The diverse portfolio features large-scale renewable-led hybrid power plants for mines, rooftop and ground-mount solar PV plants for industrial clients and distributed solar PV and battery power solutions for telecommunications sites.  

As a member of the CrossBoundary Group, founded in 2011, CrossBoundary Energy is dedicated to unlocking the power of capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. Learn more at www.crossboundaryenergy.com. 

What you'll do 

We're looking for a strategic, execution-oriented People leader to build the systems our site-based teams need and to run them personally while they take hold. Our technicians, plant operators, and site supervisors work shifts, work with their hands, and often work without a desk. You will design the People architecture that fits how they actually work, then deliver it on the ground across our operating markets in partnership with relevant leaders. 

Primary Responsibilities 

Compliance 

• With the support of external advisors, build a working knowledge of employment law in every market where our site-based teams operate 

• Ensure ongoing compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, maintain accurate statutory records, and proactively address labour law gaps to protect CBE and its employees from potential risk. 
• Review and update contract templates, policies, and people process so they meet local labor law, and confirm compliance across markets on a set cadence 

Compensation

• ​​​Build and curate market-specific compensation structures that are aligned with our pay philosophies 
• Own the compensation structures for site roles, and recommend adjustments as local markets shift 

• Design and administer a benefits package for site-based staff, covering medical cover and other locally relevant protections  
• Manage benefits vendor relationships in each market, and resolve the issues employees raise about coverage 

HR Operations 

• Support site leaders and country directors/managers to design and implement people operations that keep operations running smoothly while balancing employee well-being and employment law compliance  

Onboarding and Offboarding 

• Lead the development of onboarding content and workflows that are customized for site needs 
• Support site leaders to run onboarding for new site hires, including safety induction and role-specific training 
• Manage offboarding so departures close out cleanly in line with local labour requirements, covering final pay, documentation, and knowledge transfer 

Employee Support 

• Act as a first point of contact for employee issues at site level, and resolve grievances and day-to-day concerns as they surface 
• With support from the wider team as appropriate, own formal employee relations cases, including investigations and disciplinary processes, through to resolution 

Site Operations: 

• Review and enhance existing systems and processes, incorporating lessons learned from sites such as Kamoa and QMM to improve operational efficiency and scalability. 

Ways of Working 

• Support site leaders and teams to stay connected to company culture and values via channels and practices that fit deskless, shift-based teams 
• Adapt firm policies and messaging for site context without losing what they're meant to protect 

• Support site leaders and the recruitment team to run hiring for site-based roles that are best done locally (e.g. frontline operator roles): sourcing, assessment, and offer, calibrated to what predicts success in the field 

The skills you will need to be successful: 

• Strategic acumen to design People systems for a frontline, deskless workforce, rather than adapt ones built for an office 
• Execution skill to turn a blank page into a working framework, then run it yourself 
• Multi-country experience in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with working knowledge of local labour law and hiring across several jurisdictions. 
• Strong digital fluency, with the ability to use tools such as Excel, Word, SharePoint, Dynamics, and AI to analyse data, manage information, and structure work efficiently 
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written French is a strong advantage, since a significant and growing share of our sites and site teams sit in francophone markets 
• Willingness to travel to the DRC is a must, and the ability to be frequently in the field from day one 

Locations

 Nairobi, Kenya; Cape Town, DRC, South Africa; or Mauritius 
If you’re based in the DRC, please refer to the French version of the job description linked here

Travel 

This role will require frequent travel to support leaders and teams on the ground and ensure that our systems and processes are established and operating effectively. 

Think you have what it takes but are not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply for roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often apply only when they meet every requirement. If you're passionate about what we're building, we want to hear from you! 

Equal Opportunity Employer 

CrossBoundary is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected]. 

Data Processing 

By applying for this position, you acknowledge that CrossBoundary will collect and process your personal data for recruitment and employment-related purposes, in accordance with applicable data protection laws and our Privacy Policy. Your information will be handled confidentially and only shared with relevant parties where necessary for the recruitment process or as required by law.