Human Resources (HR) Consultants (Manager Level)

Human Resources Consultant (Manager Level)
The Beneficial Knowledge Group (The BKG)

• Independent Consultant Roster
• Home-based in the US or abroad
• 2 Openings

About The BKG
The Beneficial Knowledge Group (The BKG) is a Massachusetts-based consulting, training, and staffing firm that strengthens the systems, controls, and teams organizations rely on to deliver their mission. We serve government agencies, NGOs, universities, medical and research centers, and private companies in the US and internationally, including French speaking countries.

The Role
The HR Consultant delivers human resources consulting work within each BKG engagement and supports other BKG services as agreed. In coordination with the HR Senior Consultant, the Engagement Lead, and the other functional teams, you will contribute to the full range of The BKG’s HR services: workforce planning, HR structures and culture, change management, HR processes, HR risk, HR performance, and HR controls, compliance, and policies.

Engagements range from a single activity to an entire organization, and from assessment and recommendations to hands-on guidance through implementation. You will provide clear and concise findings and practical implementation guidelines and, when required, oversee and advise client staff as they put improvements in place, so that the client’s HR function and overall operations become stronger as a result.

Key Responsibilities

Consulting role
• Contribute to The BKG’s consulting services across strategic planning, organizational development, change management, stakeholder engagement, project management, process improvement, risk management, performance measurement and evaluation, internal controls, compliance, and policy development, focusing on human resources while supporting the wider engagement team
• Carry out assessments of the client’s HR function, including structures, staffing models, HR capacity, workplace climate, and HR systems
• Review HR policies, processes, controls, contracts, payroll, and personnel records, documenting results, exceptions, and their causes
• Evaluate HR performance against agreed indicators and objectives, and analyze the causes of gaps
• Provide practical guidance and advice to client supervisors and staff on HR good practice
• Help client staff implement approved improvements, such as revised HR policies, organizational structures, payroll controls, and performance management processes

Strategic and organizational support
• Support the HR Senior Consultant in strategic planning, organizational development, change management, and stakeholder engagement work, including research, analysis, and facilitation of meetings and workshops
• Conduct staff interviews, focus groups, and stakeholder consultations, and summarize results clearly

Project, process, risk, and performance
• Plan and manage HR projects, such as recruitment drives, staff transitions, and HR system rollouts, from startup to closeout
• Map HR processes, including recruitment, onboarding, payroll, performance management, and separation, and recommend streamlined procedures
• Identify and assess HR risks, including key person dependency, payroll fraud, labor disputes, and safeguarding, and recommend practical mitigation
• Develop HR indicators, such as turnover, time to fill, and training completion, and evaluate results

Specialized assessments
• Test personnel files, contracts, performance records, and payroll against salary scales, including checks for unverified employees, timely removal of separated staff, and accurate statutory deductions
• Assess HR internal controls, including segregation of duties over recruitment, payroll, and personnel records
• Review the compliance of HR policies, contracts, and practices, in line with US federal and state labor law, national labor codes, collective agreements, and social security rules in the countries of operation
• Develop or update HR manuals, employee handbooks, job descriptions, and HR SOPs, when included in the engagement

Coordination, reporting, and implementation guidance
• Maintain complete, well-organized working papers that support every finding
• Provide the HR Senior Consultant with clear and concise findings and recommendations for the final report
• Coordinate with the other functional teams to avoid gaps and overlaps, and contribute to findings meetings when requested
• Develop practical implementation guidelines, and deliver capacity-building sessions for client staff when included in the engagement
• When required, oversee and advise client staff on implementing recommendations, working alongside them; client staff remain responsible for carrying out the work
• Coordinate with the HR Officer and any field support personnel on shared tasks

Key Deliverables
• Working papers, analyses, and testing results for all assigned areas
• Clear and concise findings and recommendations for the HR Senior Consultant
• HR implementation guidelines and training materials
• Draft manuals, SOPs, or plans, when included in the engagement
• Implementation oversight notes, when applicable

Service Standards
• A thorough, well-informed, and evidence-based process on every assignment
• Clear, concise findings, ready for Senior Consultant review with minimal revision
• Excellent mastery of US and international HR rules, including those of French speaking countries
• Irreproachable professionalism, integrity, objectivity, and confidentiality

Qualifications

Required
• 7+ years of progressive HR experience, including Manager-level roles in NGOs, institutions, or private companies, in the US and/or internationally
• Extensive experience working on or managing projects with strong human resources, staffing, and administration components, for grant-funded organizations and/or private companies
• Demonstrated experience delivering advisory services such as strategic planning, organizational development, change management, process improvement, risk management, or performance measurement and evaluation
• Extensive knowledge of human resources and mastery of US federal and state labor law, national labor codes, collective agreements, and social security rules, including those of French speaking countries
• Ability to produce clear, concise, evidence-based findings and implementation guidelines
• Full professional proficiency in English; ability to read French fluently and communicate in conversational French
• Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent (such as a Licence) in HR, Business Administration, or a related field
• Availability to travel domestically and internationally when engagements require

Preferred
• Experience with organizations in the US and/or internationally, including French speaking countries, across the public, non-profit, academic, and private sectors
• Knowledge of USAID and other US federal funders, the Gates Foundation and other philanthropic organizations, and multilateral funders such as the EU, UN agencies, and the World Bank
• SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR, CIPD, or PMD Pro certification, or international equivalent

Engagement Terms
• Independent consultant on The BKG roster (1099 for US-based consultants, or equivalent status abroad), engaged per assignment under a separate consulting agreement. This is not an employment relationship.
• Consultants may accept or decline any assignment, control the methods, means, and hours of their work, and remain free to serve other clients, subject to conflict of interest and confidentiality requirements. They are not entitled to employee benefits.
• Compensation: a daily fee equal to the consultant rate negotiated and agreed in writing with The BKG for each assignment.

Travel, Per Diem, and Travel Costs
• Domestic and international travel is a strong possibility on most engagements, but it is not guaranteed.
• For each day of authorized travel, consultants receive a per diem at GSA rates within the US or U.S. Department of State rates abroad.
• Approved travel costs, such as airfare, ground transportation, visa fees, and required vaccinations, are paid or reimbursed by The BKG.
• Per diem and travel costs are paid in addition to the negotiated fee.

Equipment and Insurance
• Consultants provide their own work equipment, including a secure laptop, mobile phone, and reliable internet access.
• Consultants arrange their own health coverage (including medical evacuation), travel insurance, and general liability insurance, and handle their own taxes and statutory obligations.

Code of Conduct
All consultants sign and comply with The BKG Code of Conduct. The BKG has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. Client information is handled in strict confidence, and conflicts of interest must be disclosed before deployment.

How to Apply
Send the following in PDF format to staffing@thebeneficialknowledgegroup.com:
1. CV highlighting HR management, field operations, and consulting or review experience
2. Letter of motivation stating your expertise, language skills in English and French, expected daily fee (USD) as a basis for negotiation, availability, and willingness to travel
3. Three professional references with name, title, organization, and contact details

Subject line: Application: Human Resources Consultant (Manager Level) | [Your Full Name]

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Selected candidates undergo technical screening and background verification. Roster selection does not guarantee assignment volume.

The BKG is an Equal Opportunity Firm.

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