About the position
Our client, a leading mining company, is seeking to appoint a Senior HR Manager (Generalist) with a strong Industrial Relations background to join their operation in Maatla, Botswana, on a 2-year contract with the possibility of renewal.
This role will lead and manage the full employee life cycle for a large, unionised workforce in a safety-critical mining environment. The successful candidate will ensure full compliance with local legislation, drive effective employee and industrial relations, and support operational excellence through robust HR practices.
Key Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, Business Administration, or related field
- 8-10+ years' HR Generalist experience, with a strong Industrial Relations focus
- Proven experience managing the full employee life cycle
- Mining sector experience is essential, preferably with a large workforce (400+ employees)
- Demonstrated success in union engagement, wage negotiations, and collective bargaining
- Strong working knowledge of local labour legislation and employment law
- Excellent communication and written skills
- Experience in site-based, remote, or heavy industrial environments
- Sage 300 experience an advantage
Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Operational HR Leadership
- Act as the senior HR business partner to site leadership, providing strategic and operational HR guidance
- Translate corporate HR strategy into effective site-level implementation
- Support workforce planning aligned to production targets and life-of-mine plans
- Lead HR operations for a large workforce (400+ employees) in a remote mining environment
Employee & Industrial Relations
- Lead and manage all industrial and employee relations activities at site
- Handle discipline, grievances, performance management, dispute resolution, and incapacity processes
- Manage relationships with unions, employee representatives, and statutory bodies
- Lead wage negotiations, collective bargaining, and union consultations
- Ensure consistent, fair, and legally compliant HR practices aligned with local labour legislation
Recruitment & Workforce Management
- Oversee end-to-end recruitment and workforce management across the full employee life cycle
- Manage onboarding, induction, mobilization, and demobilization processes
- Monitor and report on workforce metrics including headcount, turnover, absenteeism, and labour stability
Performance Management & Talent Development
- Drive performance management systems and annual review processes
- Identify skills gaps and implement training and development plans
- Support leadership development, succession planning, and talent retention initiatives
Compensation, Benefits & Payroll Oversight
- Ensure accurate implementation of remuneration, benefits, and incentive schemes
- Work closely with payroll to ensure compliance, accuracy, and timelines
- Support annual salary reviews, benchmarking, and collective remuneration processes
- Experience with Sage 300 payroll/HR systems is an advantage
Compliance, Policies & Governance
- Ensure full compliance with local labour legislation, mining regulations, and company policies
- Maintain and update HR policies, procedures, and employee handbook
- Manage audits, inspections, statutory reporting, and internal governance requirements
Health, Safety & Wellbeing
- Actively promote and support a strong safety-first culture
- Partner with HSE teams on wellbeing, fatigue management, and fitness-for-work initiatives
- Ensure HR processes support medical surveillance and safety compliance
HR Reporting & Systems
- Maintain accurate employee records and HR systems
- Deliver regular HR reports and metrics to site and corporate leadership
- Drive continuous improvement in HR systems, processes, and data integrity
Desired Skills:
- HR
- Mining
- Contract
- Industrial Relations
- Sage
- Employee Relations
- HR Processes
- Union
Desired Work Experience:
