Responsibilities: HR Leadership & Department Management:Leading the HR function nationally. Developing annual HR plans and objectives. Driving departmental initiatives and projects. Reporting directly to executive management. Building future HR capability and structure. Employee Relations & Industrial Relations:Managing disciplinary matters. Conducting investigations. Managing hearings and grievances. Advising management on labour-related matters. Preparing for and managing labour disputes where required. The HR Manager will need to attend CCMA on the companys behalf, and be well versed in Labour Law. This is a unionised environment so requires experience in dealing with Union officials, de-escalating such matters and driving us to keep Union membership as low as possible Compliance & Governance:Employment Equity. WSP and ATR submissions. Labour law compliance. Employee file management. Contract management. HR audits and compliance reporting. Recruitment & Workforce Planning:Recruitment strategy and execution. Talent identification. Onboarding and probation management. Succession planning support. Performance Management:Driving performance review processes. Supporting management with accountability structures. Assisting managers with poor performance processes. Driving a culture of accountability and consequence management. Strategic HR Projects:Leadership development initiatives. Organisational structure reviews. Policy implementation. Training initiatives. HR process improvements. Payroll Oversight & Statutory Compliance:While payroll processing is outsourced to an external payroll provider, the HR Manager will retain full ownership and accountability for the integrity of the payroll process within the business.Managing and coordinating all monthly payroll inputs. Reviewing payroll submissions prior to processing. Verifying employee data, leave records, earnings and deductions. Ensuring payroll accuracy and completeness before final submission. Managing payroll-related employee queries and investigations. Liaising directly with the outsourced payroll provider. Reviewing monthly payroll reports and exception reports. Ensuring compliance with all statutory requirements including UIF, PAYE, SDL and related legislative obligations. Assisting with payroll audits and compliance reviews. Ensuring all payroll-related documentation and records are maintained correctly. Although payroll processing is outsourced, accountability for payroll accuracy, compliance and governance remains an internal responsibility of the HR department.The successful candidate must therefore be comfortable taking ownership of the payroll function and ensuring that robust controls, checks and balances are maintained.Travel Requirements:This role supports a national business operating across multiple locations within South Africa.The successful candidate will be required to travel regularly between sites to ensure visibility, consistency and effective implementation of HR initiatives.Travel requirements will include:Frequent travel to our Johannesburg operation. Periodic travel to regional branches as required. Conducting site visits, audits and employee engagement sessions. Supporting disciplinary, recruitment and performance management processes at branch level. Assisting management teams across all locations. Ensuring consistent application of company policies, procedures and standards nationally. Candidates must be willing and able to travel as required and should be comfortable operating within a multi-site environment.Requirements: Minimum 8 years HR experience. Minimum 5 years in an HR management capacity. Strong experience within manufacturing, industrial, logistics, distribution or operational environments. Solid disciplinary and labour relations experience. A valid driver's licence and willingness to travel are essential requirements of the role. Demonstrated experience managing workplace investigations and disciplinary processes. Experience implementing HR systems, structures or projects. Strong understanding of South African labour legislation. Proven ability to influence managers and drive accountability.