Snr Specialist: Employee Relations, HR Governance and Risk

Structural Information

Job number:                     10026358

Job title:                             Snr Specialist: Employee Relations, HR Governance and Risk

Job grade:                          S4

Group/ BU:                       CSB

Division:                             Human Resources

Span of control:               0-5

Reports to:                        Executive Management

Core Description

The Snr Specialist Employee Relations, HR Governance and Risk is a critical, role designed to protect Consumer (CSB) through robust labour law compliance, policy governance, and proactive people-related risk management. The incumbent will manage a focused, specialist Employee Relations (ER), Governance, and Risk capability, providing the frameworks and counsel required to drive fair, consistent, and legally defensible people practices across CSB. The incumbent will provide strategic subject matter expert leadership and oversight of Employee Relations (ER) within a highly unionised environment, ensuring constructive engagement with organised labour, effective dispute resolution, and full compliance with labour legislation. The role is accountable to ensure a stable employee relations climate that supports organisational performance.

Job Responsibilities

1. Employee Relations Leadership
Oversee all complex and high-risk employee relations matters, including disciplinary hearings, grievances, incapacity processes, misconduct investigations, and large-scale restructures.
Represent or oversee Consumer Small Business representation at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and Labour Court, ensuring legally defensible case oversight.
Build and maintain productive relationships with organised labour, including trade unions and shop stewards, through sound collective bargaining and consultation practices.
Develop proactive ER strategies to reduce conflict, and improve consistency in the application of ER frameworks.

2. HR Governance and Policy Stewardship
Own the governance framework for all HR policies, standards, procedures, and related controls.
Lead policy review cycles, approval workflows, delegated authorities, document version control, and implementation standards to ensure coherence and compliance.
Ensure alignment of HR practices with South African labour legislation (e.g., LRA, BCEA, EEA, SDA) and internal corporate governance standards (e.g., King IV, POPIA).
Partner with Legal, Risk & Compliance, and Internal Audit to drive internal audit remediation, resolve control weaknesses, and champion ethical people practices across the business.

3. HR Data Governance
Define HR data standards, procedures, and related controls.
Establish data definitions and assign clear ownership of HR data.
Ensure data quality management (data accuracy, completeness).
Ensure data privacy and protection through compliance with data protection laws (e.g. POPIA).
Ensure data security and access control by defining who can access, view or edit HR data and prevent unauthorized access or data leaks.
Responsible for data lifecycle management, that is, how data is created, stored and disposed.
Identify and mitigate risks related to HR data and develop control measures.
Provide training and awareness of all stakeholders on HR data governance, data handling, accountability and privacy.

4. Employment Equity
Develop the EE strategy, including identifying EE gaps and setting EE targets to close the gaps.
Promote DEI.
Monitor & track EE progress.
Ensure timeous reporting to the Department of Employment & Labour.
Safe keeping of documentation submitted to Department of Employment & Labour.
Conduct training and awareness campaigns on DEI to line managers and employees.
Ensure compliance to the EEA.

5. HR Risk Management and Compliance
Develop, implement, and maintain the HR Risk Register, ensuring people-related risks are actively identified, assessed, tracked, and mitigated.
Integrate HR risk considerations into the broader Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework.
Conduct root-cause analysis on recurring ER trends, establish early warning indicators, and implement systemic mitigation plans rather than treating isolated incidents.
Manage risk arising from workforce restructuring and collective disputes, providing scenario planning and contingency support.

6. Strategic Advisory and Stakeholder Management
Serve as a trusted advisor to the Human Capital Executive leadership, EXCO, and senior management on high-risk, sensitive, or precedent-setting employee relations matters.
Influence senior stakeholders to secure alignment and commitment to governance objectives, providing balanced advice that protects the company while enabling sound business decisions.
Prepare high-quality risk reports, briefing notes, and insights for board sub-committees and various governance forums.

Core Competencies

Functional Knowledge/ Skills
Mastery of South African labour legislation and regulatory frameworks; HR governance frameworks and policy development; Risk identification, assessment, and mitigation; Collective bargaining and union relations; CCMA and Labour Court advocacy and management; HR audit methodologies and compliance reporting; Legal drafting; Investigative interviewing; Strategic stakeholder influence.

Competencies (Behaviour)
Strategic Judgement: Interprets complex situations and recommends defensible actions under pressure.
Integrity and Ethical Leadership: Acts as the custodian of fair and compliant practice.
Risk Orientation: Anticipates legal and governance risks early and implements proactive controls.
Influence and Credibility: Gains trust with senior leaders and shapes decisions on high-stakes matters.
Analytical Capability: Uses data to identify root causes and recommend systemic interventions.
Resilience and Discretion: Handles confidential, contentious, and high-pressure matters objectively and with composure.
Collaboration: Partners seamlessly across cross-functional matrices (Legal, Risk, Operations).

Certifications

Education

Experience

Additional Information

Job responsibilities (continued)
7. Capability Building, Reporting and Continuous Improvement
Design and lead training and awareness initiatives for line managers and HR Business Partners on grievance handling, progressive discipline, investigations, ethics, and risk-sensitive decision-making.
Develop and monitor ER and HR risk dashboards, translating case data and policy compliance reporting into actionable insights for continuous improvement.
Strengthen and streamline ER, governance, and risk processes to improve turnaround times and organisational resilience.
Provide reports.

Certification, qualifications and experience:
Admitted Attorney.
Degree in Law (LLB or BCom Law), Labour Relations, Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, or Business Administration.
Postgraduate qualification in Labour Law, Employment Relations, Governance, or Risk Management.
Strong legal or labour law background highly preferred.
Progressive experience in Employee Relations, Labour Law, HR Governance, or HR Risk.
At least 3 years in a senior management/ specialist leadership capacity within a large, complex, unionised, or regulated environment (Telco/ICT context advantageous).
Proven track record in managing complex ER matters, union negotiations, and CCMA/arbitration.
Relevant professional registration (e.g., SABPP, Legal Practice Council, or Risk Management institute) will be an added advantage.

Special Requirements:
Unwavering commitment to confidentiality, discretion, and ethical conduct.
Willingness to travel as required by operational or case demands.
Flexible working hours to accommodate urgent, high-risk, or sensitive matters.
Ability to cultivate and build relationships in highly adversarial or highly politicized environments.

Special Requirements

Physical Requirements

Key Stakeholders

Internal Stakeholders
HR Executive leadership
Executive Committee (EXCO) & Senior Line Management
HR Business Partners
Legal Services and Compliance Departments
Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk
Finance (for settlement provisions/ budgeting)
Shop Stewards

External Stakeholders
Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)
Labour Court
Trade Unions
External Legal Counsel & Firms
Department of Employment and Labour