Head of People Operations

About the role

This senior position leads the People Operations function for a large, established organisation in South Africa. The role is suitable for candidates with extensive experience in FMCG, retail or manufacturing environments and will be based in Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Key responsibilities

• Lead a high‑volume payroll function, ensuring accuracy, compliance and excellent service.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement across all people administration processes.
• Own the HRIS and payroll systems landscape, championing automation and digital transformation.
• Build and maintain workforce dashboards, ensuring data integrity and governance.
• Partner with Finance on personnel cost reporting, headcount budgeting and labour forecasting.
• Identify and implement large‑scale process optimisation initiatives to support future growth.
• Lead, coach and develop the People Operations team while fostering a culture of accountability.

Required profile

• Proven experience in large, complex FMCG, retail or manufacturing organisations.
• Demonstrated track record of managing high‑volume payroll operations and driving system improvements.
• Strong partnership skills with Finance and ability to influence strategic workforce decisions.
• Leadership experience with a focus on building scalable, efficient processes.

Required skills

• HRIS management
• Payroll systems expertise