We're making Africa the first cashless continent.
In 2017, over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa had no bank account. That's for good reason—the fees are too high, the closest branch can be miles away, and nobody takes cards. Without access to financial institutions, people are forced to keep their savings under the mattress. Small business owners rely on lenders who charge extortionate rates. Parents spend hours waiting in line to pay school fees in cash.
We're solving this by building financial services that just work: no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere. In places where electricity, water and roads don't always work, you can still send money with Wave. In 2017, we launched a mobile app in Senegal for cash deposit, withdrawal, and peer-to-peer and business payments. Now, we have millions of users across six countries and are growing fast.
Our goal is to make Africa the first cashless continent and that's where you come in...
How you'll help us achieve it
Wave is now the largest financial institution in Senegal, with over 7 million users. And, we’re still in the early days of our product roadmap and potential impact on people’s everyday lives.
As a People Partner (HRBP) for Field Operations at Wave, you will collaborate closely with operational leaders in one of our operating countries (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, or Uganda). You will design and implement people strategies that drive success and operational excellence. You’ll play a key role in aligning organizational goals, fostering team development, and ensuring our culture and operations scale effectively to meet the demands of field operations.
In this role, you’ll;
- Build trusted relationships with leaders in Field Operations, acting as their primary advisor on organizational design, talent strategies, and team dynamics.
- Collaborate with departmental heads to develop and execute people strategies that enable these teams to deliver exceptional outcomes while scaling sustainably.
- Use people analytics to anticipate workforce needs and address challenges proactively, focusing on the operational and logistical demands of field teams.
- Work with Field Operations leaders to define and develop leadership competencies tailored to the unique challenges of operational environments.
- Partner with the Learning & Development team to implement leadership programs that foster innovation, collaboration, and high performance in field-based roles.
- Support career pathing for Field Operations teams, ensuring employees have clear opportunities to grow within Wave’s unique structure.
- Advocate for Wave’s values, ensuring Field Operations teams operate with a culture that aligns with our mission and field realities.
- Collaborate with leaders and Culture Ambassadors to design engagement initiatives that resonate with the needs of field teams.
- Partnering with the team leads to building inclusive, feedback-driven environments that empower team members to excel.
- Work closely with leaders to design team structures that enhance agility, collaboration, and rapid execution in field settings.
- Support change management initiatives within Field Operations, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals and a seamless employee experience.
- Collaborate with People Operations to manage resource allocations and ensure these departments are equipped to meet their objectives.
- Leverage people analytics to inform workforce planning and measure the effectiveness of people initiatives within Field Operations.
- Track and report on key metrics such as retention, engagement, and team performance, using insights to guide strategic adjustments.
Key Details
- This position will be based in one of our operating countries (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, or Uganda).
- Wave covers travel once per year to one of our operating countries in Africa, as well as a yearly stipend of $800 to meet with coworkers nearby to your home location.
- Our salaries are competitive and are calculated using a transparent formula. For this role, depending on your experience, we offer a competitive salary, plus a generous equity.
Requirements
- Minimum 8-10 years of progressive HR experience.
- Previous experience in HR consulting or Operational HRBP roles.
- Demonstrated ability to navigate complex organizational structures and influence across leadership teams.
- Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
- Fluent in both English and French
You might be a good fit if you
- Excel at designing people solutions that align with the goals of Field Operations and scale effectively.
- Understand the dynamics of operational teams, including the challenges of scaling innovation and collaboration.
- Are data-driven, use metrics and insights to inform decisions and evaluate the impact of people strategies.
- Thrive in cross-functional environments, are a collaborative leader, and can inspire without direct authority.
- Perform well in a fast-paced and evolving environment, and can pivot quickly as needed.
- We have a rapidly growing in-country team in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, and Uganda, plus remote team members spread across the world.
- We're deeply passionate about our mission of bringing radically affordable financial services to the people who need them most.
- We foster autonomy for our employees. You'll own your projects at every stage, from understanding the problem to monitoring your solution in production.
- We raised the largest Series A in Africa in 2021. Our world-class investors, include Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator, and Partech Africa.
- In 2023, we were on Y Combinator's top 50 companies by revenue.
How to apply
Fill out the form below, and upload a resume in English and a cover letter describing your interest in Wave and the role.
We review applications frequently and recommend that you apply to the role that most closely aligns with your skills, experience and career goals.
Wave is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
What We Do
We're making Africa the first cashless continent.
In 2017, nearly 60% of adults in sub-Saharan Africa had no bank account. That's for good reason—the fees are too high, the closest branch can be miles away, and nobody takes cards. Without access to financial institutions, people are forced to keep their savings under the mattress. Small business owners rely on lenders who charge extortionate rates. Parents spend hours waiting in line to pay school fees in cash.
We're solving this by building financial services that just work: no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere. In places where electricity, water and roads don't always work, you can still send money with Wave. In November 2017, we launched a mobile app in Senegal for cash deposit, withdrawal, and peer-to-peer and business payments. In 2019, we expanded to Cote D'Ivoire. Now, we have millions of users and are growing fast.
Our goal is to drive financial inclusion and make Africa the first cashless continent
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