Senior Specialist Employee Relations

The Senior Specialist Employee Relations role forms an integral part of the P&O Management team, with the responsibility of ensuring the effectiveness of all employee relations aspects from a corporate office perspective in support of the operations. The role must aim to proactively optimize a broader scope of stakeholder relationships to ensure sound employee relations in all Valterra workplaces. This is achieved through ensuring effective communications strategies, and development of engagement frameworks as well as providing the required associated technical support.

Job responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Provide effective Employee Relations services to all Valterra workplaces in support of the achievement of their respective operational plans.
• Identify ER projects aligned to Operations strategy.
• Develop ER plans to support the operation’s P&O plan.
• Support the formation of business proposals for ER projects in the operation.
• Analyse Operations ER trends and take appropriate action.
• Liaison with Operations P & O team to solve problems that impact on the ER.
• Co-ordinate required legal and expert advice regarding ER issues for the operation.
• Monitor and advise BU management on IR/ER climate and its implications.
• Advise the Operations Team on the implications of ER legislation and policies for work practices and systems in the operation and advise on appropriate changes.
• Monitoring and advising on Employment Relations practices and procedures in the operation.
• Ensure that training courses satisfy ER needs.
• Conduct Employee relations training and capacity building where required.
• Assisting in developing risk mitigation plans where ER impacts are identified.
• Support the building of employee relations services to improve employees’ commitment and support to the operation.
• Foster a trusting and mutually respectful relationship with internal and external employee representatives.
• Support the establishment of employee and trade union forums and other essential communication channels.
• Support and participate in the training and development requirements of employees.
• Ensure that employees have clear work relations expectations.
• Advise management on legal position for ER issues.
• Advise Management on the implications of community issues such as health or housing on ER.
• Advice on structuring the operation in terms of ER.
• Identify potential conflict situations and minimise the implications.
• Control discipline and monitor fair decisions regarding Industrial Relations.
• Ensure that all systems and procedures in the function are effective and compliant with legislation.
• Ensure that regular audits are carried out to ensure alignment to policy.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive ER database for the operation.
• Provide an advisory service for all ER practices and policies.
• Monitor and audit operation practices to ensure compliance with policy guidelines.
• Mentor senior managers in ER practices.

Effective administration of necessary systems

• Compile accurate reports.
• Ensure that the required ER systems and procedures are aligned to the Operations uniqueness.
• Ensure that ER systems conform to Valterra Platinum’s policies.
• Ensure employee ER related records are accurate.
• Ensure that current Employee Relations (ER) training is conducted.
• Ensure that ER systems are well maintained.
• Monitor and trend ER related statistics and interpret results.
• Manage communications systems.
• Monitor external perceptions of the operation and interpret results.
• Set standards for ER information management of the operation.
• Prepare ad-hoc reports.
• Negotiation of contracts relevant to role.
• Sponsor the implementation of new required ER systems and approaches.
• Ensure that ER systems used and procedures are competitive, legal, integrated with other Valterra Platinum systems and understood by employees.
• Ensure the preservation of departmental records and statistics.