Regional HR Manager- Africa

Regional HR Manager  
Full-time, Permanent  
Durban, South Africa – site based with flexibility

The Role:
We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded HR leader to oversee the people strategy across South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique. Working closely with senior business leaders, you will play a pivotal role in developing organisational capability, enhancing employee engagement, ensuring compliance with local employment legislation and governance requirements, and supporting sustainable business growth.

With responsibility for the full employee lifecycle, this broad and influential role combines strategic leadership with operational excellence across workforce planning, talent management, reward, employee relations, payroll, performance, learning and development, and HR operations. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact across a diverse and dynamic regional business.

What you'll be doing:
Key Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders to deliver the regional people strategy, workforce planning, organisational design, and business transformation initiatives.
• Lead end-to-end recruitment, onboarding, and talent retention activities to ensure the business attracts and retains high-performing talent.
• Oversee reward, benefits, and payroll governance, ensuring competitive remuneration, compliance, and accurate payroll operations.
• Drive learning and development initiatives, leadership development programmes, and skills planning to build organisational capability.
• Lead performance management, employee engagement, and wellbeing programmes, using people insights to enhance culture and performance.
• Manage complex employee relations matters, providing expert guidance on investigations, disciplinary processes, grievances, and labour relations.
• Ensure HR compliance, governance, employment equity, policy development, and people analytics across South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique.
• Lead the regional HR team, driving operational excellence, continuous improvement, and effective budget management.

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, Labour Relations, or a related field.
• Relevant postgraduate qualification will be desirable.
• Strong Senior HR generalist and/HR Management experience within a complex business environment.
• Excellent knowledge of South African labour legislation and employment practices.
• Experience managing employee relations matters, including disciplinary processes, grievances, and labour dispute resolution.
• Knowledge of multi-country payroll governance, reward, and employee benefits administration.
• Experience supporting multi-site and geographically dispersed operations, locally and internationally.
• Exposure to HR leadership across multiple countries and cultures.
• Employment Equity management and statutory reporting experience.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and supporting organisational change initiatives.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
• Commercially minded with sound judgement and high levels of integrity.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, HR systems, and data interpretation skills.
• Knowledge of remuneration structures, policy development, and HR governance.
• Resilient, proactive, and results-driven, with strong cross-cultural awareness.

• Opportunities for career growth and visibility across the organisation 
• A supportive, inclusive culture that values your ideas and contributions 
• Work that truly makes a difference in safety, innovation, and global capability 

About Us:
James Fisher is a global engineering services company with over 50 years of experience delivering complex offshore energy projects in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Operating across Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport, we combine cutting-edge technology with deep expertise to support the full lifecycle of our customers’ assets. 

JF Subtech, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, brings over 30 years of specialist subsea and non-destructive testing experience, delivering technical marine support for offshore and nearshore projects. We provide expert services across construction, inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM), and decommissioning for the global oil & gas, offshore wind, civil engineering, and marine sectors. 

Guided by our One James Fisher strategy, we’re building a more unified and sustainable business within the Blue Economy, driving innovation and progress across all we do. 

Visit our website at: Home | James Fisher and Sons plc 
For more information about our values and behaviours, follow the link: About us | James Fisher and Sons plc 

If this sounds like the ideal next step in your career, then click ‘apply’ now!  

Due to the volume of applications, we receive for our vacancies, on occasion applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.  

At James Fisher and Sons, we are committed to taking positive action on diversity and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and recognise that our success is driven by the talent and diversity of our workforce.