People (HR) Manager

M&C Saatchi Group are seeking a highly skilled and experienced People (HR) Manager, with a proven track record in managing employee relations, including handling disputes at the CCMA, driving change management, coaching senior leaders and cultivating a high-performance culture. Working closely with the UK Senior People Partner and other stakeholders from the Global People team, you will be involved in developing and implementing HR strategies that align with the agency’s business goals, enhancing employee engagement and ensuring that the company’s talent is effectively managed and developed.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Employee Relations & Engagement:

• Act as a trusted partner to employees and management, fostering a positive and inclusive work environment.
• Lead and manage employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and grievance management.
• Represent the agency at the CCMA and other labour dispute forums, effectively managing cases through to resolution, when required.
• Work with the Specialist Hub management team and the UK Senior People Partner to implement employee engagement initiatives and formulate The Loop (our annual employee engagement survey) Actions Plans to enhance morale, retention, and job satisfaction.
• Implement initiatives that strengthen the agency’s culture, ensuring alignment with company values and fostering a strong sense of community.

CCMA & Dispute Resolution:

• Working closely with the Global ER team and the UK Senior People Partner to resolve disputes through formal and informal channels, including representing the company at CCMA hearings and conciliations.
• Develop strategies to minimise disputes and potential claims, focusing on proactive conflict management and fostering positive employee relations.
• Provide guidance to senior leadership and line managers on the handling of labour disputes, misconduct investigations, and compliance with South African labour laws.
• Ensure that all employee relations practices adhere to the legal framework, including the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, and other relevant legislation.

Change Management:

• Support the business with change management processes where applicable, ensuring that transitions (e.g., restructuring, organizational changes, new systems or processes) are communicated effectively and managed smoothly.
• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders on managing teams through periods of change, while maintaining employee engagement and performance.

Leadership Development & Coaching:

• Work closely with the UK Senior People Partner in providing coaching and development support to senior leaders and managers, helping them build their leadership skills, improving team performance, identifying leadership gaps and developing tailored solutions.

Performance Management:

• Ensure that our performance management process – Conversations that Count – is being followed, ensuring that all employees have clear and measurable objectives, are receiving regular feedback and performance reviews from their line managers.
• Support managers with the end-to-end management of probationary reviews for all new joiners.
• Support managers and the UK Senior People Partner in addressing performance issues, including implementing Get on Track plans (informal and formal).
• Support the UK Senior People Partner and Senior Management teams with talent planning, when required, to identify key talent within the specialist hub.

Employee Retention & Wellness:

• Support the UK Senior People Partner with driving initiatives aimed at enhancing employee retention, including career development opportunities, work-life balance, and engagement programmes.
• Monitor exit interview trends and feedback from employees, to continuously improve the employee experience and reduce turnover.
• Preparing and providing HR data and insights for the People Dashboard.
• Work with Management to devise and implement local DE&I plans, such as ELNs (Employee Led Networks), Culture Squads.

ABOUT YOU:

WHAT YOU'LL BRING:

• Extensive HR experience supporting Senior Management teams.
• Experience managing CCMA disputes, including representation and negotiation, is essential.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, creative environment such as an advertising or marketing agency is highly desirable.
• Strong expertise in employee relations, performance management, change management, and culture-building.
• Proven ability to influence and coach senior leaders, with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Sound understanding of South African labour law, including the Labour Relations Act and other relevant employment legislation.

WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT:

• Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport across all levels of the organisation.
• Able to build trusted relationships and demonstrate expertise across a broad spectrum of technical HR topics including Employee Relations, Talent, Learning, Reward, DE&I and People Operations.
• Excellent coaching and mentoring abilities, particularly with senior leaders and managers.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach with the ability to manage complex situations and lead change.
• High level of organisational skills, attention to detail in all communications, and the ability to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and the confidence to manage difficult employee relations issues, including CCMA cases.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a collaborative, creative environment.
• Skilled at using your voice and insight in a compelling way to influence and drive forward progress. Comfortable leveraging business financials, data, and insight to add weight to discussions.
• Ability to distil ambiguous ideas and thoughts into succinct, clear, and beautiful communications, and articulate proposals and narratives that create clarity and understanding for the reader and audience.
• Highly skilled on PowerPoint, Excel and Word, your business copy is elegant and engaging and you're comfortable with presentations with an appetite to be a fabulous facilitator.
• You enjoy the challenge of juggling several projects and challenges at the same time and can identify priorities and switch focus with ease.
• No task is too big or too small, and you will willingly roll your sleeves up to immerse in what needs to be done to create the right People experience.
• You work well under pressure, remaining focused and tenacious, and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

WHAT WE OFFER:

For the right candidate we will offer a competitive salary, 20 days holiday and a selection of benefits that include Discovery Medical Aid contribution and EAP, Pension contributions and Risk, company swag, socials and more.

ABOUT M&C SAATCHI GROUP:

M&C Saatchi Group is a creative company that connects specialist expertise, fuelled by data, technology, and culture, to help clients navigate, create, and lead meaningful change. The Group operates across five core divisions: Connected Creativity; Passion Marketing; Global & Social Issues; Brand, Experience & Innovation; and Performance Media. Headquartered in London, operations span 23 countries with major hubs in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East & Africa, Asia and Australia. M&C Saatchi Group’s two principles, Diversity of Thought and Brutal Simplicity of Thought, guide how they build teams and solve problems.

M&C Saatchi Group UK has pledged its commitment to create a company that values difference, with an inclusive culture brought to life through equity. As part of this, M&C Saatchi Group continues to be an Equal Opportunity Employer which does not and shall not discriminate, celebrates diversity and bases all hiring and promotion decisions solely on merit, without regard for any personal characteristics.

All employee information is kept confidential according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).