Holdings Human Capital Manager (Durban) at Aspen Pharma Group

ROLE PURPOSE:

• The Holdings HC Manager will be responsible for leading, directing and overseeing the human capital function relating to the Holdings business unit (which includes, inter alia, effectively and efficiently managing the full employee lifecycle from hire to retire, talent acquisition and management, employee relations matters and employee value proposition. In executing this responsibility, the incumbent will partner with executives and management and make use of data and industry trends to effectively execute the Human Capital strategy, establishing standardised processes, ways of working and policies, aligned to Group requirements and standards. In addition, the HC Manager will lead, direct and guide the Holdings HC business partners and oversee their areas of responsibility.  

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Business Partnering

• Lead the HC Business Partner initiatives with a focus on continuous improvement and alignment to Group requirements and best practice. Enable and facilitate the implementation of the Group Talent strategy by facilitating the attraction, development and retention of high impact talent across occupational levels in the business.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and grow relationships and ways of work with Holdings’ senior management, business leaders and other support and functional stakeholders.
• Partnering with the broader HC functions to ensure a holistic approach is taken to adequately support the Holdings business units.
• Effectively manage external service providers to the Holdings business unit. 

Information and Business Advice

• Guide and support the implementation by management of policies, projects and change initiatives. 
• Consolidate and proactively share insights, risks and opportunities identified with direct line management. 
• Effectively guide management on performance management processes, IR related matters and disciplinary processes, in accordance with Aspen Group policies.

HC Data Analytics, Insights, trends, and Reporting

• Analyse data trends and metrics for engagement with management to support and guide business decisions.
• Analyse and investigate people issues to develop insights that enable the diagnosis of business issues, enhancement of employee engagement, and/or improvement of business performance.
• Ensure Data Integrity across all reporting elements.
• Implement and drive processes and templates to monitor and track trends in the workplace.

Leadership

• Guiding and equipping managers with credible information and / or feedback to enable action based on sound principles. 
• Initiate and Implement objectives and plans required to support business area growth/performance, employee alignment, performance and engagement, culture and leadership strength.
• Lead events if and when required through the HC Business Partner team to drive staff engagement. 
• Assisting the leadership team with job profile training and implementation.
• Management induction for new managers to guide and train them on people related processes.

Team Management

• Lead and guide a team of HC Business Partners to effectively collaborate with business leaders, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and people strategies.
• Foster a high-performing team culture through continuous development, coaching, and structured performance management, including addressing underperformance and recognising achievements.
• Establish and implement standardised policies, processes, and ways of working to provide clear operational guidance and consistency across the team.
• Act as a strategic advisor and gatekeeper by guiding the team in mitigating legal, reputational, and financial risks, ensuring compliance and sound decision-making.
• Identify development needs, implement training initiatives, and maintain a robust succession plan using formal talent management processes to ensure long-term team capability.

Employee Relations

• Guide HC Business Partners and leaders to ensure consistent, fair, and legally compliant employee relations practices across the organisation, including disciplinary actions and grievance handling.
• Lead and support the resolution of workplace conflicts, grievances, and disputes, including managing disciplinary enquiries, CCMA cases, and employee consultations.
• Implement and communicate the employee relations strategy, ensuring alignment with labour legislation and promoting a culture of compliance and accountability.
• Provide training, tools, and documentation to empower managers in handling industrial relations matters effectively, including proactive measures to prevent issues.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure each case is managed on its own merit while upholding Aspen’s values, monitoring trends like absenteeism to inform preventative action.

Employee Wellness

• Implement a wellness programme or initiatives for Holdings to ensure that both the leadership team and employees have the tools and information at and for all spheres of wellness (such as mental and physical).
• Equipping and coaching the leadership team to identify concerns within their teams and to act on this responsibly. 
• Identifying risks for employees and for the company, guiding leaders and the leadership team to support and guide employees and furthermore monitoring where this has legal implications for the company, and ensuring these risks are minimized.
• Leveraging of the EAP program to drive referrals and utilization, while identifying trends and initiating solutions or training interventions.
• Insurer process management, ensuring that from a disability perspective we manage, advise on, and interrogate cases to find determine the way forward in terms of reasonable accommodation, Incapacity, Occupational Therapy re-integration, or prognosis management.

Legal & Audits

• Ensuring all labour law is adhered to and practiced, resulting in a reduction in CCMA, Bargaining Council, or Labour Court cases, as well as financial and business implications in this regard. 
• Identifying legal risk and initiating processes, solutions, or policies specific to the division. 
• Ensuring conflict of interests are interrogated and that documentation is in place to mitigate these risks.
• Applying legal principals fairly to both the company and employees to ensure that we maintain a fair working environment.
• Ensure audit requirements are strictly adhered to – i.e., where required initiate solutions or processes, follow SOP’s, track and monitor, document management.
• Compile and submit all sample evidence where required and maintain clean internal and external audits for HC Business Partner functions.
• Develop action plans post audit to improve as per audit recommendations where required.

Requirements
POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources or equivalent business qualification
• A relevant postgraduate qualification an advantage
• 7–10 years’ experience within a Human Capital Generalist role, focusing on all stages of the employee lifecycle, including employee and industrial relations, employee wellness, learning and development, etc.
• At least 5 years’ experience as a human capital business partner within a complex environment
• At least 3 years’ management experience
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to set clear goals, anticipate challenges, and align team efforts with organizational objectives
• Implementing succession planning, leadership development, and performance management initiatives
• Using HR analytics to inform decisions on hiring, promotions, and workforce planning
• Monitoring KPIs like turnover, time-to-fill, and employee satisfaction
• Makes informed, timely decisions even under pressure, balancing risks and benefits effectively
• Navigates disagreements constructively, mediating disputes and promoting harmony within the team
• Responds to change with resilience and flexibility, guiding the team through transitions smoothly
• Practices confidentiality appropriately
• Good attention to detail
• Skilled in the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Comprehensive understanding of relevant labor laws and regulations, ensuring compliance and effective application