Senior People Business Partner

AkilConnect; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Cell phone allowance provided

Job summary

Michael Page in Johannesburg seeks a Senior People Business Partner to align people plans with business objectives and provide trusted HR guidance on design, planning, performance and change management.

You will drive accountability, engagement and a high-performance culture, lead budgeting and workforce planning, and oversee HR data analytics to support decisions. On-site role based in Johannesburg.

Qualifications

• Proven strategic HR leadership within a professional services or beauty sector is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of South African labour legislation and employee relations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Partner with MD and leadership to align people plans with business objectives.
• Lead workforce planning, budget, and organisational effectiveness.
• Drive performance, coaching, and manager upskilling initiatives.
• Oversee payroll governance and HR data governance with analytics.
• Support change management and talent development across the business.

Skills

Strategic HR partner

People leadership

Change management

Employee relations

Workforce planning

HR analytics

Education

Bachelor's in HR or related field

Tools

SAP SuccessFactors

HRIS systems

Job description

# Senior People Business PartnerMichael PageJohannesburg, South AfricaOriginal postPosted OnOct 24, 2026DeadlineNov 08, 2026Employment TypeFull-TimeWork TypeOn-siteCompensationNot available### DescriptionThe company operates within the beauty business services industry Duties & Responsibilities Senior People Business Partner will be responsible for the following: Strategic HR Business Partnering \\* Partner with the Managing Director and leadership team to align people plans with key business objectives. \\* Provide trusted HR advice on organisational design, workforce planning, employee relations, performance, and change management. \\* Support leadership capability through coaching, guidance, and manager upskilling. \\* Drive a culture of accountability, engagement, inclusion, and high performance. Workforce Planning, Budget & Organisational Effectiveness \\* Lead workforce planning aligned to the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and fiscal budget, ensuring the organisation has the capability, structure, and talent required to support business objectives and future growth. \\* Manage headcount planning, organisational design, and resource allocation to optimise business performance. \\* Partner with Finance and manage and people cost budgets. \\* Monitor labour costs, salary budgets, and employee benefits expenditure - identifying opportunities for efficiency and global alignment. \\* Identify and implement opportunities to optimise organisational structures, roles, and ways of working Compensation, Grading & Reward \\* Lead the annual compensation review, merit cycle, and salary recommendation process. \\* Collaborate with global Reward teams to ensure local alignment with broader frameworks and market competitiveness on role grading, job evaluation, salary benchmarking and compa-ratios \\* Partner with leadership on retention strategies for key talent and critical roles. HR Systems, Data & Reporting \\* Act as the local subject matter expert by leading adoption and integration of SAP SuccessFactors, and all related HR systems. \\* Manage employee lifecycle transactions, position management, organisational changes, HR reporting, and data governance. \\* Ensure data accuracy, compliance, and effective use of people analytics to support decision-making. \\* Support system enhancements, user training, and process optimisation Talent, Performance & Development \\* Full recruitment process, onboarding, and integrating processes to support business growth and employee success. \\* Facilitate performance review cycles, calibration sessions, talent reviews, and succession planning. \\* Support learning, development, and capability-building initiatives across all levels of the business \\* Use people insights and engagement feedback to shape practical talent and retention plans. Employee Relations, Compliance & HR Operations \\* Ensure compliance with South African labour legislation, company policies, and HR governance standards. \\* Manage employee relations matters, disciplinary processes, grievances, performance improvement, and consultations. \\* Oversee payroll governance in partnership with payroll providers and shared services to ensure accurate and timely processing. \\* Ensure effective delivery of core HR processes across the employee lifecycle. Job Offer Competitive basic salary package. Cell phone allowance provided. This is a role to contribute to a key HR function in the beauty services services industry. If this role aligns with your expertise, we encourage you to apply. Desired Experience & Qualification A successful Senior People Business Partner should have: Proven experience in a strategic HR role, preferably within the beauty services industry. Must be based in Johannesburg Comprehensive knowledge of employment legislation and HR best practices. Strong analytical skills and the ability to use HR data to drive decisions. Effective communication and stakeholder management skills. A proactive approach to problem-solving and decision-making. Proven HR leadership and business partnering experience. \\* Strong knowledge of South African labour legislation and employee relations. \\* Experience in workforce planning, organisational design, and talent management. \\* Strong remuneration, grading, and salary benchmarking capability. \\* Experience managing payroll governance, HR budgets, and people cost planning. \\* Proficient in HRIS platforms, reporting, and people analytics - Previous SAP SuccessFactors, or similar platforms is an advantage \\* Strong stakeholder management, coaching, and influencing skills. \\* Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. \\* Ability to lead change, drive organisational effectiveness, and build high-performing teams. \\* Demonstrate ability to develop talent across all levels of the business and lead with a people first mindset. \\* High degree of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality. Core Competencies \\* Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen \\* Workforce Planning & Organisational Design \\* Talent & Leadership Development \\* Reward & Performance Management \\* Employee Relations & Labour Law Expertise \\* Data-Driven Decision Making \\* Stakeholder Influence & Collaboration \\* Change Leadership \\* Accountability & Execution \\* Clear Communication & Simplification \\* Agility & Adaptability Integrity & Professional Judgement### RequirementsMust be based in JohannesburgComprehensive knowledge of employment legislation and HR best practices.Strong analytical skills and the ability to use HR data to drive decisions.Effective communication and stakeholder management skills.A proactive approach to problem-solving and decision-making.Proven HR leadership and business partnering experience.Strong knowledge of South African labour legislation and employee relations.Experience in workforce planning, organisational design, and talent management.Strong remuneration, grading, and salary benchmarking capability.Experience managing payroll governance, HR budgets, and people cost planning.Proficient in HRIS platforms, reporting, and people analytics - Previous SAP SuccessFactors, or similar platforms is an advantageStrong stakeholder management, coaching, and influencing skills.Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.Ability to lead change, drive organisational effectiveness, and build high-performing teams.Demonstrate ability to develop talent across all levels of the business and lead with a people first mindset.High degree of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.Core CompetenciesStrategic Thinking & Business AcumenWorkforce Planning & Organisational DesignTalent & Leadership DevelopmentReward & Performance ManagementEmployee Relations & Labour Law ExpertiseData-Driven Decision MakingStakeholder Influence & CollaborationChange LeadershipAccountability & ExecutionClear Communication & SimplificationAgility & AdaptabilityIntegrity & Professional Judgement### ResponsibilitiesDuties & Responsibilities### Categories### Required SkillsData AnalysisData ManagementSQLPython### Work LocationJohannesburg, South Africa