Nazarbayev University is Kazakhstan’s flagship autonomous research university, established with the ambition of becoming a world-class institution for education and research. We are proud to be ranked 376–400 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, maintaining our position among the leading universities in Central Asia and continuing to build our international reputation.

Today, NU brings together talented faculty, researchers, professionals, and students from Kazakhstan and around the world. With a strong commitment to academic excellence, research, and innovation, we continue to push boundaries and work towards our ambition of entering the world’s top 300 universities.

Being part of NU means contributing to something bigger than yourself — helping shape the future of higher education, research, and talent in Kazakhstan and beyond.

Nazarbayev University is looking for an experienced and proactive HR professional to join its HR team as an HR Business Partner.

In this role, you will work closely with the leadership of assigned Schools, acting as their primary HR partner and helping translate organizational priorities into effective people solutions. You will advise managers on a broad range of HR matters, support organizational changes, identify workforce needs and risks, and coordinate with HR functional teams to ensure timely, consistent, and high-quality HR support.

This is an opportunity for an HR professional who combines strong stakeholder management and analytical skills with a practical, solutions-oriented approach — someone who can navigate complex situations, build trusted relationships, and help managers make informed people decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic HR Partnership: Build strong working relationships with School leadership, understand their operational and strategic priorities, anticipate workforce needs, and provide practical HR advice and recommendations.

• Workforce Planning & Organizational Development: Support staffing and competency planning, identify critical roles and workforce risks, and contribute to organizational changes involving structures, roles, functions, and headcount.

• Coordination of HR Matters: Manage HR requests from initiation to completion, ensuring that submissions are complete, requirements are clear, relevant stakeholders are involved, and matters progress within established timelines.

• Talent & Performance Management: Partner with relevant HR functions and managers on recruitment priorities, performance management, talent reviews, succession planning, employee development, and internal mobility.

• Change Management & Communication: Coordinate the HR aspects of organizational changes and help ensure that decisions, processes, and expectations are communicated clearly to managers and employees.

• HR Policies & Process Implementation: Support the consistent application of University HR policies, procedures, and standards, identifying recurring issues and opportunities to improve their practical implementation.

• HR Analytics & Risk Management: Analyze workforce data and HR indicators, identify emerging people and organizational risks, and develop evidence-based recommendations for management.

• Cross-functional Collaboration & Service Improvement: Work closely with HR functional teams and other University units to resolve complex HR matters, improve internal-client experience, and strengthen the effectiveness of HR Business Partnering.

• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, Management, Psychology, Economics, Business Administration, Law, or a related field; relevant professional experience may also be considered.

• At least 3 years of professional experience in HR, HR Business Partnering, organizational development, HR administration, or a related field.

• Experience advising managers, coordinating complex HR matters, working across multiple functions, and supporting organizational change.

• Good understanding of core HR processes, including recruitment, performance management, talent development, organizational design, and rewards.

• Familiarity with the fundamentals of the labor legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and HR risk management.

• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to handle sensitive matters professionally and work independently.

• A proactive, service-oriented mindset, sound judgment, and a commitment to objectivity, ethics, and confidentiality.

• Fluency in Kazakh, Russian, and English.

• Experience in a large, international, educational, or research organization will be considered an advantage.

Recruitment and selection process

Recruitment and selection at Nazarbayev University include preliminary selection based on experience and qualifications, followed by assessments and formal interviews. Formal interviews are typically based on organizational values and behaviors and conducted in English.