Trade Ocean, situated in the Foreshore in Cape Town, is a multi-national customs clearing, freight forwarding and ships agency company. The Trade Ocean Group has branches in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Gqeberha and Walvis Bay in Namibia.

The company is looking for a Head of HR to join the team in the Shared Services Department, who will report to the Chief Shared Services Officer. The job incumbent is required to play a critical role as a strategic partner to the executive team while balancing compliance and effective people practices across the Trade Ocean Group in South Africa and Namibia.

Duties:

• HR Strategy: lead the design, implementation and continuous refinement of HR strategies aligned with the Trade Ocean Group’s business objectives across South Africa and Namibia
• Workforce Planning: forecast workforce needs, conduct talent gap analyses and implement recruitment and retention strategies to ensure organisational resilience
• Succession Planning: develop succession pipelines for critical roles, ensuring leadership continuity and long-term organisational sustainability
• Leadership of the HR Department: manage and mentor the HR & Admin Officer, providing guidance, coaching and performance oversight to build departmental capability
• Payroll and Benefits Oversight: ensure accurate payroll administration and benefits management, maintaining compliance and employee satisfaction
• Learning and Development: drive organisational learning initiatives, oversee training plans, and promote continuous professional development
• Coaching and Mentoring: Provide executive coaching and mentoring to managers and employees, fostering leadership growth and career development
• Employee Relations and Compliance: oversee compliance with labour legislation (BBBEE, BCEA, LRA, SDL, EEA, OHSA, Codes of Good Practice and International Standards) and manage employee relations to promote fairness and organisational integrity
• Performance Management: establish performance frameworks, oversee appraisal processes, and ensure alignment with organisational goals
• Staff Engagement and Wellness: champion employee engagement initiatives, wellness programmes and the EVP to strengthen organisational culture
• Administrative Leadership: ensure HR administration outputs are streamlined, aligned with business policies and support operational efficiency

Requirements:

• Postgraduate Degree in Human Resource Management, Industrial Psychology or similar (e.g. Honour’s degree / Master’s degree / Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic HR)
• Sound knowledge of Labour Relations
• 5-10 years of operational experience in a Human Resources role
• Experience in Human Resource Information Systems
• Computer literate (MS Office, intermediate to advanced Excel skills)
• Experience in leading organisational change initiatives, culture transformation and workforce adaptability
• Experience in a shared services business environment will be advantageous
• High Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and resilience with the ability to inspire and lead under pressure (experience in managing people)
• Excellent organising, planning and time management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills
• High energy, proactive and a sense of urgency
• Ability to meet strict deadlines, prioritise and multitask
• Flexible, adaptable and able to pivot quickly
• Able to maintain confidentiality, high standards, good work ethic and integrity

The company offers market-related remuneration and pension benefits, based on the successful applicant’s experience and qualifications.