Senior Manager (P6) (Human Capital Management Division: Organisational Development) at University of Johannesburg

Job Description:

• The Human Capital Management Division within the University plays a crucial role in the University’s people management philosophy and processes, leadership development, instilling a culture of organisational citizenship behaviour, management of institutional culture and the implementation of strategies to optimally manage compensation expenditure.
• We are seeking a visionary and strategic Senior Manager: Organisational Development to lead transformational people and organisational initiatives that will shape a high-performing, agile and future-fit institution. 
• This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned OD leader who thrives in complexity, influences at executive level, and is passionate about building cultures where people and performance flourish. 

Why this role matters:

• You will play a pivotal leadership role in advancing UJ's strategic priorities by driving organisational effectiveness, strengthening leadership capabilities, and embedding a high-performance culture across the institution. Your work will directly influence how we design, develop, and enable our people to deliver on UJ's ambitious goals.

What you will lead:

As a strategic OD partner to executive leadership, you will:

Drive organisational effectiveness

• Lead the design and optimisation of organisational structures and operating models
• Provide strategic advice to senior leadership on organisational design and effectiveness
• Enable a future-ready, agile institutional workforce

Build a high-performance culture

• Oversee and continuously improve the institutional performance management framework
• Align individual, team, and organisational performance to strategic priorities
• Embed a culture of accountability, feedback, and continuous development

Strengthen talent and leadership capability

• Design and implement integrated talent management and succession strategies
• Identify critical roles and build robust leadership pipelines
• Partner with leaders to enhance management and leadership capability

Lead transformation and change

• Drive structured change management across strategic initiatives
• Support leaders through complex organisational change
• Monitor and manage people impact to ensure sustainable adoption

Ensure governance and reward alignment

• Oversee job evaluation, role profiling, and grading governance
• Contribute to reward and recognition strategies aligned to performance and affordability
• Strengthen and refine a compelling Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Influence at the highest level

• Partner with executive leadership, organised labour, and key stakeholders
• Provide strategic insights, reporting, and recommendations to senior leadership
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and governance frameworks

Who we're looking for:

A strategic thinker and trusted advisor who combines deep OD expertise with strong business acumen and leadership presence.

Minimum requirements

• Postgraduate qualification in Industrial Psychology/Human Resources Management or equivalent (NQF Level 8)
• Five (5) to eight (8) years’ experience in organisational design, change management, talent and performance management
• At least 3 years in a senior management role
• Demonstrated facilitation and stakeholder engagement at executive level
• Demonstrated capability in project management

Competencies and Behavioural Attributes:

• Strategic and analytical thinker
• Strong business and organisational acumen
• Influential communicator and facilitator
• High resilience and ability to operate in complex environments
• Sound judgement and decision-making
• Excellent reporting and presentation skills

Recommendations:

• Master’s degree in Industrial Psychology or Human Resources Management.
• Professional registration with SABPP or relevant professional body.

Apply by: 2 March 2026