CARE RELIEF AID ORGANIZATION (CRO)

TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)

Position: Human Resources Officer (Volunteer)

Organization: Care ReliefAid Organization (CRO)

Position: Human Resources Officer (Volunteer)

Location: Nigeria Employment Type: Volunteer

Duration: Initially volunteer-based; subject to project availability and funding

Remuneration: Unpaid volunteer position at this stage. Compensation or project-based engagement may be considered when funding is secured.

Reports To: Head of Programmes / Executive Director

1. Organizational Background

Care ReliefAid Organization (CRO) is a strictly women-led, community-driven humanitarian and development organization committed to improving the lives of vulnerable populations through inclusive, rights-based, and sustainable interventions.

Founded on the principles of dignity, equity, and social justice, CRO works at the frontline of crisis response and long-term development, with a strong focus on women, girls, children, youth, and persons with disabilities.

CRO believes that empowering women to lead humanitarian and development action results in more responsive, accountable, and transformative programs for communities. The organization places women and girls at the center of solutions while ensuring no one is left behind.

2. Purpose of the Position

The Human Resources Officer (Volunteer) will support CRO in strengthening its human resources systems, policies, and procedures and ensuring that the organization is prepared to effectively recruit, manage, develop, and retain qualified personnel for current and future humanitarian and development projects.

The position will provide support across recruitment, personnel administration, employee relations, performance management, staff development, HR documentation, and compliance.

3. Key Responsibilities

Recruitment and Selection

• Support the development and review of job descriptions and Terms of Reference.
• Assist in preparing and posting vacancy announcements.
• Support the coordination of recruitment processes, including application screening, shortlisting, interviews, reference checks, and recruitment documentation.

Maintain an organized recruitment tracker and database.

Ensure recruitment processes are transparent, fair, inclusive, and based on merit.

• Support project teams in identifying staffing requirements during project start-up.  Maintain a pool/database of qualified candidates for future project opportunities.

Personnel Administration

• Maintain accurate and confidential personnel files for staff and volunteers.
• Support the preparation of employment contracts, consultancy agreements, volunteer agreements, and other HR documentation.
• Maintain an updated staff database and personnel tracker.
• Monitor contract start and end dates, probation periods, leave, and other key HR milestones.
• Support staff onboarding and orientation processes.
• Ensure personnel documentation is complete and properly filed.

HR Policies and Procedures

• Support the development, review, and implementation of CRO’s HR policies and procedures.
• Assist in ensuring HR practices are aligned with Nigerian labour requirements and applicable humanitarian/donor standards.
• Support the development of staff handbooks, HR forms, templates, and standard operating procedures.
• Identify HR process gaps and recommend practical improvements.

Performance Management

• Support the implementation of staff performance management systems.
• Assist managers in preparing performance objectives and appraisal processes.
• Maintain performance appraisal records and trackers.
• Support probation and performance review processes.
• Help identify staff capacity-building and training needs.

Staff Welfare and Employee Relations

• Support management in addressing routine staff welfare and employee-relations matters.  Promote a positive, respectful, inclusive, and professional workplace environment.
• Assist in documenting and following up on HR-related concerns in accordance with organizational policies.
• Promote staff awareness of organizational policies, Code of Conduct, safeguarding, and workplace standards.

Learning and Development

• Support the identification of staff training and professional development needs.
• Assist in coordinating internal trainings, orientations, workshops, and capacity-building activities.
• Maintain staff training and learning records.
• Support the development of an annual staff learning and development plan.

HR Compliance and Safeguarding

Support staff compliance with CRO’s Code of Conduct and organizational policies. Ensure new staff receive appropriate induction on safeguarding, PSEA, child protection, antifraud, conflict of interest, and other relevant policies.

• Maintain appropriate documentation of staff acknowledgements and policy briefings.
• Maintain strict confidentiality when handling personnel information.  Support HR-related audits and provide required documentation.

4. Project and Proposal Support

The HR Officer will provide HR inputs into project development and implementation by:

• Supporting the preparation of staffing structures for project proposals.
• Providing HR-related inputs into project budgets.
• Supporting the development of project organograms and staffing plans.
• Preparing recruitment timelines for new projects.
• Supporting rapid recruitment processes during project start-up.
• Maintaining a database of potential candidates for anticipated project positions.  Supporting project teams with HR documentation and personnel planning.

5. Expected Deliverables

The Volunteer HR Officer will contribute to:

• Updated staff and volunteer database.
• Recruitment tracker and candidate database.
• Standardized HR templates and documentation.
• Properly maintained personnel files.
• Staff onboarding and induction materials.
• Staff training and development tracker.
• Performance management and appraisal tracker.
• Staff contract and probation tracker.
• Updated HR policies and procedures.
• HR inputs for project proposals, budgets, and start-up plans.  Periodic HR reports for management. Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Management, Public Administration, Industrial Relations, Sociology, Psychology, or a related field.
• At least 1–3 years of relevant HR or administrative experience is desirable.
• Previous experience working with an NGO, humanitarian organization, or development organization is an advantage.
• Good understanding of recruitment, personnel administration, employee relations, and performance management.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel.
• Strong documentation, organizational, and administrative skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive personnel information. Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

7. Desirable Skills

• Experience supporting HR functions within humanitarian or development organizations.
• Knowledge of Nigerian labour and employment practices.
• Experience with NGO recruitment and project start-up.
• Experience developing HR policies, SOPs, and staff handbooks.
• Experience with HR databases and staff trackers.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, PSEA, Code of Conduct, and humanitarian principles.  Strong interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills.

8. Core Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Integrity and confidentiality.
• Professionalism and accountability.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Effective communication.
• Teamwork and collaboration.
• Problem-solving ability.
• Respect for diversity and inclusion.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to safeguarding and humanitarian principles.  Ability to work with minimal supervision.

9. Volunteer Engagement and Remuneration

This is an unpaid volunteer position at the current stage of CRO’s organizational development. The position is intended to strengthen CRO’s human resources capacity and organizational preparedness while the organization pursues and develops funded humanitarian and development projects.

There is currently no salary, stipend, or financial remuneration attached to the position.

However, where CRO secures funded projects requiring HR personnel, the organization may consider transitioning the volunteer engagement into a paid project-based or employment position, subject to available funding, project requirements, performance, and organizational procedures.

The volunteer will have the opportunity to gain practical experience in NGO human resources management, recruitment, project start-up, staff development, HR compliance, and humanitarian operations.

10. Safeguarding and Code of Conduct

The HR Officer will be required to comply fully with CRO’s policies and standards relating to:

• Child safeguarding and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
• Prevention of sexual harassment and abuse.
• Protection of vulnerable and affected populations.
• Anti-fraud and anti-corruption.
• Conflict of interest.
• Confidentiality and responsible information management.
• Code of Conduct.
• Gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Any form of exploitation, abuse, harassment, discrimination, fraud, corruption, or conflict of interest will not be tolerated.

10. Application Process

Interested candidates should submit via this link: https://forms.gle/zXY5afvqicq1SB8m8

Deadline for Application is on 30^th September 2026