General Manager: Shared Services

A large, complex, and systemically important organisation is seeking an experienced General Manager: Shared Services to lead a multi-functional shared services operation covering Finance, HR, Payroll, Travel Management, and Master Data Management.

This is an N-1 executive role reporting directly to the Group CFO. The function services approximately 43,000 employees, 5,000 active vendors, and operates under strict regulatory and governance frameworks (PFMA / King IV / SOX equivalent).

Requirements:

• 10+ years in shared services at management level, including running a large-scale, multi-functional shared services operation
• B Degree / B Tech / Advanced Diploma in HR, Finance, Business Management, or Business Administration (NQF7, 360 credits)
• Postgraduate qualification advantageous
• Demonstrated success in:
  • Payroll for large employee populations
  • Accounts payable & vendor management at scale
  • Travel management (executive-facing)
  • HR shared services (records, medical aid, pension interface)
  • SLA governance & customer relationship management
  • Driving technology transformation (digitalisation/AI)
  • Building leadership teams & succession planning

Key Responsibilities:

• End-to-end service delivery across Finance, HR, Payroll, Travel, and Master Data Management
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) design, negotiation, and governance with internal business units
• Driving digitalisation and AI adoption to improve efficiency without compromising service quality
• Managing a team of ±225 staff; addressing senior management succession risk
• Leading through organisational change and unbundling scenarios
• Ensuring zero-disruption payroll, accurate accounts payable, and clean vendor master data