Executive Head of Department – Reward & OE (Internal / External) Full Time NEW

We are seeking an experienced leader to join Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC as the Executive Head of Department for Reward & OE. This role is pivotal in driving strategic direction and execution, offering data-driven insights to leaders on Organization Effectiveness (OE) and Reward practices. The successful candidate will shape policies, processes, and practices to enhance manpower planning and management, analyzing organizational structures, and providing expert advice on staffing, role changes, and reward strategies.

Role purpose

This role provides strategic leadership for Organization Effectiveness (OE) and Reward across the company. It ensures the organization is designed for high performance and demonstrates a reward practice that attracts, motivates, and retains top talent. The role sets direction, drives execution, and advises leaders on important OE and Reward practices and trends with data driven insights.

He/she demonstrates an in-depth understanding of Organization Effectiveness tools and operating models and helps shape policy, processes and practices to enable and improve simplified and effective manpower planning and management. 

The role holder analyses the Organizational structure, provides expert advice to determines changes in roles, staffing, formulation of reward, recognition and benefits strategies that attract recognize and retain talent. 

Key accountabilities 

Organization Design & Operating Modelling 

• understand the methodology of Organization sizing and management of headcount to support effective business planning and management. 
• Apply practical expertise in all OE disciplines—including organization sizing, job evaluation and grading, headcount planning, spans and layers design, and job architecture—to address organizational needs, recommend solutions, and ensure structures and processes are aligned to business objectives.
• Lead and coordinate strategic OE initiatives by guiding senior leaders through the design, development, and rollout of OE processes that directly enable delivery of the business strategy. This includes translating strategic priorities into actionable OE workplans and ensuring timely execution.
• Provide high‑quality advisory and operational support by inputting practical tools, and tailored OE and Reward solutions.
• Conducts consistent job evaluations with HRBPs for new and existing roles, ensuring fairness and structural alignment.
• Supports accurate, real‑time job architecture mapping and dashboard use to drive informed decisions.

Reward management 

• Leads annual salary survey exercise, analyzes results, and provides timely insights for reward proposals.
• Drives recognition programs and supports annual salary reviews in compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Change and project leadership 

• Lead and adapt to changing business needs and effectively manages people and organizational impacts.
• Defines scope and deliverables of change process in terms of time, cost, quality and business benefit.  
• Schedules activity and identifies resource needs, dependencies and synergies   
• Evaluates progress, mitigates risks and addresses issues. 
• Designs and program management of Engagement and People Survey aligned to strategies, practices, and Company 
• Leads OE projects to improve the simplicity and effectiveness of the business. 

   

  Functional Competencies: 

  Operational Efficiency 

• Development of organizational tools, policy, processes and practice that including policies and job architecture. 
• Optimizing the end-to-end experience of employees and deliver seamless, simple and integrated experience. 
• Tech Savviness. Automate processes. 
• Designs and deploys organization change models

OE Planning and Reporting 

• Regular reporting in line with business requests. 
• Assists the annual organizational “health check” 
• Partners with key stakeholders for HR budget and headcount planning. 
• Positive influencing ability across functions at a senior level and provides proactive and continuous diagnosis of organizational effectiveness to design 
• Ability to implement organizational improvements effectively. 

Core Competencies, knowledge & experience 

Business Competencies:

• Drive continuous improvement. 
• Alignment to the business need. 
• Use knowledge of products, technology, process, systems and policy to solve problems. 
• See problems in a comprehensive manner. 

Creativity and Innovation 

• Finds creative ways to exploit opportunities and solve problems. 
• Takes risks and pushes what possible. 
• Experiments with unorthodox approaches. 

Business Know how 

• Uses data and research to make decisions that are competitive and financially sound. 
• Balances current and future needs. 
• Thinks and acts like an owner of the business. 

Reward and Policy 

• Ability to build strategic relationship with line managers and key stakeholders. 
• People cost Budgeting, forecast and detailed budgeting skill. 
• Budget/actual variance analysis, reporting and communication to various functions. 
• Reward and Compensation Policies review in collaboration with the relevant functions. 
• Manage roll out of annual Total reward statements and related communication. 
• Leading awareness creation on reward, on bonus and salary review process 
• Manage the implementation of annual bonus and salary review proposals in line with approved guidelines. 
• Determine the competitive position of the company’s reward & benefits structure by participating in credible remuneration / salary survey clubs to foster the employer of choice proposition.           
• Builds and implements policies and programs that recognize, reward and retain the critical capabilities needed to achieve The Company’s strategic goals and business objectives. 
• Develops strategy to maximize The Company’s competitive position in the employment market. 

Financial Responsibility: 

• Total team compliment of 3700 FTE’s

Direct reports: 

•  3

Must have technical / professional qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in arts, social sciences & business 
• Higher National Diploma in Human Resources Management from an accredited institution. 
• 10 years’ total experience in leadership role, 4 of which must be in Reward and OE leadership role.  
• Ability to employ solid planning, strategic & decision-making skills. 
• Flair and passion for analysis, organization design and change management 
• Ability to influence professionals of senior management level and peers. 
• Exceptional interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills. 
• Ability to develop and maintain highly effective relationships, externally and internally. 
• Ability to employ conceptual business skills in understanding the organization’s bigger picture 
• Proficient business acumen. 
• Desired  
• Post-graduate degree in Business Administration or Human Resources will be an added advantage.  

   

                                            About Us

   

  At Safaricom Ethiopia, we are a purpose-led technology company dedicated to transforming lives through digital connectivity and inclusive financial services. In under four years, we have grown to serve over 10 million customers, with our network now reaching 55% of Ethiopia’s population – a testament to our bold vision and trusted partnerships.

   

  Guided by core values such as customer obsession, innovation, integrity, and getting it done together, we are building a workplace that is dynamic, inclusive, and empowering. We believe our greatest strength lies in our people. That’s why, for two consecutive years, we have proudly get earned the Top Employer Award – in recognition for our unwavering commitment to fostering a supportive, innovative, and inclusive environment to people.

   

  Join Safaricom Ethiopia and be part of a team that is shaping the digital future of Ethiopia. Here, your work has meaning, your voice matters, and your growth is our priority. Together, we are transforming lives for a digital future. 

   

  How to Apply

• If you feel that you are up to the challenge and possess the necessary qualification and experience, kindly proceed to create/ update your candidate profile on the recruitment portal and then Click on the apply button. Remember to attach your resume.
• https://egjd.fa.us6.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/STEP/job/1236