HR & Talent Business Partner

Xero; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Xero is seeking a regional HR generalist to partner with South Africa leadership, owning end-to-end recruitment for SA roles and guiding the Employment Equity Plan. The role blends strategic planning with hands-on delivery to support Cape Town and Johannesburg teams.

You will advise on people plans, performance management, and leadership coaching, delivering consistent HR programs aligned with global strategy in a hybrid work setup.

Qualifications

• Generalist HR background with hands-on recruitment experience.
• Knowledge of South African employment legislation and Employment Equity planning/reporting.
• Ability to operate autonomously with strategic and hands-on execution.
• Data-driven approach to inform people decisions and recruitment practices.
• Ability to coach senior leaders through change and complex conversations.
• Proactive use of modern HR tools and technology to improve delivery and candidate experiences.

Responsibilities

• Taking full ownership of end-to-end recruitment for all South Africa-based roles.
• Managing statutory compliance and driving progress on the SA Employment Equity Plan.
• Partnering with senior leaders to deliver data-driven people plans aligned with regional goals.
• Providing trusted advisory across the employee lifecycle, including performance management and change management.

Skills

HR generalist

Talent acquisition

People partner

Data-driven

Leadership coaching

Tools

HRIS

Job description

The role & impact

This role combines strategic People Experience partnering, end-to-end talent acquisition, and regional advisory into a true generalist role supporting our South Africa team. You will serve as the primary partner to regional senior leadership across Cape Town and Johannesburg, translating people strategy into practical business outcomes and driving recruitment for all local roles.

From guiding organisational design and leadership capability to steering our Employment Equity Plan and resolving complex employee relations matters, your work directly shapes team culture and operational success. You will move comfortably between high-level strategic planning and hands‑on delivery, ensuring consistent people programs rollout in alignment with global strategy.

The team & how they connect

You will join a collaborative People & Talent Experience network, connecting directly with regional leadership, global Centres of Excellence, and the broader Talent Experience teams. The team works together to bring global consistency to the region while leveraging local insights to strengthen performance and workplace culture. Together, you will foster high-performing teams through open communication, shared expertise, and trust-based relationships.

Initially, the role will focus on

• Taking full ownership of end-to-end recruitment for all South Africa based roles, from sourcing strategy to offer management.

• Managing statutory compliance and driving progress on our South African Employment Equity Plan.

• Partnering with senior leaders to deliver data-driven people plans that align regional goals with broader people experience priorities.

• Providing trusted advisory across the entire employee lifecycle, including performance management, remuneration, change management, and leadership coaching.

Where and how you can work

We offer a hybrid working environment supporting our office locations in Cape Town and Johannesburg. You will be based in the Cape Town Office with intentional in-office time to connect, collaborate, and engage directly with local leadership and teams.

Here are some of the things we are looking for

• A strong background in generalist HR or people business partnering within a fast-paced environment, paired with hands-on talent acquisition expertise.

• Practical knowledge of South African employment legislation and experience managing Employment Equity planning or statutory reporting.

• Proven ability to operate autonomously, balancing high-level strategic alignment with day-to-day operational execution.

• Skilled at leveraging data to inform people decisions, refine recruitment practices, and influence leadership outcomes.

• Comfort in coaching senior leaders through complex decisions, organisational change, and sensitive conversations.

• An adaptive approach to leveraging modern tools and technology to continuously improve delivery and candidate experiences.