HR Business Partner

Initiate International; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 60 000 - 90 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading iGaming company is seeking an HR Business Partner in Johannesburg. You will act as a strategic partner, driving people initiatives that align with business objectives and support growth. The ideal candidate has extensive HR experience, ideally in the iGaming field, and a strong grasp of South African labour laws. This position offers a hybrid work model and competitive compensation.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Performance-related incentives

Hybrid working model

Exposure to senior leadership

Qualifications

• 5-8 years experience as an HR Business Partner or Senior HR Generalist.
• Direct experience in the iGaming or Sports Betting industry is strongly preferred.
• Solid working knowledge of South African labour legislation.

Responsibilities

• Align workforce plans to business strategy and build high-performing teams.
• Embed a robust performance management framework.
• Manage complex employee relations matters compliant with South African law.

Skills

HR business partnering

Talent management

Employee relations

Performance management

HR analytics

Education

Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, or related field

Tools

HR systems

Job description

HR Business Partner job vacancy in Johannesburg.

Our client, a leading player in the online iGaming and Sports Betting industry, is looking for a dynamic HR Business Partner to join their Johannesburg team.

You will be a trusted advisor to leadership across Operations, Trading, Marketing, Product and Technology, helping them scale and develop their teams while maintaining a strong, performance-driven and compliant culture.

Key Purpose of the Role:

The HR Business Partner will act as a strategic partner to the business, driving people initiatives that support commercial objectives and long-term growth. You will work closely with senior stakeholders to:

• Align workforce plans to business strategy
• Build and retain high-performing teams
• Enable leaders through coaching, tools and insights
• Promote a culture of accountability, integrity and continuous improvement
• Ensure HR practices and policies are compliant, fair and fit for a regulated online gambling environment

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strategic HR Business Partnering
  • Partner with Heads of Department and senior managers to understand business goals, headcount plans and talent risks across Operations, Trading, Marketing, Product, Technology and Support.
  • Translate business needs into clear HR strategies and initiatives (workforce planning, succession, skills development, retention and engagement).
  • Challenge and support leaders to make sound people decisions, grounded in data and best practice.
• Talent Management, Workforce Planning and Recruitment Support
  • Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to define role profiles, competencies and hiring plans for specialist iGaming and Sports Betting roles.
  • Support resource planning for peak sporting calendars and major events, ensuring adequate coverage across shift-based and 24/7 operations.
  • Drive talent reviews, succession planning and career paths for high-potential employees, particularly in key revenue and critical technical roles.
• Performance Management and Leadership Enablement
  • Embed a robust performance management framework with clear KPIs, OKRs and behavioural expectations aligned to the industry and company values.
  • Coach managers on giving feedback, addressing underperformance, having difficult conversations and recognising high performers.
  • Support the design and rollout of leadership development initiatives for first-line, middle and senior managers.
• Employee Relations and Compliance
  • Manage complex employee relations matters (disciplinaries, grievances, incapacity, misconduct, performance issues) in line with South African labour law and internal policies.
  • Ensure HR policies, procedures and contracts are up to date, compliant and appropriate for a regulated gaming environment.
  • Provide guidance on shifts, rostering, overtime, incentives and working conditions in Operations and
  • Customer Support environments.
• Culture, Engagement and Wellbeing
  • Support and influence a culture of integrity, accountability, responsible gaming and customer focus.
  • Partner with leaders to drive engagement initiatives, pulse surveys and action plans to improve retention and employee experience.
  • Help design and implement wellbeing, inclusion and recognition programmes tailored to a high-pressure, always-on industry.
• Learning, Development and Capability Building
  • Identify skills gaps and capability needs across functions and collaborate on training, upskilling and development plans.
  • Support the design and delivery of HR and people-related training for managers (performance management, ER basics, interviewing, coaching, DEI and conduct).
• Reward, Benefits and HR Analytics
  • Partner with Compensation & Benefits / Finance on benchmarking, salary reviews, bonus and incentive schemes relevant to iGaming and Sports Betting roles.
  • Use HR data and analytics (turnover, absenteeism, ER trends, performance data, engagement scores) to generate insights and recommendations to leadership.
  • Track and report on key people metrics, highlighting risks and opportunities.

Requirements:

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, Business or related field (Honours or postgraduate qualification advantageous).
• 5-8 years experience as an HR Business Partner or Senior HR Generalist, with at least 3 years supporting a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Direct experience in the iGaming, Sports Betting, Online Gaming, Digital Entertainment, or a similarly regulated and data-driven industry is strongly preferred.
• Solid working knowledge of South African labour legislation and best-practice HR principles.
• Demonstrable experience managing complex employee relations matters and guiding managers through formal processes.
• Proven track record in partnering with senior stakeholders and influencing decisions at a strategic level.
• Experience supporting multi-functional teams (Operations, Customer Support, Trading, Marketing, Tech/Product) is highly advantageous.
• Comfortable working with HR systems, data and analytics to generate insights and support decision-making.

Key Competencies and Attributes:

• Strong commercial mindset and ability to connect people initiatives to business outcomes.
• Confident, credible and resilient able to challenge and support senior stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills.
• High level of integrity, discretion and professional maturity.
• Solutions-focused, decisive and comfortable operating in ambiguity and change.
• Passionate about people, culture, inclusion and responsible gaming.

Core skills:

• HR business partnering, Talent management, Workforce planning, Employee relations, Performance management, Coaching and leadership support, Organisational development, Change management,
• Policy development, HR analytics, HR systems, Recruitment support, Compensation and benefits,
• Stakeholder management, South African labour law, iGaming industry knowledge, Sports betting operations understanding, Culture and engagement, Learning and development.

Whats on Offer:

• Opportunity to play a strategic role in a growing, innovative iGaming and Sports Betting business.
• Direct exposure to senior leadership and the ability to influence people strategy and culture.
• Dynamic, data-driven environment with a strong performance and customer focus.
• Competitive salary and performance-related incentives.
• Hybrid working model based in Johannesburg, with a modern, collaborative office environment.