Human Resources Head
First seen by Alion on Nov 9, 2026.
SUMMARY:
Lead workforce transformation and labour relations during a period of transition. Strengthening capability, performance discipline and labour stability in a highly unionised environment. Work directly with the CEO, Chief Transformation Officer and functional heads.
POSITION INFO:
Key responsibilities Lead organisation design, workforce planning and skills gap assessments; translate findings into training, redeployment, recruitment and restructuring. Manage union and shop steward engagement, disciplinary matters, grievances, consultations and disputes, applying fair process and South African labour law. Strengthen performance standards, management accountability and employee engagement while managing resistance to change and disruption risks. Maintain HR governance across direct and seconded employees, including PSA controls, the contractual separation of employer responsibilities and auditable case records. Oversee recruitment, onboarding, capability development and HR service delivery; coach the HR team and line managers. Use workforce data, HR dashboards and employee cost analysis to support executive decisions, budget control and terminal performance. Essential candidate requirements Relevant bachelor's degree in HR, labour relations, psychology, business management or equivalent. Approximately 10-15 years' progressive HR experience, including at least five years in senior HR or industrial or employee relations leadership. Relevant South African experience in complex, labour-intensive operations such as ports, mining, logistics, manufacturing, state-owned entities or major workforce turnarounds. Strong South African labour law expertise and practical experience with unions, disciplinary proceedings, grievances and evidence-based case management. Demonstrated workforce transformation, organisation design, workforce modelling, skills assessment, restructuring and HR analytics capability. Strong executive advisory, stakeholder management and influencing skills, with resilience and practical execution in a lean HR team.