Country HR Responsible, SSA at GRUNDFOS

• Are you interested in joining Grundfos as the Country HR Responsible for South Africa, Kenya and Ghana?
• In this role, you will work closely with the Country Directors in these three countries to support a unified one country approach. You will design, implement and coordinate local HR processes and policies that follow global Grundfos guidelines while ensuring full compliance with local laws and regulations. You will also champion the Grundfos One Culture initiative by providing guidance and support on a wide range of HR topics.

What is the Job all about?

• As Country HR Responsible, you will guide the local organization in navigating our HR systems by pointing them in the right direction, helping them get their questions answered, and ensuring a smooth employee experience.
• This role reports directly to the Regional Country HR Manager for IMEA and APAC, with a dotted line to the Country Directors of South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.
• The position is based in South Africa and provides virtual support to our companies in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria.

Your Main Responsibilities 

Legal & compliance

• Ensure full compliance with the labour laws of Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, including the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act, Skills Development Act and Protection of Personal Information Act. Act as the company representative when resolving any compliance related issues or complaints.
• Keep your knowledge of statutory requirements in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa up to date and make sure any changes that affect employment practices or HR processes are implemented on time. Handle any non-compliance cases related to HR processes.
• Oversee and coordinate all mandatory submissions and registrations for Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, including Employment Equity reporting, the Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report, UIF and COIDA requirements, PAYE updates and any additional requests from labour authorities.
• Ensure accurate record keeping for audits, including employment equity files, training records, disciplinary records and health and safety documentation, and ensure readiness for labour inspections or formal reviews.
• Support the company’s compliance with the South African Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment employment elements and provide the required HR data for B BBEE verification.
• Monitor case law trends in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa and update the Country Directors and the Country HR Manager to prevent compliance risks.
• Promote and embed the company values in how we treat people from a compliance perspective.
• Maintain oversight of legal cases, including their consequences and related costs.
• Organize any mandatory local or corporate compliance training at country level when relevant.

HR policies and processes

• Establish local policies and guidelines when needed, in respect of local legislation or company needs.
• Design, maintain and implement local HR policies ensuring alignment with Group policies, local legislation, and Country Director.
• Lead the deployment and alignment of local processes, policies, and practices across the country.
• Translate global policies into local actions in the Country when needed.
• Support the implementation of global HR systems and processes.
• Act as ambassador for global policies, processes, systems, and HR delivery model.

Labor relations

• Support the Country Directors in representing the company before government agencies such as the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Immigration.
• Support the Country Directors in representing the company before courts or other parties and work closely with internal and external legal counsel on litigated claims and other employment related matters.
• Support and advise Managers, HRBPs and HR Services on Kenya, Ghana and South African employment law matters, including employment contracts, disciplinary cases and grievance procedures. Draft and review disciplinary actions to ensure they align with company values and local legislation.
• Guide managers through the full disciplinary process in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa to ensure procedural and substantive fairness in line with the Labour Relations Act and CCMA requirements. Support the preparation of employer representations for CCMA or Bargaining Council hearings by coordinating documents, briefing legal partners and assisting the Country Directors throughout the process.
• Help prevent employment law issues by presenting and explaining rules and guidelines within the area.
• Resolve conflicts and provide guidance on legal issues for individuals or groups within the country.
• Support global footprint activities and organizational changes when needed and ensure the compliance aspects are fully addressed.
• Work closely with internal and external legal partners and labour compliance specialists when handling these tasks.
• Promote awareness of workplace rules in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa by ensuring training, communication and proactive updates for managers and employees.

People and Culture

• Drive and support the One Grundfos culture approach in the country.
• Contribute to the alignment of employment conditions at the country level.
• Responsible for managing agreements and deliverables with local vendors related to local HR deliveries at country level, where not supported by the Global HR set up.
• He/she also acts as the HR “go-to” person in the country for Group initiatives impacting HR to ensure a country level approach.
• Coordinate any initiative that would contribute to offer the Managers’ and employees' users experience at country level.
• Deploy the Group initiatives on DE&I, Mental wellbeing, Employer Branding role and others similar initiatives.

Transactional activities

In the following HR delivery areas (non-exhaustive), the Country HR Responsible, supported by the HR Consultant, will take responsibility and apply the required specialized knowledge.

• Payroll
• Benefits & compensation
• Preboarding & Onboarding
• Employee movements
• Offboarding
• Mobility
• Recruiting
• L&D
• Compliance & Reporting
• Employee and organizational data
• Employee Engagement Survey (EES)
• Employer branding activities
• BC recruitment
• Other local adhoc

Your Background

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree with minimum 10 years of experience within HR with solid hands-on experience with the operational aspects of all HR disciplines
• Experience with design of HR processes and polices and continuous improvement
• Experience working with HR systems
• Experience with employment and labor law
• Experience working in an international company with a shared service set up and matrix organization
• Knowledge of general HR practices, compliance requirements and trends in the given country