Senior Manager Projects and People Experience - 5341 at Auditor-General of South Africa

Requirement Overview

• The purpose of this role is the identification of opportunities for improvement and to plan, lead and manage People Portfolio projects to standardise and strengthen the projects element of the People practice across the organisation, as well as setting new processes for the management of consultants involved in commercial contracting. 
• The incumbent will work closely with the Chief People Officer (CPO), People Partners and internal non-People Portfolio stakeholders to ensure the smooth delivery of key People project processes in a manner that activates the key variables that impact employee experience in the organisation. 
• The incumbent will lead the design and conceptualisation of employee experiences across the HR value chain and employee lifecycle. Supervise the People Experience Specialist that will monitor the implement employee experiences through processes, systems, and human touch points.

Roles & Responsibilities

Strategic Function

• As may be required, designs and or reviews the Projects and People Experience operating model and value chain to align with the People strategy.
• Inputs towards and contributes to the development of the People Strategy, and the operational alignment and implementation thereof, to help achieve long-term objectives.
• Based on sound understanding of the AGSA’s business goals, business and operating models and core processes (business acumen), influences and aligns the People strategy into clear business unit people objectives and action plans to support the achievement of the overall organisation objectives.
• Provides strategic support to the CPO on the implementation and monitoring of the strategy at portfolio level.
• Fosters alignment of People projects with the broader functional and business objectives of the AGSA.
• Monitors the implementation of the SBUs balance score card (BSC) tactical plans within the portfolio.
• Periodically provides strategic internal and external insights into programme-level initiatives aimed at impacting employee experience and ensure higher performance and retention.
• Product Management and Operations Management

Projects Management

• Conceptualises, develops, and implements initiatives in the CPO office and provide a project management function for all strategic deliverables.
• Facilitates strategic People plans to address current and future People portfolio requirements.
• Employs best-practice project management methodologies to oversee and manage People portfolio projects from inception to completion.
• Manages all strategic initiatives, performance objectives and deliverables of the CPO office. 
• Develops project charters to govern the execution, management, monitoring, and evaluation of the strategic projects in the CPO.
• Implements a best-practice-based project risk methodology or all People projects (i.e., Legislative/labour legislation, ethical and internal value-related risks associated with People projects)
• Identifies portfolio specific BSC risk to monitor specific areas of concern for the CPO such as implementation of stakeholder gap, quality initiatives plan in the portfolio and provide feedback to CPO.
• Identifies improvement opportunities and possible areas of risk which needs to be addressed based on stakeholder engagements.
• Provides support to the CPO with actions based on outcomes of internal engagements and track progress thereof.
• Provides support to the CPO and advise where applicable on strategic matters relating to the CPO’s organisational strategic commitments.
• Tracks and reviews all portfolio reports including SBU quarterly reports and provide input into the relevant quarterly reporting.
• Ensures that all products/services including reports/messages adhere to the relevant quality standards as agreed with the CPO. 
• Acts as first line of review for proposals and requests for approvals presented to the office of the CPO.
• Plans, coordinates, and executes projects across the organisation including tracking and reporting on status, risks, issues and dependencies.
• In addition to prioritising projects that have the most significant impact on strategic goals, makes specialist recommendation on the allocate resources, including budget and manpower, to People projects strategically. 
• Establishes KPI’s and metrics to measure the success of People projects.
• Liaison with, and updates progress to, project steering board/senior management team within the CPO portfolio.
• Manages the mapping and implementation of all key business processes, quality controls and standard operating procedures within the Office of CPO.
• Acts as first line of review for proposals and requests for approvals presented the office of the CPO.

In respect of Employee Experience:

• Lead the design and conceptualisation of employee experience practices across the People value chain and employee lifecycle which will align to the organisation and People strategies.
• Designs employee personas and the desired employee experience.
• Applies design thinking to understand employee needs and listen to incorporate feedback.
• Implements and monitor employee experiences through processes, systems, and human touch points.
• Facilitates a nurturing of an integrated and aligned experience.
• Collaborates with People Partners in change management initiatives, ensuring that employees are well-prepared for organisational changes.
• Assists People Partners in accordance with the employee experience plan with identified processes and products ensuring an enhanced employee lived experience.

Data Literacy and Digital Agility

• Utilises HR technology and systems to automate and streamline People processes, including HRIS, payroll software, and self-service tools. Stay up to date with technological advancements to improve service delivery.
• Develops a data strategy that aligns with the AGSA's overall goals and objectives. This strategy should include data collection, storage, analysis, and utilization plans.
• Oversees the integration of data from various sources to create a unified and consistent data environment. This may involve using tools and platforms like ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes.
• Defines key performance indicators (KPIs) for data agility and regularly assess the effectiveness of data-related processes and initiatives.
• Implements processes to monitor and maintain data quality. Identify and rectify data discrepancies or errors in a timely manner.
• Identifies potential risks related to data management and develops mitigation plans to minimise disruptions to projects and people.
• Facilitates the periodic review of the People Projects and People Experience operating model to identify the impacts and opportunities for digital transformation interventions.
• Draws insights from data and trends to improve processes, employee engagement and policy alignment across the business and diagnose people issues and recommend effective solutions.
• Leverages technology to increase efficiency and drive business results to improve the digital employee experience, which leads to increased engagement and communication.
• Assesses, selects, and implements HR technology solutions to streamline People processes and improve data management

Stakeholder Management and Communication

• Adopts and implements the most appropriate change management methodologies to ensure appropriate change management for all People projects. 
• Engages best-practice communication and change advocacy approaches for People projects.
• Builds and maintains positive and value-adding relationships with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Provides strategic support and guidance to key stakeholders and BU management in order to ensure alignment.
• Scans the environment to ensure a clear understanding of stakeholder needs.
• Liaises with internal and external stakeholders and facilitate the implementation of stakeholder programmes based on the CPO’s customised stakeholders and strategic plan.  
• Coordinates the CPO visits and interactions with the BU leadership teams within the portfolio.
• Develops an onboarding process appropriate for the engagement of consultants involved in commercial contracting.

People Management

• Contributes to improving the culture index for the respective portfolios by monitoring ethical culture within the portfolio, reporting and highlighting emerging trends to the CPO.
• Provides support to the CPO in the implementation of the activities outlined on the portfolio People Plan. 
• Manages own and direct report’s performance to drive productivity.
• Within the Projects and Employee Experience team, oversees talent management initiatives, including identifying and developing projects leadership talent, succession planning, and creating a talent pipeline that aligns with the organisation's strategic goals.
• Provides support to the CPO in the cascading of the vision achievement/ organisation alignment messages and commitments.
• Collaborates with the People team to create and execute training and development programmes to enhance employee skills and competencies, including those of the People Portfolio.
• Ensures the development of a high performing team through embedding formal performance development and coaching.
• Establishes and maintains a succession plan for the team using the formal talent management process.
• Cascades the People strategy and Balanced Score Card to the teams and help leaders and teams to recognise their roles and responsibilities in the organisation and people strategies.
• Collaborates and works closely with other People professionals and teams to ensure consistent and effective delivery of People programmes and services.

Financial Management 

• Responsible for compiling People project budgets, coupled with a monitoring and reporting mechanism.
• Responsible for compiling the portfolio budget.
• Manages the portfolio budget, income and cost to ensure adherence to the required financial performance standards for the portfolio.
• Ensures compliance with internal processes and procedures.
• Understands and contributes to the finance principles, risks, reward, and business outcomes to ensure the management of an effective and sustainable People Portfolio.
• Compiles the budgets and contribute to the development of the unit’s and Portfolio budget.
• Manages, monitors, and reports on the budget through expenditure, forecasts, and other analysis.
• Ensures compliance with internal processes and procedures.
• Manages supply chain processes.
• Contributes to the risk and governance activities in the unit and portfolio.
• Sets People metrics in the space of People Projects that will assist to prioritize tasks, track progress, and drive success in the People function.

Other responsibilities 

• Performs and/or manage other projects, tasks and assignments delegated by the Chief People Officer not stipulated in the role profile description as and when required.

Skills, Experience & Education

• This position requires a minimum qualification of a Post-graduate Degree in Human Resources / Business Management. 
• Added advantage: Masters level qualification in Human Resources Management / Business Management or equivalent. 

Experience

• Minimum 8 years’ experience of which 3 years should have been at manager level within the Human Resources or People environment.    
• Added advantage: Public sector projects experience or private sector Projects Consulting experience 

Closing date: 4 March 2026