HR Executive

Company:

RCL Foods

Functions:

Human Resources

Job Type Classification:

Permanent

Location - Town / City:

Malelane

Job Description:

RCL FOODS is a deeply rooted South African food manufacturer that produces some of the country’s most-loved brands: Yum Yum peanut butter, Nola mayonnaise, Ouma rusks, and Selati sugar, just to name a few. At the heart of our culture and strategy is our Purpose – WE GROW WHAT MATTERS – which encapsulates our belief in collectively doing that little more to create a positive impact that matters. Proudly rooted in our foundation, Selati Sugar is more than a product; it's a promise of superior quality and an embodiment of the sweet moments that define our lives. With unwavering dedication, we have crafted Selati Sugar in various formats to cater to the diverse needs of our cherished consumers. Our state-of-the-art mills and refinery, situated in the bustling hubs of Komati, Pongola and Malelane, are not just facilities; they are the beating heart of our commitment and communities. At RCL FOODS, we believe that great people practices enable great business performance. We are looking for an experienced, commercially minded and values led HR Executive to partner with operations leadership and shape a high performing, inclusive and future fit workplace. The HR Executive will lead and enable the operational people agenda by partnering with senior management to identify workforce priorities, develop practical HR plans and execute initiatives that support business objectives. The role provides strategic HR leadership, strengthens HR delivery, ensures compliance, supports employee relations, and drives talent, capability, employment equity and culture priorities across the operations environment. The role requires a leader who can balance the immediate realities of operations with the longer term workforce requirements of the business. This includes enabling leaders to make sound people decisions, improving HR practices, supporting major change programmes and ensuring that employee experience, productivity and people risk are managed with discipline and care.

Minimum Requirements:

• A Degree in Human Resource Management, Business Administration or a related field. A postgraduate qualification would be advantageous.
• At least 10 years’ HR generalist experience, +5 years experience in a senior advisory, HR leadership or management role.
• Proven experience in operations, manufacturing, logistics, supply chain or similarly complex frontline environment would be advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of South African labour legislation, employment equity, skills development, employee relations and HR governance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic workforce planning, talent management, succession planning, performance management and change enablement.
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to translate operational priorities into practical people plans and measurable HR outcomes.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing an HR team while partnering effectively with executive and senior operational leaders.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, communication, influencing, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate with integrity, resilience, managerial courage and sound judgement in a fast paced and complex environment.
• A valid Code EB driver’s licence would be advantageous where travel across operations is required.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Strategic Accountabilities

• Partner with the Executive team and senior operations leaders as a trusted advisor on strategic workforce issues, people risk, leadership effectiveness and organisational change.
• Translate business strategy into a clear people plan that supports operational performance, workforce capacity, talent readiness and future capability requirements.
• Drive the execution of HR strategy through aligned team priorities, disciplined execution, clear measures and regular review of progress.
• Lead workforce planning across medium and longer term horizons, using workforce insights, productivity indicators and business priorities to inform decisions.
• Champion workforce modernisation by identifying opportunities to improve ways of working, strengthen role clarity, improve performance measurement and support efficient operations.
• Act as a catalyst for organisational effectiveness by supporting leaders through change, communication, staff involvement and practical implementation planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of HR strategies, policies, frameworks and programmes that support business objectives, operational delivery and RCL FOODS values.
• Lead and develop the HR team to deliver consistent, credible and efficient support to the business, with a focus on service quality, governance and continuous improvement.
• Advise and coach senior leaders on people leadership, complex employee matters, change, performance, team effectiveness and workforce implications of business decisions.
• Lead employee relations across the operations environment, including complex disciplinaries, grievances, conflict resolution, organised labour engagement and alignment with Group IR where required.
• Oversee recruitment, selection, appointments, exits and workforce movement to ensure that the right talent is available to meet current and future business needs.
• Drive talent management, succession planning and leadership development to build a strong pipeline of operational and specialist capability.
• Enable employment equity and transformation outcomes by supporting workforce planning, representivity goals, fair people practices and inclusive leadership behaviours.
• Support learning, mentoring, coaching and capability building interventions that respond to workforce trends, performance needs and employee feedback.
• Monitor HR administration, payroll related workflows, employee data, reporting and service delivery quality, escalating and resolving issues that affect employee or leader experience.
• Analyse HR data, people trends and operational indicators to identify risks, opportunities and practical solutions that improve business and employee outcomes.
• Build credible relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including employees, leaders, Group HR, Corporate Services, unions, auditors, vendors and community stakeholders where relevant.
• Owns HR systems enablement (e.g. HRIS, reporting tools) Defines data standards, controls, and governance Ensures data integrity, audit readiness, and system adoption Acts as the interface with Group HR / HR technology initiatives People Analytics, Reporting & Executive Insight Owns the HR reporting and analytics framework Deliver consolidated, standardised HR dashboards Ensure consistent metrics definitions and reporting cadence Converts HR data into decision grade insight for Exco