Regional HR Head- Southern Region

African Parks Network; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 400,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading conservation organization in South Africa seeks a Regional HR Head to transform HR practices across Southern Africa. This unique role offers the opportunity to shape HR systems, empower field teams, and create a legacy in wildlife conservation. Ideal candidates will have significant HR leadership experience and the ability to navigate complex legal environments across multiple countries.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in HR leadership across multiple countries.
• Ability to mentor and develop HR teams effectively.
• Strong understanding of diverse legal regulations.

Responsibilities

• Design and professionalize HR systems across various countries.
• Advise senior leaders on HR frameworks and policies.
• Lead succession planning and talent pipelines.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Talent development

Empathy

Education

Relevant HR qualification

Job description

Overview

African Parks is reimagining conservation at scale. In partnership with governments and communities, we manage 23 protected areas across 13 countries, spanning over 20 million hectares of Africa’s most vital landscapes. With an ambitious target of 30 parks by 2030, we are scaling fast — restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, creating livelihoods, and delivering hope for future generations.

To achieve this, we need leaders who are as committed to people as they are to purpose.

Regional HR Head – Southern Region

a visionary, a strategist, and a builder who can transform how HR is experienced across Southern Africa.

Why This Role Is Extraordinary

This is not a routine HR leadership post. It’s an opportunity to:

• Shape the future of HR in conservation: Design, embed, and professionalize HR systems across multiple countries, ensuring fairness, consistency, and compliance in diverse legal landscapes.
• Enable impact through people: Empower rangers, park managers, ecologists, and community teams who are protecting wildlife and creating livelihoods in some of the most critical ecosystems on the continent.
• Be the architect of talent pipelines: Lead succession planning and leadership development that will determine who carries African Parks’ mission into the next decade.
• Be a trusted regional partner: Advise senior leaders, mediate complex employee relations matters, and mentor park HR teams to maturity.
• Leave a legacy: Build capability, culture, and systems that will long outlast your tenure, ensuring that both people and parks thrive.

This is the kind of role that rarely exists: the scale of an international NGO, the complexity of multi-country leadership, and the immediacy of impact on both people and planet.