Human Resources Business Partner at DRA Global

At DRA a key driver of our success is high performing teams that are empowered and have a vested interest in the expected outcomes and to this end, we realize that we need to enable strategy execution through engagement, leadership, and strength of our talent, our people to achieve optimal performance of existing businesses. 

In line with this, DRA has a requirement for additional, Human Resources Business Partner Position, reporting to the HR Lead in EMEA. This is an outstanding opportunity to really drive change and truly see the impact of what you have produced and show how HR can add value to the business.

The Overall Scope:

The Expatriate Human Resources Business Partner will manage and coordinate the expatriate program relating to all the Human Resource requirements by providing a value add service in managing the selection, placement, and all the coordination with the movement of employees for Projects outside of South Africa. The position will also partner with the Global HR team relating to the DRA Global Mobility policy providing assistance and advice on policy allowances, best practices, and compliance. This position reports to the EMEA HR Lead, and the Expatriate HRBP is required to maintain an effective level of business literacy about the business units which includes its objectives, its culture, and its competition in relation to recruitment and selection, promotion, performance, learning, and development.

Key Responsibilities will be:

Human Resources Strategy

• Creating and delivering HR/people strategies and plans to underpin the business strategy, ensuring change initiatives and solutions are delivered efficiently and optimal employee performance and engagement is achieved.
• Leads any change that is specific to the department. Collaborating with the Centre of Excellence's regarding functional or strategy change that impacts the team in the department and ensures effective local communication and implementation.
• Drive and implement the DRA Culture code, cascading the purpose, mindset, values, and behaviours into the core element of HR namely recruitment and selection, promotion, performance, learning, and development.

Expat Programme Management

• Develop and implement policies and procedures, recruiting support, country-specific handbooks for all Projects outside of South Africa and for any office start-up in a country within the EMEA region.
• Conduct research where necessary for providing HR services in a foreign country where we may be executing a project or opening a new office.
• Partner with the Clients HR team to understand their commitments and requirements in-country especially with the local communities, this will ensure we are aligned, and our processes are adapted to suit each country. Provide guidance and assistance related to the posting of Expatriate employees and terms and conditions relating to employment policies, processes, and in-country legislation in foreign locations including but not limited to Employment offers, contracts, secondments, renewals, and amendments; relocation; allowances; coordinate onboarding and orientation; as well as coordinating end-of-assignment (repatriation) processes.
• Investigate the different statutory requirements in each country relating to medical aid, social securities, pensions, etc and processes that will manage these for both local ends ex-pat employees.
• Manage the day-to-day administration of the expatriate mobility programme. 
• Work with employees to ensure proper administration of benefits and allowance, payroll data, and changes of employee information.
• Coordinate tax equalisation settlements, payments and collections.
• Handle all immigration, work permit/visa and work authorisation issues if they occur, for transfers between offices and countries.
• Design and prepare management reports to support the administration of the mobility programme.
• Develop and update local HR salary scales, benefits, and policies in countries outside of South Africa.
• Oversee and manage the insurance policy and requirement for expatriate workers and travellers.
• Assist with the international assignment, permanent transfer, extended business trips, and new hire administration.
• Expatriate Payroll
• Oversight and coordination of the ex-pat payroll with the Tax Manager, Payroll Department and Host Country Payroll advisors.
• Work with employees to ensure proper administration of benefits and allowance, payroll data, and changes employee information.
• Assist in managing all tax compliance programmes, and support tax preparation services with authorisation list.
• Plan and coordinate with the Tax and Payroll Manager the different split payroll options per country and assist with the communication roll out to all affected employees
• Investigate the requirements, timelines, and associated costs for employees needing local bank accounts, plan with Tax and Payroll Manager the process to ensure timeous payment of salaries to employees.

Relocation / Global Mobility Coordination

• Design and maintain process documentation for global mobility programmes.
• Offer advice and expertise on all international relocation coordination.
• Coordinate international relocations between South Africa and the new home country.
• Understand the work permit requirements per country for full-time ex-pats and for project teams, design workflows and processes to assist employees, project administrators and the in-country Company to ensure a streamlined approach to the work permit application process. 

Performance Management

• Linking the regional business strategy to the department strategy and supporting the cascade into employee’s objectives
• Ensuring effective annual objective setting to align the work of employees to the direction of our company
• Coaching managers to equip them to have engaging feedback and development discussions on an ongoing basis

Talent & Career Management

• Active succession planning to identify critical roles and high potential/emerging and diverse talent
• Launching the career framework, supporting managers to have career discussions with their employees
• Actively report on progress on building or recruiting talent into with the department
• Recruitment of senior/HQ roles to support succession/build our pipeline

HRMS

• Ensuring department people processes and policies align with the core regional and global processes
• Regular HR reporting to provide effective management reporting

Workforce Planning and Capacity Building

• Execute the Human Resource department workforce (operational) plan and solutions to ensure that all HR services are delivered within agreed-upon timelines, set standards.
• Owns the total headcount in the department, responsible for data accuracy and approval to hire and remove colleagues.
• Collaborate with department management to influence the execution of Employment Equity plans and monitor the progress of the plan through talent management and recruitment practices.

Reward and Recognition

• Manages first line support and guidance on employee queries related to all compensation benefits and reward processes. Escalating to Reward Specialist as required.
• With EMEA HR Leader, participate and implement.
• Benchmarking

Employee Relations

• Resolving problems by providing human resources advice, counsel, and decisions.
• Ensure compliance with local laws, privacy and employee welfare legislation
• Proactive management of industrial relations issues, together with the EMEA ER & Transformation Manager
• Appropriate reporting and escalation

Personal Capabilities

• Ability to work well under pressure, work on multiple tasks at one time, prioritising workloads and meeting deadlines
• Ability to adapt effectively to changing plans and priorities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to quickly recover from adversity.
• Have a positive attitude to work and possess team player qualities
• Present and conduct oneself in a respectable and professional manner
• Initiate relevant activities toward achieving business goals.

Qualifications:   

• Tertiary education in either Human Resources Management / Industrial Psychology / Organisational Psychology
• Experience:
• HR general experience 7+ years
• HR Business Partnering experience 5+ years
• Advanced Excel skills
• Remuneration:
• A competitive market-related salary, benefits and incentive structure commensurate with qualifications and experience will be negotiated with successful candidates.