Senior HR Manager; Strategic HR Generalist

Title

Senior HR Manager (Strategic HR Generalist)

The Senior HR Manager is a seasoned, strategically minded generalist accountable for translating business strategy into integrated people strategy and plans across the full employee lifecycle. The successful incumbent will partner with the clients' executives and senior leadership to develop workforce strategy, organizational design, talent and performance optimization, employee engagement and retention management, employee growth and development, employee relations, remuneration and reward, diversity-equity-inclusion-and belonging (DEIB), and organizational culture.

The Senior HR Manager is responsible for ensuring that the HR function operates efficiently, compliantly, and in a manner that enables optimal business and employee performance. This is a hands-on generalist role. The incumbent will be expected to operate comfortably at both strategic and operational levels, moving fluidly between boardroom-level workforce planning and the practical resolution of day-to-day HR matters.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, translating business strategy and objectives into a coherent people strategy and workforce plan.

• Provide data-driven insight and workforce analytics to inform business decisions on structure, capability, capacity, and cost.

• Lead or contribute to organizational design and restructuring initiatives, ensuring structures align with strategic priorities.

• Anticipate future workforce needs and proactively design interventions to close capability and capacity gaps.

• Drive end-to-end talent management, including workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership pipeline development.

• Partner with business leaders on talent acquisition strategy to attract, select, and onboard the right skills at the right time.

• Design and oversee learning and development interventions that build organizational capability and support career development. This includes but not limited to translating the organizational learning and development strategy into annual Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Reports as contemplated in the Skills Development Act and Skills Development Levies Act and ensures the clients full participation in mandatory and discretionary SETA funding.

• Drive organizational performance by championing strategically aligned performance management processes, coaching leaders on setting objectives, giving feedback, and managing underperformance.

• Lead or support change management and culture-building initiatives aligned to organizational values and strategic goals.

• Develop and lead execution of an annual DEIB strategy and action plan aligned to overall business and people strategy, with clear goals, owners, and timelines.

• Design and embed inclusive practices across the employee lifecycle, including sourcing, selection, onboarding, promotion, and succession planning, to reduce bias and broaden representation at all levels.

• Track, analyze, and report workforce diversity metrics in line with the clients employment equity plan, and present findings and recommendations to senior leadership on a regular basis.

• Conduct or commission periodic pay equity and promotion equity analyses and drive corrective action plans where gaps are identified.

• Design and deliver DEIB training and awareness interventions for leaders and employees, including unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, and cultural competence.

• Establish, support, and sponsor Employee DEIB forum or similar employee-led networks, providing governance, resourcing, and a link to leadership.

• Ensure workplace accessibility and reasonable accommodation practices are in place for employees with disabilities, in line with legal requirements and best practice.

• Provide expert guidance on employee relations matters, including grievances, disciplinary processes, and dispute resolution, ensuring fair and consistent application of policy.

• Ensure full compliance with applicable labor legislation, regulatory requirements, and internal policies, escalating and managing risk appropriately.

• Maintain and continuously improve HR policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.

• Act as a point of escalation for complex or sensitive HR matters, exercising sound judgment and discretion.

• Contribute to the design and administration of…