Cape Town: People and Culture Business Partner – CPT posted by DataFin Recruitment

ENVIRONMENT:

A resource and Capital development group is seeking a People and Culture Business Partner to support a large-scale, technically complex collaboration team comprising locally employed and internationally seconded staff. The role is responsible for delivering end-to-end people solutions that prioritise recruitment, performance management, employee relations, talent management, reward and recognition initiatives to achieve both operational and strategic people objectives. The role assesses and anticipates People and Culture related needs through close collaboration with internal People and Culture teams and key stakeholders, ensuring consistent, compliant, and efficient service delivery aligned with local policies and procedures within a dual-governance, multi-national environment. This position is critical to maintaining workforce integration and alignment, enabling the successful delivery of people objectives across a matrixed structure.

DUTIES:

People and Culture Strategy Implementation

• Contribute to the delivery of HR strategic plans and KPIs, ensuring operational alignment with organisational goals and objectives.
• Implement and track transformation programmes to support employment equity and diversity targets.
• Execute business unit strategy aligned with the broader People and Culture strategy.
• Work with departmental heads to review fit-for-purpose organisational structures.
• Support line management with job profiles and arrange job evaluations as required.
• Provide accurate monthly and quarterly reporting on deliverables, non-conformance, and potential risks.
• Participate in manpower planning and interrogate the manpower budget.

People and Performance Management

• Support line managers with performance calibration sessions.
• Ensure departments set SMART objectives aligned to organisational goals.
• Prepare performance trend reports and coach managers on performance improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with performance management policies and procedures.
• Drive a performance management culture within the business unit.
• Coordinate the performance management process in accordance with agreed schedules and policy.
• Provide competent advice and guidance to line management on performance matters.
• Develop and submit the business unit’s annual training needs for inclusion in the Workplace Skills Plan.

Staffing and Workforce Planning

• Accurately identify skills and resources required to deliver objectives.
• Compile and complete workforce plans in required formats for approval.
• Engage with line management to determine position requirements and advert content.
• Manage the end-to-end staffing process.
• Oversee psychometric assessments for selection, promotion, and career development purposes.

Employment Equity

• Monitor compliance with the Employment Equity plan in line with central guidelines.
• Track employment equity targets and ensure implementation through clear recruitment and development plans.
• Report and submit employment equity data timeously and in the required format.
• Provide competent advice and guidance to line management on employment equity matters.

People and Culture Governance, Reporting, Risk and Compliance

• Implement People and Culture business processes and report on levels of compliance.
• Identify and report People and Culture related risks, including potential risks, and develop mitigation strategies.
• Address and close all audit findings as per the risk register.
• Ensure efficient People and Culture record keeping as defined by internal audit standards.
• Maintain documentary compliance for all internal audit processes.
• Analyse and interpret data to report on personnel expenses, employee movements, absenteeism, leave, headcount, and performance metrics.
• Identify and manage risk associated with HR processes including leave liability, benefit administration, and audit.
• Comply with Group People and Culture Policies and service level agreements.
• Oversee the selection of service providers aligned to the People and Culture Plan.
• Ensure administration for skills development and bursary initiatives is recorded for audit purposes.
• Support the People and Culture Manager with Employment Equity requirements and statutory compliance.
• Manage the skills development component of the BBBEE scorecard.
• Contribute to the business unit by adhering to the department’s operating budget.

Employee Relations

• Drive implementation of the central Employee Relations strategy to foster a positive employee relations culture.
• Ensure full compliance with Employee Relations policy and procedure, Code of Good Practice, and all related legislation.
• Provide competent advice and guidance to line management on Employee Relations matters and case law.
• Prevent risks from escalation and manage issues in a timely manner.
• Ensure grievances are resolved within minimum required timeframes.
• Monitor that Employee Relations and termination documentation is accurately completed.
• Review Employee Relations reports to proactively identify challenges and provide management practice recommendations.

Culture and Organisational Development

• Assist business unit heads to interpret climate survey results, develop and monitor action plans.
• Ensure implementation and adherence to People and Culture processes and administrative requirements.
• Support management with query resolution regarding general people issues.
• Facilitate annual increases, bonuses, and incentive payouts.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting as directed by the People and Culture Manager.
• Manage the overall structure and content of collaborative induction programmes, ensuring alignment with organisational culture, compliance needs, and role-specific requirements.
• Work with line managers to customise induction for each new hire.
• Implement workforce and succession plans, talent and pipeline development strategies ensuring equitable access to development and clear career paths.
• Support skills development planning and delivery, promote and track individual development plans, and support leadership, compliance, and functional training programmes.

REQUIREMENTS:

Qualifications

• Degree in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, or a related field.

Experience

• 58 years of generalist HR experience.
• Proven HR Business Partner experience within a matrixed or dual-governance environment.
• Demonstrated experience in multi-stakeholder HR environments, ideally within large-scale projects, research institutions, or the engineering/technical sector.

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of HR practices, South African Labour Law, and employee relations.
• Extensive experience in resourcing, talent and performance management, remuneration and benefits within a technical industry.
• Proficiency in HR Information Systems (HRIS), including platforms for payroll, recruitment, performance management, learning management, and data analytics.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of organisational goals and operating context.
• Operational effectiveness with the ability to identify opportunities and advocate for innovations to enhance work practices and the workplace environment.

Competencies and Attributes

Essential Competencies

• HR generalist and business partnering expertise.
• Ability to work and collaborate across functional boundaries.
• Strong interpersonal and consultation skills.
• Upholds confidentiality and ethical standards.
• Provides fair and unbiased support for complex or sensitive employee matters.
• Delivers on commitments with attention to quality and timelines.
• Works effectively across cultural and linguistic diversities.

Skills

• Well-developed ability to build and maintain trust-based relationships with internal and external stakeholders across all levels of the organisation.
• Shows initiative and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Resilience in the face of setbacks, obstacles, and ambiguity.
• HR-related project management skills.
• Employment Equity compliance and reporting expertise.
• Ability and willingness to travel nationally and internationally as required.

ATTRIBUTES:

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate and actively instil the following values:

• Diversity and Inclusion
• Excellence
• Collaboration
• Creativity and Innovation
• Sustainability
• Passion for Excellence
• World-class Service
• People-centred Approach
• Respect
• Integrity and Ethics
• Accountability