About Rare:

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. For 50 years, across 60 countries, we have inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to shift their behaviors and practices to protect our shared planet. We are a global leader in driving social change for people and nature. We facilitate solutions that help individuals, their communities, and their local leaders tackle global environmental challenges, manage their resources, and take charge of their futures. We believe that the cumulative power of individual and community action is a vital pathway to safeguarding and restoring our shared waters, lands, and climate.

Rare’s organizational culture is results-oriented, entrepreneurial, and defined by our five core values: Courage to Take Risks, Commitment to Accountability, Mindset of Solutionology, Investments in People, and Spirit of Celebration. We are working toward ambitious goals and creating measurable social change.

Position Overview:

As a key member of the Global Talent Team and the Philippines Operations team, the HR/Talent Specialist will oversee all HR/Talent-related matters in close coordination with the Vice President, Global Talent. This includes professional development, employee relations, legal and regulatory compliance, talent acquisition, and other Talent policies and practices that will help build and enable the local team to deliver their strategic objectives.

This role reports directly to the Vice President, Global Talent, and will support and work closely with the Vice President, Philippines. The HR/Talent Specialist will ensure that Talent requirements are met based on Rare’s policies and procedures, local laws and regulations, and donor requirements.

Essential Functions:

Employee Experience – Onboarding, Engagement, and Professional Development

• Collaborate with local leadership to build and support a positive experience and environment for all Rare Philippines staff.
• Work closely with hiring managers and provide guidance in developing onboarding plans, 90-day goals, and regular check-ins, to ensure employees have clarity on their roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Plan, execute, and support employee engagement efforts, such as supporting the completion of the Engagement Survey, planning team celebrations and events, etc.
• Serve as the local point of contact for employee relations issues, and escalate to and engage with the VP, Global Talent and the VP, Philippines as needed to work toward a productive resolution.
• Serve as the local point of contact for employees regarding professional development and training needs and offerings.

Compensation and Benefits Administration

• Support the VP, Global Talent on local compensation-related needs, benchmarking, market insights, and best practices, as part of Rare’s institutional efforts.
• Work with the Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition & Global Benefits to administer competitive and compliant local benefits.
• Continuously assess benefits offerings and provide input on opportunities for enhancement.

Talent Operations and Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all workplace practices comply with Rare policies and local laws and regulations.
• Work with the VP, Global Talent to review, update, and maintain the  Employee Handbook, policies, and SOPs to ensure they are relevant, legally compliant, and properly disseminated to employees.
• Audit, update, and maintain HR-related recordkeeping and documentation related to employee records in the Philippines.
• Serve as the primary point of contact to ensure that Rare’s external labor compliance obligations related to employee status changes and other pertinent transactions are fulfilled.
• Work with Rare management on the design of team reporting relationships and structures, developing, and/or updating job descriptions, and ensuring employment contracts are up to date and reviewed and renewed as required.

Talent Acquisition and Support:

• Build a pipeline of talent for key roles through job postings and recruiting strategies, working closely with the Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition & Global Benefits.
• Oversee the recruitment process and support hiring managers in defining local talent needs.
• Coordinate with the Global Talent team on the employee separation process, to ensure that all internal and external requirements are completed and fulfilled.

Education and Experience:

• Five (5) years of relevant human resources-related work experience required, preferably with a focus on employee relations, talent acquisition, benefits, and local labor law.
• Experience working effectively in a global organization, with both the local country team and culturally diverse colleagues within a global headquarters organization. 
• College degree in business/resource management, administration, relevant social sciences, or a related field.
• Excellent planning, organization, program management, and people management skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of employees in a team setting.
• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office (especially MS Excel).
• Supervisory experience is an advantage.
• Fluent spoken and written English required; fluency in Tagalog and/or Visayan dialect is an advantage.

Rare is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.