Head of HR South East West Africa

Location: Johannesburg, ZA, 2021

At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond!

About the role

We are seeking a qualified candidate to join our company as the Head of HR for South East West Africa. We employ about 50 employees in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya and continue to grow in these countries in the near future. Our operations comprise of commercial activities. The Head of HR will be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the global HR Strategy, own the business processes, and provide advisory services – at the strategic, operational, and administrative levels in both countries. This role will spearhead the transformation of how the organization delivers HR services. In addition, this role will provide proactive business advisory and solutions-oriented HR business partner services for the local management team. The Head of HR is part of two leadership teams, i.e., the business and regional AMEA HR Team.

Note: Preference will be given to Employment Equity candidates

Key responsibilities include:

Build a strong HR reputation by providing leadership and managing the implementation of best practice HR solutions, processes, and reports that are aligned with Barry Callebaut’s policies and processes, supporting the front-end business managers in their day-to-day activities.
Ensure communication and management of Global HR processes, such as performance management and annual compensation review, with a strong focus on compliance and local law and regulations.
Responsible for HR administration, payroll administration, Pension and Medical Aid Schemes.
Be a constructive challenger to peers to drive the overall people strategy, by designing and swiftly implementing people-oriented and organizational solutions.
Act as a partner and advisor for both employees and managers to deliver customized and forward-looking solutions, programs, and policies.
Responsible for engaging and coaching managers in applying company policies, ensuring alignment to rules and law aspects in line with Labour Relations Act.
Key point of contact for social reporting and Department of Labour for all legal compliance requirements in the country.
Develop, implement and review local HR Policies in line with the Labour Relations Act.
Ensure full legal compliance with the Basic Conditions of Employment, Labour Relations, Employment Equity, Skills Development and Health & Safety Acts and provide guidance to the Leadership Team in relation to these Acts.
Support the implementation of the Broad-based Black Economic Development initiatives in particular the Management Control, Skills Development and Socio-economic Development Pillars.
Act as the performance improvement driver to influence positive changes in the environment.
Design and implement a continuous High Performance Team development strategy in alignment with global best practices.
Act as the lead for HR to identify the operational and administrative services, inclusive of process mapping, organizational design, people transition strategy, costs, and other relevant areas.
Support talent management based on the global steering and guidance received, including annual events (performance, talent review, succession planning, compensation and engagement surveys).
Foster good employee relations and promote employee engagement as a way to retain highly valued talent. Drive action plans for the global function that will deliver an engaging high-performance workplace as a result of employee surveys.
Role model the right leadership behaviors and create an environment of trust and integrity.
Drive the local Diversity & Inclusion initiatives.
Manage and monitor Employee Wellbeing, analyze quarterly reports for the Employee Wellness Program provider and take corrective actions as needed.
Facilitate disciplinary, grievance and dispute resolution processes.

About You:

Possess minimum Degree in Business Administration / Economics or other related qualification.
Minimum 10 years of working experience in HR Operations (thereof minimum 5 years in a leadership role).
Fluent in English as well as relevant local language – verbal and written.
Excellent leadership, people management and project management skills.
In-depth knowledge of local employment law and industrial relations in the relevant countries.
Strong knowledge of all Labour related legislation, including the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) procedures.
Comprehensive skills related to operational excellence, service management and control.
Experienced in budgeting, costing and performance management.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability and confidence to operate at senior levels with internal and external stakeholders.
Able to think strategically, ensuring that HR priorities are aligned with business objectives.
Proficient with HR systems.
Proactive, flexible with ability to operate and deliver under pressure.
Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
Strong ethics, integrity and compliance mindset.
Strong customer-centric and delivery-focused mindset.
Excellent stakeholder management and customer service skills.
Leading by example and with emotional intelligence, able to drive courageous discussions.
Able to build relationships across a wide and diverse stakeholder base, both internally and externally.

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.

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Barry Callebaut

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Head of HR South East West Africa