Head, Human Capital Development & Organizational Design

About United Nigeria Airlines

United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) is a rapidly growing Nigerian airline headquartered in Enugu, with major operations in Lagos and Abuja. UNA operates a growing domestic network connecting approximately 15 major cities in Nigeria, including regional operations to Accra, Ghana.

In nearly six years, UNA has grown from an initial fleet of 3–4 aircraft to 12+ aircraft, including Boeing 737-800NG, Airbus, and Embraer E-190 aircraft, with a workforce approaching 1,000 employees.

As UNA continues to expand its fleet and regional and international operations, we are seeking an experienced Head, Human Capital Development & Organizational Design to lead our workforce strategy and build the talent capabilities required for sustainable growth.

The Role

The successful candidate will serve as a strategic HR partner to the Managing Director and Executive Management, leading workforce planning, organizational design, talent development, succession planning, employee relations, and HR analytics.

A key priority of the role will be developing a sustainable pilot and technical talent pipeline, as well as implementing strategies to attract, develop, and retain critical aviation professionals.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop workforce plans aligned with fleet growth and route expansion.
• Build HR dashboards covering recruitment, turnover, training, succession, and workforce costs.
• Lead pilot and critical technical personnel recruitment and talent-pipeline development.
• Develop pilot retention, career progression, training-bond, and succession strategies.
• Establish relationships with aviation training organizations, flight schools, and talent networks.
• Develop three-deep succession plans for critical positions.
• Build leadership-development and talent-management programs.
• Strengthen performance management and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead employee engagement and industrial-relations initiatives.
• Provide aviation labour-market intelligence and compensation benchmarking.
• Partner with Operations, Administration, Finance, and other departments on workforce strategy.
• Ensure HR policies, systems, and practices support regulatory compliance and business growth.

Key Performance Areas

The role will be measured on:

• Pilot recruitment pipeline and time-to-fill.
• Pilot and critical technical personnel retention.
• Workforce planning accuracy.
• Succession coverage for critical positions.
• Leadership pipeline development.
• Employee engagement and workforce stability.
• Recruitment and workforce analytics.
• Effectiveness of HR development programs.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have:

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience.
• At least 2 years’ experience managing technical, licensed, or safety-critical personnel, preferably within aviation or another highly regulated industry.
• Demonstrable experience in pilot recruitment and/or retention a plus.
• Strong experience in workforce planning, organizational design, talent management, and succession planning.
• Strong employee and industrial-relations experience.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience working with senior executives and operational leaders.
• Knowledge of Nigerian employment practices and HR governance.
• A Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, Organizational Psychology, or a related field. A Master’s degree and/or professional HR qualification is an advantage.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a strategic, data-driven, commercially minded HR leader who can translate UNA’s ambitious growth plans into a workforce strategy that ensures the right people, skills, and leadership capabilities are available when needed.

Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate specific experience and measurable results in pilot recruitment, retention, workforce planning, or talent management.