Senior People & Culture Leader - Dual Governance HR

SARAO; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Research Foundation (NRF) invites applications for the SKA-Mid People & Culture Manager, a senior HR leader responsible for delivering integrated people solutions across SKAO and SARAO in a dual-governance environment. You will partner with managers, guide workforce planning, and shape organisational design while embedding NRF values.

You will oversee recruitment, performance management, talent development, and employee relations, ensuring compliance with South African labour law

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in HR, industrial psychology, or related field.
• 8 years HR generalist experience, with at least 5 years at Manager level.
• Experience in matrixed, dual-governance environments.
• Experience in large-scale projects, research institutions, or technical sectors.
• Expert knowledge of South African Labour Law and HR practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute people plans aligned with SKA-Mid priorities.
• Partner with managers to understand workforce needs and develop talent strategies.
• Provide thought leadership on organisational design and workforce planning.
• Support transformation programmes and track KPI progress.
• Drive a high-performance culture with accountability and continuous improvement.
• Lead recruitment strategies and onboarding processes.
• Ensure compliance with labour legislation, BBBEE and policies.
• Present workforce analytics to enable data-driven decisions.

Skills

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Change management

HR analytics

Education

Postgraduate degree in HR, Industrial Psychology, or related field

Tools

HRIS

Workforce analytics

Job description

The National Research Foundation (NRF) invites applications for the SKA-Mid People & Culture Manager, a senior HR leader responsible for delivering integrated people solutions across SKAO and SARAO in a dual-governance environment. You will partner with managers, guide workforce planning, and shape organisational design while embedding NRF values.

You will oversee recruitment, performance management, talent development, and employee relations, ensuring compliance with South African labour law