Senior Specialist: Employee Relations at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic Employee Relations Practice Leadership


Translate ER strategy into standardised frameworks, toolkits and operating models aligned to Absa's people and risk strategy.
Shape and continuously evolve ER practice standards to ensure enterprise‑wide consistency and future readiness.
Act as a senior ER authority on complex, sensitive and cross‑border matters with material organisational impact.


Complex and Precedent‑Setting Case Management


Provide strategic management and quality assurance of high‑risk ER cases, including matters with litigation, reputational or regulatory exposure.
Guide Line Managers and HC leaders and Practitioners on judgement calls where precedent, complexity or ambiguity exists.
Intervene directly in matters requiring senior‑level credibility, neutrality and influence.


Governance, Risk and Labour Law Stewardship


Ensure ER practices comply with labour legislation, internal policy, ethical standards and regulatory expectations across jurisdictions.
Identify systemic ER risks and drive preventative, enterprise‑level mitigation strategies.
Partner with Legal, Risk and Compliance to strengthen defensibility and governance maturity.


Senior Stakeholder Advisory and Influence


Provide trusted ER counsel to senior leaders, executives and governance forums on sensitive people matters.
Influence decision‑making by balancing commercial, legal, cultural and employee considerations.
Represent ER perspectives in strategic people and risk discussions at enterprise level.


ER Insights, Analytics and Preventative Interventions


Analyse ER data and trends to identify root causes, emerging risks and capability gaps.
Design and sponsor preventative interventions to reduce future disputes and improve organisational climate.
Monitor effectiveness of ER strategies and adjust approaches based on insight and evidence.


Capability Building and Knowledge Leadership


Lead the development of ER capability through coaching, mentoring and advanced practitioner training.
Build investigation, disciplinary and advisory capability within HC and leadership communities.
Drive continuous improvement by embedding lessons learned into policy, practice and learning programmes.


Education / Qualifications


Bachelor's Degree, Advanced Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate or BTech (NQF Level 7) in Human Resources, Labour Relations, Industrial Psychology, Law, or a related discipline.


Work Experience


5-12 years' experience in employee relations, labour relations, governance or HR risk, including 3 years of experience in a relevant people management role.