Job Opportunity: Group Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO)_ OVID Holding position available at OVID HOLDING in Addis Ababa. Human Resource and Recruitment, Management jobs in Ethiopia are in high demand. Apply now through GeezJobs - Ethiopia's leading job portal.

About Ovid Holdings

Ovid Holdings is a fast-growing, multi-entity group at the heart of Ethiopia’s construction, real estate and infrastructure ecosystem. We design, build and operate housing, commercial projects, industrial parks and related services that are reshaping Ethiopia’s cities and economy.

The Group is installing a modern Scaling Up–aligned Operating System – with clear councils for People, Strategy, Execution and Corporate Finance – to deliver our growth ambition with discipline, speed and professionalism.

We are now recruiting a strategic, execution-focused Group Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) to architect and lead our People System end-to-end.

Our Culture & Great Place to Work Journey

We are serious about building a workplace where people are proud to work, grow and stay.

• We aim for Ovid to be recognized as a Great Place to Work™–level employer in Ethiopia and the region, built on trust, credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.

• The CHCO will lead this journey: defining our Employee Value Proposition (EVP), running regular engagement and culture surveys, and, when ready, preparing the Group for Great Place to Work® certification.

We don’t just want more policies; we want a high-trust, high-performance culture that can stand on any global stage.

The Opportunity

This is not a maintenance HR role. It is a build and transform mandate.

You will:

• Architect and lead the Group’s People Operating System – org design, role architecture, performance & rewards, leadership pipeline and people analytics.

• Chair the People Council, partnering with the Deputy Group CEO, Group CEO, Group CFO and business leaders across 20+ entities.

• Transform Talent Acquisition from an “order-taking” function into a strategic talent allocation engine that lifts Talent Density and Return on Payroll (ROP).

• Build leadership and management capability through OVID Academy and steer our journey towards Great Place to Work™–level culture and, when appropriate, certification.

• Shape and communicate a compelling Employer Value Proposition (EVP) that helps Ovid attract, grow and retain outstanding Ethiopian and regional talent.

Key Responsibilities

1. People Strategy & Operating System

• Design and implement a Group-wide People Strategy and Operating System aligned to the Group’s growth ambition and strategic projects.

• Institutionalize the People OS: org design standards, role scorecards, performance and compensation frameworks, leadership pipeline and people analytics.

• Chair the People Council and ensure strong interfaces with Strategy, Execution, Corporate Finance, Digital & Data and OVID Academy.

2. Organization Design & Workforce Planning

• Own the Group Organization Blueprint (spans & layers, entity structures, critical roles and capabilities).

• Implement clear accountability maps (who owns which functions and key processes).

• Lead workforce planning (3–5-year view and annual headcount plans) aligned to growth priorities and financial constraints.

3. Talent Acquisition & Talent Density

• Redesign Talent Acquisition into a strategic, data-driven function.

• Ensure all critical roles use Job Scorecards, structured interviews and robust reference checks.

• Build pipelines to attract and convert A-/B+ players into the Group’s Top-100 roles and scarce specialist roles.

4. Leadership, Management & OVID Academy

• Co-design and oversee OVID Academy as the engine for management, leadership and technical capability.

• Launch and sustain a Manager Foundations program (1:1s, coaching, feedback, huddles, performance).

• Run talent reviews and succession planning – with clear successors for critical roles and tracked development plans.

5. Performance, Rewards & Workforce Economics

• Implement a performance management system that directly links individual and team scorecards to:

  • Revenue growth

  • EBITDA improvement

  • Group valuation uplift

• Lead compensation and benefits strategy: pay bands, bonus logic and retention mechanisms within agreed envelopes.

• Partner closely with the Corporate Finance Council / Group CFO to track and improve Return on Payroll (ROP) and overall workforce productivity.

6. Culture, Engagement & Great Place to Work Journey

• Embed core values and leadership behaviors into hiring, onboarding, performance, recognition and promotion.

• Lead engagement and people health: regular employee surveys (including Great Place to Work–style tools), eNPS, regrettable attrition and culture initiatives.

• Develop and execute a roadmap to Great Place to Work® Certification – including survey readiness, Culture Brief, action plans and communication.

7. Governance, Compliance & HR Operations

• Ensure Group-wide compliance with Ethiopian labour law and HR governance while enabling agile, business-focused decisions.

• Oversee HR policies and shared services (even where day-to-day is done by HR Ops) to ensure they support the People Strategy.

• Partner with the Digital & Data Council to develop and maintain HRIS and People Analytics infrastructure.

What Success Looks Like (12–24 Months)

• A clear People Operating System is live: People Council running, key processes defined, Top 100 role scorecards used in hiring and performance.

• Talent Density in critical roles has materially improved, with a stronger leadership bench across entities.

• A People Dashboard is regularly used by the Deputy Group CEO, Group CEO and leadership, covering ROP, talent density, time-to-fill, quality-of-hire, engagement and attrition.

• A visible uplift in management capability and engagement because of OVID Academy and leadership programs.

• A defined, credible EVP and a clear Great Place to Work™ culture roadmap, with early survey results trending toward certification thresholds

• A commercial, transformation-oriented HR / Human Capital leader with 15+ years of progressive experience, including at executive or Group level.

• Strong track record in organization design, talent management, performance & rewards and leadership development in complex or multi-entity organizations.

• Demonstrated success in building or redesigning a People function and driving culture and leadership change – not just managing steady-state HR.

• Comfortable working with financials (payroll, productivity, revenue growth, EBITDA, valuation impact) and partnering closely with CFOs and business heads.

• Experience in emerging markets, large family businesses or rapidly professionalizing groups is an advantage.

• Exposure to Scaling Up methodology or similar growth frameworks is a plus (or a clear appetite to learn fast).

• Language: Fluent Amharic and English (spoken and written) are required.

• We welcome applications from Ethiopian and regional/international candidates who meet these criteria and are willing to be based in Addis Ababa.

How To Apply

We invite enthusiastic and qualified individuals to apply for our open positions. To be considered, please submit your Application Letter & CV as a single PDF file to hr@ovid-holding.com. Ensure you mention the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

We value every application and appreciate your interest in joining our team. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only candidates who meet our criteria will be contacted for further steps.

We look forward to reviewing your application and thank you for considering a career with OVID Holding!