People & Operations Manager

Cloud23 - Experience Excellence; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A global people operations firm in Johannesburg seeks a People & Operations Manager to enforce and improve operational standards. This role involves managing HR-related policies, onboarding processes, and employee relations. The ideal candidate will have significant HR experience, knowledge of South African employment law, and the ability to rigorously apply and enforce policies. Strong organizational skills and the ability to handle sensitive issues professionally are essential. Interested applicants should be ready to uphold integrity and accountability daily.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in people operations or workforce management.
• Comfortable in enforcing rules and documenting outcomes.
• Experience in fast-growing environments is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Own, enforce and improve people-related policies.
• Manage employee onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Handle employee grievances and ensure due process.

Skills

HR operations experience

Knowledge of employment law

Strong organizational skills

Ability to enforce policies

Empathy and firmness in decision making

Job description

People & Operations Manager

Cloud23 | Global | People, Policy & Workforce Operations

Kindly note

This is not a traditional HR role.

This is not a culture-only or people-admin position.

This role exists to run, enforce, and continuously improve Cloud23’s people and operations engine.

You will be accountable for ensuring that:

• Policies are not just written — they are applied
• People processes are not just designed — they work
• Issues are not tolerated — they are addressed early
• Cloud23 operates professionally, fairly, and lawfully at all times

If you are uncomfortable enforcing standards, having difficult conversations, or holding people accountable, do not apply.

Why this role exists

Cloud23 is scaling rapidly across regions, teams, and delivery models.

With scale comes complexity, and with complexity comes risk.

This role exists to:

• Protect Cloud23 legally, operationally, and culturally
• Ensure consistency and discipline across people-related processes
• Act as the custodian of policy, compliance, and workforce operations
• Be a visible, trusted authority on “how things are done here”

What you will be accountable for (non-negotiable)

1. Policy Ownership & Enforcement

You will:

• Own Cloud23’s people-related policies (HR, conduct, ethics, performance, leave, contractors, timesheets, etc.)
• Ensure policies are communicated, understood, and followed daily
• Enforce consequences consistently when policies are breached
• Maintain policy registers, updates, and acknowledgements
• Act as the first line of escalation for policy-related matters

Policies are not optional. You are the enforcer.

2. Workforce Operations

You will manage and oversee:

• Employee and contractor onboarding and offboarding
• Employment contracts, amendments, and records
• Attendance, leave, timesheets, and compliance tracking
• Disciplinary processes, performance management, and hearings
• Coordination with legal advisors where required (e.g. CCMA matters)

Accuracy, timeliness, and fairness are expected at all times.

3. Employee Relations & Issue Management

You will:

• Handle employee concerns, grievances, and escalations professionally
• Investigate issues objectively and document outcomes thoroughly
• Advise leadership on people-related risks and actions
• Ensure due process is followed — without unnecessary delays
• Prevent small issues from becoming organisational problems

You are expected to be calm, firm, and fact-driven.

4. Operational Rigor & Reporting

You will:

• Maintain clean, auditable people data and records
• Track key people metrics (attrition, leave, compliance, incidents)
• Produce regular operational and compliance reports
• Identify operational gaps and recommend corrective actions
• Support audits and internal reviews when required

5. Leadership Partnership

You will:

• Work closely with executives and delivery leaders
• Provide clear, unbiased guidance on people matters
• Push back when decisions create legal or operational risk
• Act in the best interests of Cloud23 — not individual convenience

This role requires backbone.

What you will NOT be doing

• You will not act as a passive administrator
• You will not avoid difficult conversations
• You will not selectively enforce policies
• You will not prioritise popularity over professionalism

Who should apply

You should apply if you:

• Have strong experience in HR operations, people operations, or workforce management
• Are well-versed in employment law and disciplinary processes (South Africa experience essential; global exposure a plus)
• Are highly organised, detail-oriented, and process-driven
• Are comfortable enforcing rules and documenting outcomes
• Can balance empathy with firmness
• Are trusted to handle sensitive matters discreetly and professionally

Experience in fast-growing, consulting, or technology environments will be highly advantageous.

Cloud23 expectations & values

At Cloud23, we operate on:

• Integrity over convenience
• Consistency over exceptions
• Accountability over excuses
• Clarity over ambiguity
• Action over avoidance

You will be expected to live and enforce these daily.

Selection process

• Structured screening and interviews
• Scenario-based assessments
• Reference and background checks

We hire carefully for this role because the impact is significant.