Officer – HR Admin & Coordination Full Time

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science, improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations with support from the Philippine government. The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and over 1,000 staff. Working with in-country partners, IRRI develops advanced rice varieties that yield more grain and better withstand pests and disease as well as flooding, drought, and other harmful effects of climate change.

The IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) is an IRRI regional facility that supports research collaboration, training, and service provision to institutions, scientists, and other stakeholders from India and other South Asian and African nations. The centre aims to enhance South-South collaboration and strengthen the capacity of rice growing countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in crop production and seed quality and enhance farmers’ income. It also seeks to deliver research for development services for the private and public sectors through its state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for grain quality, crop production, and nutritional quality. Lastly, it enables knowledge transfer through short courses on rice-based agri-food systems and other IRRI Education products within the region.

Job Purpose

Under the guidance of the Human Resources Business Partner, the position is responsible for ensuring the integrity, consistency, and quality of HR‑related administrative, consultant, and procurement‑linked processes within the India Office.

The role operates across multiple inter‑dependent workflows involving HR operations, consultant engagement and payments, and HR admin work, requiring a high level of procedural understanding, judgment, and stakeholder engagement.

The incumbent is accountable for executing and monitoring complex, multi‑step processes, identifying gaps or risks that may impact compliance, service delivery, or audit readiness, and advising on corrective actions to sustain organizational standards.

The role requires close coordination with Finance, Procurement, IT, project teams, and HQ functions, accurate, and compliant delivery of transactions.

The position plays a critical role in maintaining governance and process discipline, particularly in areas with heightened audit sensitivity such as consultant administration, contractual documentation, payments, and system records. In addition to operational delivery, the role contributes to continuous improvement by recommending process enhancements, standardizing practices, and supporting stakeholders in adhering to established policies and procedures.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Coordinate administrative activities related to the recruitment process, including liaison with HQ, generation of recruitment paperwork (RP), and logistical arrangements for interviews.
• Maintain and manage individual staff and consultant personnel files, ensuring completion and accuracy of onboarding documentation in line with institutional requirements.
• Update and maintain staff information in OCS, including onboarding, changes during employment, and exit processing.
• Maintain an up‑to‑date staffing and consultant MIS covering payroll inputs, probation status, exits, qualifications, medical insurance, and recruitment tracking.
• Track and coordinate staff probation confirmation processes and follow up with managers as per defined timelines.
• Draft, issue, and maintain employment contracts, appointment letters, and related HR documentation.
• Compile and track invoices for short‑term associates and consultants, and coordinate consultant payment processing in line with established procedures and timelines.
• Coordinate logistical arrangements for employee engagement initiatives such as learning and development sessions, staff meetings, and health and wellness activities.
• Respond to routine staff queries related to OCS transactions, leave management, employment letters, and other standard HR administrative processes.
• Coordinate regularly with the HR team at HQ to support OCS updates, issuance of employment-related letters, completion of documentation, and administration of benefits such as child education and medical insurance enrolment.
• Engage with consultants and short-term associates to ensure timely and accurate submission of invoices and required supporting documents.
• Follow up with internal stakeholders (HR, Finance, IT, and line managers) to facilitate timely completion of HR-related actions and approvals.
• Communicate process requirements, documentation needs, and timelines clearly to staff and consultants to enable efficient service delivery.
• Manage end-to-end onboarding of selected staff, including verification of credentials and completion of all mandatory employment documentation.
• Facilitate staff induction processes by issuing welcome communications and coordinating with IT and Finance to ensure timely system access and administrative readiness.
• Ensure accurate and timely maintenance of the staffing MIS, with regular updates to support payroll processing, probation tracking, exits, and reporting requirements.
• Issue contract-end notifications and related employment letters to managers and staff within defined timelines.
• Track probation periods and send regular reminders to managers to enable timely probation confirmation decisions.
• Manage staff and consultant personal files in both electronic and physical formats, in compliance with local labour laws and IRRI record-keeping standards.
• Update staff and consultant payroll input sheets monthly and coordinate submission with the Finance team.
• Ensure all HR and consultant records are maintained with due regard to confidentiality, data accuracy and audit readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 2–4 years of relevant experience in HR administration or coordination roles.

Skills Required

Mandatory

• Experience in HR data administration and records management.
• Ability to prioritise assigned work efficiently.
• Strong document management and filing skills (electronic and physical).
• Ability to multitask.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools, including Excel, Word, Google Workspace, and PowerPoint.

Preferred

• Experience in managing administrative aspect of recruitment and selection.

IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances.

Join our team and be part of our story!

This role will be based in Varanasi, India.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

This position will remain open until filled.