Head of Human Capital

Tongaat; Durban; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 750,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing firm in Durban is seeking an experienced Human Capital leader to partner with the Business Unit in executing HC strategies. This role focuses on talent acquisition, employee engagement, and compliance with legislation, ensuring a high-performance workforce. The ideal candidate has a strong background with an honours degree in HR and over 10 years of experience in complex environments. Closing date is August 27, 2025.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of progressive HC/HR experience in manufacturing or complex multi-site operations.
• Demonstrated success in talent leadership and industrial relations.
• Experience in reward and workforce cost management is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary HC partner to Business Unit leadership.
• Lead employee engagement, relations, and communication.
• Manage workforce planning for optimal capacity and capability.
• Execute in-market talent acquisition strategies.
• Implement reward and recognition strategies aligned with frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and HC SOPs.

Skills

Strategic business partnering

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Influencing and collaboration

Change leadership

Education

Honours degree in Human Resources or Industrial Psychology

Job description

Purpose of the role

To lead the in-market Human Capital function, acting as the strategic business partner to the Business Unit while executing the Tongaat Hulett Human Capital Operating Model. The role ensures the delivery of talent, engagement, capability, and compliance outcomes by executing policies, SOPs, and frameworks provided by Above Market HC. This position enables a high-performance, inclusive, and cost-effective workforce that supports sustainable business success.

Roles & Responsibilities

Business Partnering & In-Market Execution

Serve as the primary HC partner to Business Unit leadership, translating HC strategies into operational plans.

Lead employee engagement, relations, and communication to maintain a stable, motivated workforce.

Manage workforce planning (including seasonal / agricultural labor) to ensure the right capacity and capability.

Collaborate closely with the HC Shared Services Centre for transactional processes (payroll, T&A, leave, and benefits administration).

Co-create employee experience initiatives with operating committees to drive engagement and retention.

Talent, Leadership, and Organisational Development

Execute in-market talent acquisition, assessment, and retention strategies, aligned to Above Market Talent policies and SOPs.

Lead succession planning, strategic workforce planning, and critical skills pipeline development.

Partner with Above Market to implement leadership and capability development initiatives and drive local execution of learning programs.

Drive Employer Branding and Employee Value Proposition efforts to enhance attraction and retention.

Promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in line with THL targets.

Reward, Recognition, and People Cost Management

Implement reward and recognition strategies in alignment with Above Market Reward frameworks.

Manage the annual reward cycle, including salary reviews, bonus and incentive processes (STI / LTI), and retention measures.

Monitor market competitiveness, remuneration benchmarking, and workforce productivity to inform business decisions.

Collaborate with finance and Above Market to manage total people costs, supporting the lowest-cost producer aspiration.

Provide input to REMCO processes and ensure effective oversight of shared service reward administration.

Governance, Compliance, and Data Management

Ensure full compliance with employment legislation, HC SOPs, and governance requirements.

Oversee risk management and mitigation of people-related exposures within the business unit.

Ensure accurate, timely HC reporting and data integrity, feeding into Above Market dashboards and insights.

Lead in-market audits and compliance reviews, closing gaps proactively

Qualifications & Experience

Honours degree in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, or equivalent.

10–15 years of progressive HC / HR experience, with exposure to manufacturing or complex multi-site operations.

Demonstrated success in strategic business partnering, talent leadership, and industrial relations.

Experience in reward and workforce cost management is highly desirable.

Strategic business acumen and ability to operate in a complex, multi-site environment.

Influencing, collaboration, and stakeholder management across diverse teams.

Change leadership and organisational development capability.

Strong analytical skills for workforce planning, cost management, and data-driven decisions.

Resilience and adaptability under pressure.

Closing date : Wednesday, 27 August 2025