IR and HR Specialist (Construction)

Job Description

• This role is designed to deliver organisational stability and drive decisive restructuring across a complex multi-entity group. Operating in a full-time, on-site capacity, and visiting sites in South Africa, alongside executive leadership, the successful candidate will immediately assume complete ownership of all active labour litigation and HR matters and establish clear operational boundaries, and lead systemic culture transformation. This position offers a high-impact platform to build a legally compliant, performance-driven HR foundation. This is a fixed term to permanent opportunity.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assume end-to-end accountability for all active and pending CCMA matters, formal arbitrations, and labour litigation to safeguard the group from operational and financial exposure.
• Partner directly with executive leadership to architect and execute legally compliant organizational restructuring strategies, including Section 189 consultation processes where required.
• Diagnose operational friction points and implement targeted interventions to resolve workplace toxicity, elevate performance standards, and drive change management.
• Design and implement robust accountability structures, clear performance metrics, and standardised codes of conduct across engineering, construction, and administrative divisions.
• Direct and upskill the internal HR team, ensuring all baseline documentation, employment contracts, and workplace policies align with current labor legislation.
• Conduct comprehensive audits of existing grievance frameworks and disciplinary procedures to establish consistent, defensible enforcement group-wide, from head office in Johannesburg and sites all over South Africa.

Requirements

• South African Citizen
• Mandatory Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Relations, Labour Law, Human Resources Management, or a closely related field / Postgraduate degree or specialised qualification in South African Labour Law or Advanced Dispute Resolution.
• Minimum of 10 years of dedicated experience in senior HR and Industrial Relations roles, with a proven track record handling high-volume dispute resolutions.
• Extensive experience operating within complex, labour-dense sectors such as Infrastructure, Civil Engineering, Construction, Road Works, or Heavy Manufacturing.
• Direct experience managing labour dynamics in medium-to-large environments (150+ employee workforce scale).
• Exceptional resilience, conflict-resolution capabilities, and an assertive, on-site leadership style capable of navigating active employee resistance.
• Required Software Skills: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) ; Google Suite