People Specialist (6‑Month Contract)

Mvgrecruitment; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Mvgrecruitment seeks a People Specialist to provide operational HR support across the employee lifecycle in a biotech/start-up environment. This onsite role in Salt River, Cape Town, requires coordinating onboarding, maintaining records, and assisting payroll and benefits data processing.

The role emphasizes culture and engagement initiatives, policy adherence, and collaboration with the People Manager on performance reviews and coaching opportunities.

Qualifications

• HR qualification: B Degree in Human Resources required.
• 2–4 years’ relevant experience in HR operations.
• Full-cycle recruitment experience.
• Experience with HRIS and payroll/benefits data processing.
• Biotech/pharma/start-up experience is essential.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational HR support across the employee lifecycle.
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding sessions monthly.
• Maintain accurate employee records and assist payroll data processing.
• Support culture, engagement, and performance initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and HR policies.

Skills

Recruitment

Onboarding

HR Administration

Culture & Engagement

Compliance

Education

B Degree in Human Resources

Tools

HRIS

Job description

People Specialist (6‑Month Contract)

Location: Salt River, Cape Town (Onsite)

REF: MVG/HR

Closing Date: 20 September 2026

Role Purpose

The People Specialist will provide operational HR support across the employee lifecycle, ensuring seamless processes, accurate administration, and a consistently positive employee experience. The role is positioned within a high‑performance technical environment and requires a professional who can balance structured HR delivery with culture‑enhancing initiatives.

Performance Areas

• Recruitment Support: Manage job postings, coordinate candidate screening, schedule interviews, prepare assessments, facilitate reference checks, and assist with contract preparation.
• Onboarding & Offboarding: Coordinate monthly onboarding sessions, prepare new‑starter packs, ensure completion of documentation, and support professional offboarding processes.
• HR Administration: Maintain accurate employee records across HR systems and assist with payroll and benefits data processing when required.
• Culture & Engagement: Support initiatives that promote inclusion, collaboration, recognition, and continuous performance improvement. Partner with the People Manager on goal‑setting, quarterly reviews, coaching opportunities, and engagement programs.
• Compliance & Policy: Contribute to the development, maintenance, and communication of HR policies, SOPs, and documentation. Provide guidance and training to ensure organisational adherence.

Key Requirements

• HR Qualification: B Degree in Human Resources with 2–4 years’ relevant experience.
• Recruitment Experience: Proven full‑cycle recruitment capability.
• Technical HR Skills: Experience working with HR information systems; experience in compensation and benefits advantageous.
• Professional Competencies: Strong organisational ability, attention to detail, multitasking capability, and consistent delivery under pressure.
• Interpersonal Strengths: Excellent communication, initiative, teamwork, and self‑management.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Solid understanding of employment legislation and HR compliance requirements.
• Experience in biotech, pharma or start‑up environments is essential.