Manager: People Operations

About The Role

Driving operational excellence behind every employee experience

At Capitec, People Operations sits at the core of how we deliver a seamless, compliant and scalable employee experience.

As the Manager: People Operations, you’ll lead the engine room of HR - setting the strategy, governance, and operational standards that ensure every people process (from hire to retire) runs with precision, integrity and efficiency.

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for enterprise-wide operational stability, data governance, payroll integrity, and the continuous optimisation of HR systems and processes.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

You’ll operate at both strategic and executional levels, leading

🔹 Operational Strategy & Execution

• Translate People Operations strategy into scalable operational plans
• Govern end-to-end employee lifecycle processes and workflows
• Drive consistency through SLAs, frameworks, and operating standards

🔹 Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Lead enterprise HR compliance, audit readiness, and risk mitigation
• Own data governance frameworks and ensure POPIA and regulatory alignment
• Strengthen controls, validation processes, and data integrity

🔹 Systems, Automation & Continuous Improvement

• Drive a digital-first HR operating model
• Optimise HR systems (SAP SuccessFactors) and payroll integrations
• Lead automation, workflow optimisation and process re-engineering

🔹 Payroll & Master Data Integrity

• Oversee payroll readiness and upstream dependencies
• Ensure accurate, audit-ready payroll outcomes
• Own employee master data governance and data quality standards

🔹 Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead a multi-disciplinary People Operations team
• Partner with HR, Finance, Risk, IT and external providers
• Influence enterprise-wide adoption of operational standards
• Influence enterprise-wide adoption of operational standards

What You’ll Bring

Experience & Expertise

• 8+ years in HR Operations / People Operations / Shared Services in a medium‑to‑large organisation.
• Experience leading complex HR operational environments
• Strong exposure to HRIS (SAP SuccessFactors), payroll and integrations
• Proven track record in governance, risk and compliance
• Experience driving large-scale automation and operational transformation

Knowledge

• HR lifecycle and operational frameworks
• Data governance and HRIS architecture
• Payroll processes, compliance and audit environments
• Process engineering / continuous improvement methodologies

What sets you apart

• Strong systems thinker with a detail-oriented mindset
• Comfortable operating in complexity and driving structure
• Passion for optimisation, efficiency, and accuracy at scale
• Ability to influence at senior leadership and governance forums

Why This Role Matters

This role ensures that every employee experience is built on a foundation of operational excellence - accurate data, compliant processes, and scalable systems that enable the business to grow confidently.