The posting
Let's Write Africa's Story Together!
Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.
Job Description
This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished Human Capital Leader to influence the future of a large, nationally distributed business at a time of transformation and growth. Working as a trusted strategic partner to executive leadership, you will drive the people agenda across a complex, geographically dispersed workforce, ensuring talent, culture, leadership capability, organisational effectiveness, and workforce planning directly enable business success. The role offers the opportunity to lead impactful people initiatives at scale, shape organisational performance, and build a high-performing, engaged workforce in a dynamic operating environment. Success in this role will require proven experience within a large retail or customer-facing organisation, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to translate business strategy into people outcomes. Regular national travel is an integral part of the role, enabling close partnership with leaders and teams across the business.
Key Performance Areas:
Corporate Strategy Shaping
Participate in the development of corporate strategy for a small local organization, applying functional expertise to test the viability of the strategy and contributing creative ideas and insights to support the strategy formation process.
Functional Strategy Formation
Lead the development and implementation of strategy for a significant area of responsibility, anticipating complex issues, challenges, and opportunities and ensuring integration with wider corporate strategy.
Strategic Workforce Planning
Lead the creation of a strategic workforce plan for a national organization or international business segment to provide a framework for the sourcing and development of talent and to enable the delivery of the business strategy.
Board Relationship
Develop and improve relationships with board members, identifying priorities, issues, and strategic challenges and preparing them for discussion. Work is focused on a significant function or equivalent area of the business.
Employee Representatives Relationship Management
Manage relationships with senior trade union representatives and/or members of the works council; act as a lead spokesperson in key consultations and negotiations; collaborate with senior colleagues to clarify the organization's business objectives and negotiating positions; deliver outcomes that meet these objectives and are consistent with the organization's values.
HR Frameworks and Tools
Lead the development of HR frameworks and tools for recruitment, performance management, development, career and succession planning, compensation and benefits, diversity, employee onboarding and offboarding, and retention of talent for a significant area of responsibility, ensuring compliance with external requirements and integration with the broader corporate policy framework. Enable the attraction, development, and retention of talent at a sustainable cost.
Leadership and Direction
Communicate the function's strategy and its relationship to the organization's mission, vision, and values; clarify the actions needed to implement this strategy within the area of responsibility; motivate people to commit to the mission, vision, and values and do extraordinary things to achieve the organization's business goals.
Information and Business Advice
Provide authoritative specialist advice to the leadership team of a small or nationally based organization or subsidiary to guide the implementation of policy and the design and implementation of projects and change initiatives.
Stakeholder Engagement
Identify and manage stakeholders up to and including top management level, finding out their needs, issues, and concerns and reacting to them by leading and coordinating the development of stakeholder engagement plans to support the communication of business information and decisions.
Corporate Representation
Represent the organization or institution in a variety of industry, institutional, and/or professional forums, boards, and committees, in order to promote the company or institution brand or efforts. Represent the organization in external relations with investors, clients, industry, partners, the public, and others. Focus is on a specific area of the organization, such as a function or department. May involve preparation of presentations and materials for professional partnering meetings, seminars, and conferences.
Performance Management
Manage and report on the performance of the function/business area; set appropriate performance objectives for direct reports and hold individuals accountable for achieving them; take appropriate corrective action where necessary to ensure the achievement of annual business objectives.
Organization Structure
Define the detailed organization structure for a business area to align with corporate principles, define the relationship between elements of the organization, and define the responsibilities of senior managers, to enable the organization to achieve its business objectives.
Organizational Capability Building
Identify the capabilities needed to meet the current and emerging business needs of a significant business area. Evaluate current capabilities, identify gaps, and prioritize development activities. Motivate others to develop their capabilities and fulfil their personal potential. Build capabilities elsewhere in the organization through mentoring and other informal methods.
Internal Client Relationship Management
Lead the development of partnering relationships with senior executives throughout the organization, building high levels of professional credibility and mutual trust, and ensuring that internal clients have access to high-quality advice and guidance to support in delivering business strategy and plans.
Qualification and Experience Requirements:
- Relevant postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, Business Management, or a related field.
- Registration with a recognised professional body (e.g. SABPP) will be advantageous
- Significant Human Capital leadership experience within a large, nationally distributed retail, financial services, or customer-facing organisation.
- Proven success partnering with Executive and Senior Leadership Teams to deliver business-focused people strategies.
- Demonstrated experience leading organisational transformation, workforce planning, organisational effectiveness, culture, talent, and leadership development initiatives at scale.
- Strong track record of operating within complex, geographically dispersed environments and influencing business performance through strategic people interventions.
- Experience leading and developing high-performing Human Capital teams and building strong stakeholder relationships across all levels of the organisation.
- Willingness and ability to travel nationally on a regular basis.
Skills
Adaptive Thinking, Business Requirements Analysis, Change Management, Current State Assessment, Customer Value Management, Data Compilation, Executing Plans, Negotiation, Oral Communications, Policies & Procedures, Presenting Solutions, Professional Presentation, Strategic Planning
Competencies
Balances Stakeholders
Builds Effective Teams
Business Insight
Collaborates
Communicates Effectively
Drives Vision and Purpose
Ensures Accountability
Instills Trust
Education
Professional Postgraduate Qualification: Human Resources Management (Required)
Closing Date
20 November 2026 , 23:59
The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.
The Old Mutual Story!
