About This Role
This role is about building and maintaining the human backbone of a fast-paced hospitality operation. As HR Head for a café and catering company, you will be the bridge between business growth and workforce stability, managing everything from recruitment of front-line staff to ensuring labor law compliance across multiple branches. It suits an experienced HR professional who thrives in a hands-on, operational environment where people management directly impacts customer experience and service quality.
What the Requirements Say About This Role
The search is for someone who combines strategic HR thinking with the grit of daily operations in a service industry. The ideal candidate likely has experience managing high-turnover roles (like waitstaff and kitchen teams) and can design systems that keep a diverse workforce motivated and compliant. Expect that the employer values candidates who have previously handled multi-site HR challenges and can demonstrate both empathy and discipline in resolving workplace issues.
How to Approach This Application
In your application, emphasize practical examples of managing recruitment pipelines for hourly or shift-based staff, and show how you’ve improved retention or reduced conflicts in a similar setting. Highlight any experience with Ethiopian labor law compliance, payroll coordination, and performance management in a fast-paced service company. The employer will prioritize your ability to balance operational efficiency with a positive work culture, so mention specific initiatives you’ve led to support staff morale or streamline HR processes.
Who This Role Suits
This role is best suited for an HR professional with 5-8 years of experience in hospitality, retail, or food service, who enjoys being both a strategist and a hands-on problem solver. It is moderately competitive, as the sector’s unique demands narrow the candidate pool to those with relevant operational HR background.
Job Summary – HR Head
The HR Head oversees all human resource and administrative functions of the café and catering company. This role ensures the organization is staffed with qualified employees, maintains strong HR processes, supports a positive work culture, and ensures compliance with labor laws. The HR Head leads recruitment, onboarding, performance management, staff training, payroll coordination, discipline handling, and employee relations across all branches and kitchen operations. The position plays a key role in ensuring operational efficiency and a motivated workforce.
Job Description – HR Head (Café & Catering Company)
- Plan and execute recruitment for kitchen staff, waiters/waitresses, baristas, cleaners, drivers, storekeepers, and office staff.
- Develop job descriptions, post vacancies, screen CVs, and coordinate interviews.
- Maintain a staff roster to ensure all shifts are covered across café and catering operations.
- Conduct reference checks and ensure complete personnel files.
- Prepare employment contracts, ID cards, uniform issuance, and onboarding packages.
- Conduct orientation for new employees on policies, hygiene standards, food safety rules, and company culture.
- Ensure probation evaluations are completed on time.
- Design and implement performance evaluation tools suitable for kitchen and café staff.
- Coordinate quarterly appraisals and document results.
- Work with supervisors to identify performance gaps and recommend improvements.
- Identify skill gaps (customer service, food handling, hygiene, time management, etc.).
- Plan and conduct continuous training sessions for café, catering, and support staff.
- Maintain training records and track improvements.
- Prepare monthly attendance summary and overtime reports.
- Coordinate with Finance to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing.
- Manage staff benefits, leave balances, medical claims, and allowances.
- Maintain a positive, respectful work environment across all sites.
- Handle employee grievances, complaints, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions in line with company policy.
- Manage staff transfers, promotions, and terminations.
- Ensure compliance with Ethiopian labor laws, food safety standards, and health regulations.
- Maintain proper documentation: personnel files, contracts, warnings, trainings, and evaluations.
- Review and update HR policies, manuals, and procedures.
- Oversee office administration, supplies, utilities, transportation, and facility management.
- Support store and kitchen operations with manpower planning and coordination.
- Participate in management meetings and provide weekly HR reports.
- Contribute to workforce planning and organizational development.
- Build a culture of teamwork, accountability, and customer service excellence.
- Promote high standards of hygiene, safety, and professional behavior.
- BA Degree in HR Management, Business Administration, Management, or related field.
- 8+ years of experience in HR; experience in hospitality/café/catering is an advantage.
- Strong knowledge of Ethiopian labor law.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple sites.
How To Apply
Interested and qualified applicants are invited to submit their updated CV, cover letter, and relevant supporting documents to [email protected]
Please clearly specify the position title in the email subject line.
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