Talent Manager

Solarafrica-Energy-Pty-Ltd; Irene; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

SolarAfrica is seeking a seasoned Talent Acquisition leader to implement the talent strategy, translate growth into hiring plans, and steer the TA team end-to-end.

You will partner with senior leaders on role design, market insights, salary benchmarking, and recruitment analytics while building pipelines and an employer brand in renewable energy.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in talent acquisition across professional, technical and leadership roles, including executive hiring.
• Proven experience leading a TA team in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Track record implementing recruitment strategies and workforce plans with senior leaders and executives.
• Digitally driven, with ATS, reporting and AI-enabled sourcing skills.

Responsibilities

• Strategy implementation and workforce planning with business growth forecasts.
• Recruitment delivery, building pipelines and delivering high-quality candidate experiences.
• Business partnering with leadership on role design, market insights and hiring decisions.
• Reporting, analytics and employer branding to attract top talent.
• Team leadership starting month 3, developing a high-performance TA function.

Skills

Talent acquisition leadership

Executive recruitment

Workforce planning

Employer branding

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

ATS & reporting

Education

Degree in HR/Industrial Psychology/Business Management

Tools

ATS

AI-enabled sourcing

Job description

Why this role matters:

We're building Africa's renewable future. You find the people who build it.

Implement SolarAfrica's talent strategy: turn it into workforce and hiring plans, partner with leaders to hire the right people fast, and lead the Talent Acquisition team to deliver it end to end without needing to be managed into delivery. You combine hands-on executive and specialist recruitment with insight-led reporting and employer branding.

Position of the job in the organisation:

The Talent Manager will report directly to the Chief People Officer.

Principal responsibilities:

Strategy implementation and workforce planning

• Implement SolarAfrica's talent strategy and keep hiring plans current against business growth forecasts.
• Work with leaders to bring annual and quarterly workforce plans and talent together, including talent risks, skills shortages and succession needs.
• Continuously improve TA processes, tools and practices.

Recruitment delivery

• Carry a live vacancy load and recruit hands-on alongside the team, stepping in wherever delivery needs support.
• Build pipelines for critical functions and support internal mobility.
• Deliver an efficient, compliant, high-quality experience for candidates and hiring managers.

Business partnering

• Act as a trusted talent advisor to leadership teams.
• Challenge and guide hiring managers on role design, market insight, salary benchmarking and hiring decisions.
• Facilitate hiring discussions and talent reviews.

Reporting, analytics and employer brand

• Produce monthly, quarterly and annual TA dashboards on hiring metrics, pipeline health and workforce trends.
• Track agency spend, sourcing effectiveness and recruitment ROI, and share insights with leaders.
• Drive employer branding that positions SolarAfrica as an employer of choice in renewable energy.
• Use AI and automation to speed up sourcing, screening, scheduling and reporting.

Team leadership (from month 3)

• Lead, coach and develop the Talent Acquisition team, setting objectives and monitoring delivery.
• Build a high-performance, customer-focused function aligned to SolarAfrica's values.
• Grow team capability and succession.
• Any other duties associated with the role.

Experience & Skills

• Degree in HR, Industrial Psychology, Business Management or related field.
• 8+ years in talent acquisition across professional, technical and leadership roles, including executive and specialist hiring.
• Proven experience leading a TA team in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Track record implementing recruitment strategies and workforce plans with senior leaders and executives.
• Digitally driven, with strong ATS, reporting and AI-enabled sourcing skills.
  

Specific attributes

• Owner of delivery: takes SolarAfrica's strategy, makes the calls, and ships without waiting to be directed.
• Hands-on leader: recruits alongside the team every day, and from month 3 leads and stretches a highly talented team.
• Commercial: links every hire to business growth and cost.
• Collaborative and influential: wins the trust of leaders and hiring managers and challenges them with market evidence.
• Data-driven: uses metrics to decide where to focus, fix or stop.

What Does Success Look Like?

By 3 Months

• I have built strong relationships with leaders across the business.
• I have assessed current recruitment processes and identified improvements.
• I have established consistent reporting and TA metrics.
• I have turned SolarAfrica's talent strategy into an approved 12-month hiring and workforce plan, and I am ready to lead the Talent team.

By 6 Months

• I manage the Talent team and have improved delivery and stakeholder satisfaction.
• I have implemented TA improvements that increase recruitment efficiency.
• I have proactive pipelines for critical business areas.

By 12 Months

• A scalable talent strategy is embedded and aligned to business growth plans.
• Quality of hire and time-to-fill have improved measurably.
• SolarAfrica is recognised as an employer of choice in renewable energy, and I run the function with minimal direction.

Core Values:

We hire, reward, and recognise our team against these values. It is imperative that you believe in these values and demonstrate them consistently.

• We are passionate and proud of what we do.
• We communicate candidly, especially when it is difficult
• We take the initiative, share our mistakes, and grow together
• We are dependable and take accountability
• No one person is bigger than the solution - no egos.

We are currently only considering candidates based in South Africa with valid working rights. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider applications from outside the country currently.