Role: HR Manager
Job type: Full time - On site
Location: Eastern Bypass Rd, Ruai – Nairobi, Kenya
About Octavia Carbon
Octavia Carbon is the Global South’s first Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, dedicated to combating climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. We design and build low-cost DAC technology that leverages Kenya's geothermal energy, geology, and talent to radically accelerate DAC down the cost curve. Our mission is to reverse climate change by removing billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the air by 2050.
Role Overview
The HR Manager will own and strengthen Octavia Carbon’s people function, ensuring that our people, structures and ways of working support the company’s growth. The role combines strategic partnership with hands-on delivery across the employee lifecycle, from workforce planning and recruitment to performance, development, employee relations and exits.
Working closely with leadership and team managers, the HR Lead will build practical HR systems, develop management capability and support a fair, inclusive and sustainable work environment across our office and site teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead workforce development and people planning, including HR metrics, compensation matrices and forecasts for salaries, ESOP awards, medical cover and other benefits.
- Oversee HR operations, including recruitment, onboarding, performance reviews, compensation, benefits and employee exits.
- Lead culture-building initiatives, including leadership retreats involving managers, team engagement, wellbeing and professional growth programmes.
- Manage HR systems, records and policies, ensuring compliance with Kenyan labour laws, applicable safety regulations and internal policies.
- Support leadership development, manager capability and succession planning across departments.
- Partner with Finance and Operations on HR budgets, people cost forecasts and workforce planning.
- Oversee diversity, inclusion and employee wellbeing initiatives, using feedback to guide improvements.
- Guide employee relations, grievance and disciplinary processes, ensuring fairness, confidentiality and consistent follow-through.
- Lead and develop the HR Associate, setting clear priorities and ensuring effective HR service delivery.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration or a related field.
- 3–7 years of progressive HR experience, with demonstrated experience leading HR functions or managing significant HR programmes.
- CHRP-K qualification is an added advantage
- Current IHRM membership; a relevant professional HR qualification is an advantage.
- Strong working knowledge of Kenyan employment requirements and experience managing employee relations matters.
- Experience in a growing organisation, startup, manufacturing, engineering or climate technology environment is an advantage.
Applications must be submitted no later than Thursday, 22nd October 2026 by 11:59pm. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Octavia Carbon offers competitive growth opportunities, a competitive salary, a route to owning company equity, and a high degree of professional freedom & responsibility, coupled with intense working environment to enable a steep learning curve.
Octavia Carbon is an equal opportunity employer and especially encourages applications from women, and individuals from diverse socioeconomic, religious and regional backgrounds.