Group Chief People Officer

findojobs-za; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1 000 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment platform is seeking a Chief People Officer to shape the people agenda and drive performance in Johannesburg. This role requires a visionary leader with over 10 years of HR experience, focusing on talent management and culture transformation. Responsibilities include strategic leadership, organizational culture evolution, and overseeing HR operations. The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor's degree in a related field and demonstrated success in a complex environment.

Qualifications

• 10 years of executive-level HR leadership experience.
• Proven track record in transforming culture and leading large-scale people initiatives.
• Experience in a complex, multi-site or multinational environment is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a people strategy aligned to business goals.
• Lead culture evolution to support innovation, accountability, inclusion, and engagement.
• Oversee workforce planning, talent acquisition, succession planning, and leadership pipelines.
• Ensure efficient, compliant HR operations, policies, and systems.
• Lead organisational restructuring and change management from a people perspective.
• Embed a performance-based culture with fair, transparent metrics.
• Lead all BEE-aligned initiatives related to skills development and Employment Equity.
• Manage Payroll team and lead the implementation of a new Group Payroll system.
• Ensure HR practices meet legal and ethical standards across jurisdictions.

Skills

Strategic Business Acumen

Exceptional Leadership & Influencing Skills

Change Leadership & Culture Transformation

Emotional Intelligence

Stakeholder Management

Strong Financial & Analytical Capability

Expertise in HR Technology and Future-of-Work Trends

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Psychology, Business, or related field

Master's preferred

Job description

Role Specification : Chief People Officer Position Title : Chief People Officer (CPO) Reports To : Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Group Executive Committee Location : Bryanston Direct Reports : HR Directors / Managers, Talent & OD, Employee Relations, Total Rewards, HR Operations, Learning & Development, HR Technology Role Purpose The Group Chief People Officer is a strategic executive responsible for shaping and delivering the organisations people agenda to drive business performance, culture, and long-term sustainability.

This role leads the full human capital strategyincluding talent management, culture transformation, leadership development, organisational effectiveness, and employee experienceto ensure the company attracts, develops, and retains exceptional people.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership Develop and execute a people strategy aligned to business goals.

Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, contributing to strategic decision-making.

Promote a high-performance, purpose-driven culture.

2. Organisational Culture & Transformation Lead culture evolution to support innovation, accountability, inclusion, and engagement.

Act as custodian of organisational values and employee experience.

Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives.

3. Talent Management & Leadership Development Oversee workforce planning, talent acquisition, succession planning, and leadership pipelines.

Implement strategies for leadership and skills development at every level.

Drive internal mobility, high-potential programs, and executive coaching frameworks.

4. People Operations & HR Excellence Ensure efficient, compliant HR operations, policies, and systems.

Lead digital transformation within HR to improve analytics, employee selfservice, and automation.

Oversee compensation and benefits strategies that are competitive and aligned to performance.

5. Change Management & Organisational Design Lead organisational restructuring, mergers, or integrations from a people perspective.

Implement change management solutions to support strategic initiatives.

Drive workforce optimisation and future-of-work initiatives.

6. Performance & Employee Engagement Embed a performance-based culture with fair, transparent metrics.

Monitor employee engagement and implement initiatives to improve retention.

Ensure effective communication and collaboration across all business units.

7. Skills and Employment Equity Lead all BEE-aligned initiatives related to skills development and Employment Equity Oversee and ensure accuracy of reporting Develop strategies to increase effectiveness in this space.

8. Payroll Manage Payroll team Lead the implementation of a new Group Payroll system and drive the adoption thereof

9. Risk, Governance & Compliance Ensure HR practices meet legal and ethical standards across jurisdictions.

Oversee industrial relations and manage stakeholder relationships (including unions if applicable).

Mitigate people-related risks through proactive planning and compliance management.

Key Skills & Competencies

Strategic Business Acumen Exceptional Leadership & Influencing Skills Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Emotional Intelligence & Stakeholder Management Strong Financial & Analytical Capability Expertise in HR Technology and Future-of-Work Trends Qualifications & Experience Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Psychology, Business, or related field (Masters preferred).

10 years of executive-level HR leadership experience.

Proven track record in transforming culture and leading large-scale people initiatives.

Experience in a complex, multi-site or multinational environment is advantageous.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Employee Engagement & Retention Rates Leadership Bench Strength & Succession Readiness Diversity & Inclusion Metrics Time-to-Fill & Quality-of-Hire Improvements Productivity & Organisational Health Index Culture and Change Adoption Rates HR Cost Efficiency and ROI Personal Attributes Visionary and people-centered leader Strong communicator and culture shaper Integrity, emotional resilience, and executive presence Innovative thinker with a passion for people and performance