People Operations Junior Specialist

Are you passionate about building systems, improving processes, and enabling teams to execute effectively? Would you describe yourself as highly organised, analytical, and quick to learn? Do you thrive in cross-functional environments where coordination, accountability, and attention to detail are critical? Does the opportunity to support operational excellence at ALX excite you?

About ALX Africa

ALX Africa, a non-profit organisation under the ALX Foundation, is dedicated to unlocking the potential of Africa's digital future. Formerly part of Sand Tech Holdings, we've embarked on an independent journey to provide world-class tech skills training and career acceleration programmes. Our mission is to bridge the digital divide, upskill and reskill talent, and create a generation of innovative leaders. By 2030, we aim to empower 2 million Africans to secure sustainable tech careers.

With hubs in 8 cities across Africa and counting, we provide safe access to quality learning and a dedicated network of expert instructors. Our innovative programmes equip learners with the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today's rapidly evolving tech industry. Through a combination of rigorous coursework, industry partnerships, and hands-on projects, we prepare our students for in-demand roles in software engineering, data science, and cybersecurity.

We achieve this by:

• Providing young professionals with access to the most in-demand tech skills that will power the future.
• Empowering the next generation of technology innovators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders through challenging, real-world coursework.
• Building a lifelong, impactful community of tech professionals that supports them at all stages of their career journey. 

Our impact thus far:

• 347k+ graduates since 2020
• 257k youth in work
• 31k youth starting own ventures
• 60k youth in jobs created by entrepreneurs

 Visit our website www.alxafrica.com to learn more about our digital revolution.

Role Summary

The People Operations Junior Specialist supports the day-to-day operations of the People Operations function by ensuring the smooth coordination of staff lifecycle processes and maintaining accurate staff data. This role supports onboarding, payroll coordination, offboarding, and process documentation while helping ensure operational consistency across multiple employing entities. The role also provides frontline operational support to staff by responding to People Operations–related requests and ensuring timely, clear, and helpful guidance on processes and policies.

Working closely with shared services teams (Talent Development & Experience, Finance, Legal, Business Automation, and IT Operations), the role helps ensure accurate staff records, efficient workflows, and clear communication regarding staff matters across the organisation.

Specific Responsibilities

• Coordinate operational processes related to onboarding, contract transitions, and offboarding for interns, freelancers, and full-time staff members.
• Support payroll preparation for short-term contracted staff members (interns and freelancers) by ensuring staff data, entity allocation, contracting, and compensation records are accurate and up to date.
• Maintain accurate staff records across internal systems, ensuring consistency in information such as roles, reporting lines, entity allocation, and compensation data.
• Maintain clear, up-to-date People Operations processes to ensure consistent execution of support workflows, and track SLA performance to support timely, reliable staff support.
• Respond to staff requests, providing timely, quality, clear, and helpful guidance while ensuring adherence to established procedures and SLAs.Coordinate operational workflows with shared services teams, ensuring dependencies, key handoffs, and critical alignment points are clearly tracked and monitored.
• Handle sensitive staff information with strict confidentiality and professionalism, ensuring appropriate access controls and data protection practices are in place.

Skill Requirements - Essential

• 1–3 years of experience supporting operational workflows in HR, People Operations, or a similar administrative or operations role.
• Exposure to HRIS platforms, payroll systems, or staff data management processes.
• Familiarity with processes such as onboarding, offboarding, payroll coordination, or contract administration.
• Capacity to create or maintain documentation for procedures and internal processes (e.g, SLAs, HR policies, etc.)
• High attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy.
• Strong proficiency in Google Workspace, especially Sheets, Slides, and Docs.

Skill Requirements - Preferred

• Empathy and a people-centred mindset.
• Experience in fast-growing or distributed organisations.
• Experience with HRIS platforms such as HiBob.
• Familiarity with HR analytics and reporting.
• Background in systems improvement or process automation.

Person Specification/Attributes

• Courage: Willingness to speak up, challenge the status quo, and embrace new challenges.
• Humility: Openness to learning, seeking help when needed, and a focus on serving others.
• Adventure: A passion for setting ambitious goals, tackling difficult tasks, and finding joy in the journey.
• Initiative: Proactive problem-solving, a sense of ownership, and a willingness to go above and beyond.
• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks, persevere through challenges, and emerge stronger.

This role requires strong self-management, proactive communication, and the ability to collaborate effectively in a distributed, cross-functional environment. The successful candidate should be comfortable working across teams and time zones, using digital collaboration tools, and maintaining momentum in a remote-first setting.