Lead – Human Resources

JOB PURPOSE

• The Lead – Human Resources is accountable for the strategic and operational delivery of the HR function within [site/business unit], ensuring full compliance with South African labour legislation and Main Agreement.
• The role provides senior-level leadership across employee relations, talent development, and organisational capability building, translating business priorities into HR initiatives that strengthen workforce performance, compliance posture, and organisational resilience.
• The Lead – HR acts as a trusted advisor to line management and EXCO, driving HR governance and embedding sustainable people practices across the business.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Site HR Leadership & Strategic Partnering

• Own the HR agenda for the Ezakheni site, translating the Defy Factories HR strategy into site-level plans and execution.
• Partner with plant and operations leadership to align HR delivery with production targets, attendance and business performance.

Employee Relations, Discipline & Legal Compliance

• Provide leadership and guidance on high-level disciplinary hearings and manage grievance procedures across both sites.
• Represent the company at the CCMA and manage all related legal documentation, escalating the most complex matters to the IR Manager.
• Maintain deep knowledge of, and ensure strict adherence to, the Main Agreement, the BCEA, LRA, EEA and SDA.
• Lead union engagement at site level and strengthen the relationship between management and organised labour.
• Own and improve attendance and discipline outcomes, addressing absenteeism and repeat-offence trends through consistent, fair application of policy.
• Create, implement and update Standard Operating Procedures and site HR policies to ensure legal and operational robustness.
• Maintain a stable, compliant employee relations environment and act as the primary HR escalation point for both sites.

Workforce Planning, Recruitment & Capability Building

• Own end-to-end recruitment and selection across both sites, including workforce planning, job descriptions, interviews and staffing support to line managers, ensuring roles are filled with the right capability at the right time.
• Partner with business unit leads/managers to close skills gaps and build supervisor, Shift Leader and manager capability, driving training completion across both sites, with support from the Training Coordinator.
• Support career progression, succession planning and talent pipeline management for both sites.

Skills Development & Employment Equity

• Lead site input into the Workplace Skills Plan WSP and Annual Training Report ATR, securing mandatory and discretionary grant recovery through timely, accurate submissions.
• Chair the site Employment Equity Committee, driving workforce profile analysis, EE target-setting and compliance with annual reporting obligations to the Department of Labour.

HR Administration, Payroll & Reporting

• Oversee accurate maintenance of employee records and ensure HR processes are documented, audit-ready and consistently applied.
• Oversee the weekly payroll process for site employees, ensuring accuracy and compliance with tax and benefit regulations.
• Own the monthly Ezakheni People Dashboard, reporting on workforce, industrial relations and operational metrics including headcount, absenteeism, turnover, vacancy rate, disciplinary cases, CCMA referrals and HR SLA compliance.
• Ensure legislative posters and noticeboards are standardised and kept up to date across both sites.

Skills & Experience

• A relevant Tertiary Qualification NQF 7 or higher in Human Resources Management, Industrial Psychology, or a related field.
• A minimum of 8–10 years' experience in a comprehensive HR role, preferably within a unionised manufacturing environment.
• Proven track record chairing disciplinary hearings and representing employers at the CCMA is non-negotiable.
• Deep understanding of South African labour law LRA, BCEA, EEA & SDA.
• Experience managing HR across multiple sites, or a large single-site workforce 1,000+ employees, advantageous.
• Professional maturity and the ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels, from shop floor employees to directors.
• SAP or similar HRIS experience advantageous.

Closing Date 18 August 2026