About the position
Postion Summary:
The NRF seeks to appoint a Head of People and Culture:
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the development and implementation of People and Culture strategy, policies, and operating plans aligned to organisational objectives
- Translate strategic direction into integrated people solutions across business units and provide expert advisory support to senior leadership
- Conduct organisational diagnostics and lead design, development, and change interventions in partnership with Centres of Excellence
- Build strong stakeholder relationships and enable collaboration between business units and People and Culture functions to ensure seamless service delivery
- Drive Employment Equity, transformation, and compliance with legislative and policy requirements
- Lead talent management, including workforce planning, succession, recruitment of critical roles, and embedding the Employee Value Proposition
- Oversee performance management, learning and development, and organisational capability-building initiatives
- Manage People and Culture budgets, procurement, reporting, and data analytics to support informed decision-making and operational efficiency
- Ensure integrity of people data and continuous improvement of HR systems and processes
- Drive leadership development, coaching, and implementation of employee development programmes to strengthen organisational capability
- Foster an inclusive, high-performance culture that supports transformation, diversity, and employee engagement
- Provide overall leadership of the People and Culture function, including team development, performance, and service delivery excellence
- Embed a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across teams and business units
- Ensure strong governance, compliance, and risk management, including labour relations, audits, and policy adherence
Minimum Qualification:
- Honours Degree / Post Graduate Qualification / Professional Qualification / NQF 8
Minimum Experience:
- A minimum of an honours (NQF Level 8) degree in the field of Human Resources/Industrial Psychology or related field
Experience:
- A minimum of 12 years practical experience in leading the delivery of human resources management services, including organisational design, organisational change, remuneration and benefits management, Labour relations, performance management, talent attraction and retention amongst others is required
- Minimum of 7 years’ experience operating at management/senior management level
- 5 years proven experience in strategic planning, formulation, and execution
- Proven experience in Business Partnering
- Proven experience leading HR functions in a unionised environment
- Proven experience in working in an unionized environment is essential
Knowledge:
- The ability to engage with leaders on strategic HR matters
- Experience in engaging and facilitating change across the business
- Understanding of regulatory requirements & legislation (e
- g
- , BCEA, Labour Relations Act, Tax Act, King Code, Companies Act, applicable local legislation, Equal Pay for Equal Work)
- Demonstrable knowledge and experience with HR Metrics, Information systems and databases
- Assertiveness and analytical thinking
- Demonstrable negotiation, contracting and change management skills
- Sound people management skills
Additional Notes:
Agile mindset and responsible to quick delivery and turnaroundStrong ability to collaborate both internally and externally. Strong written and verbal communication and presentation [URL Removed] the customer first and strives to deliver high quality solutions to the [URL Removed] and future focused in designing and delivering People [URL Removed] to continuously grow in technical [URL Removed] and Self-driven and thrives in constantly changing environmentsAbility to adopt and translate organisational cultureThe NRF website provides more details on the initiatives and activities Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV by registering and apply online through the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant·s suitability for the position. The names and contact details of at least three referees should be provided.
Desired Skills:
- Skilled in applied field of position
- Knowledge to be relevant
- Responsible in performing duties
About The Employer:
The National Research Foundation (NRF) is established by an Act of Parliament and mandated to contribute to national development by supporting, promoting and advancing research and human capacity development, through funding and the provision of the necessary research infrastructure, in order to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of science and technology, including humanities, social sciences and indigenous knowledge; and supporting and promoting public awareness of, and engagement with, science. The NRF is a well-established organisation that is highly networked within the knowledge system, nationally and internationally. It is the principal organisation responsible for promoting the national research enterprise and is the primary public funder of postgraduate students and researchers and provider of research infrastructure in the country. It has well-developed, best practice research evaluation and support systems
