SENIOR PERSONNEL PRACTITIONER (PEOPLE MANAGEMENT)

This position is for a Senior Personnel Practitioner specialising in People Management within the Office of the Chief Directorate for Metro Health Services, part of the Western Cape Government’s provincial health structure. The role is based at the chief directorate’s head office but requires regular travel to health facilities across the metro, so it is not a purely desk-bound post. The incumbent will serve as a senior resource for human resource and people management functions, stepping in to provide relief at facilities when their own People Management staff are absent, and supporting the broader team with a range of HR processes. Given the public service context, the work is heavily guided by legislation, policies, conditions of service, and the need to maintain clean audit outcomes.

To be considered, applicants need an appropriate three-year National Diploma or Degree, along with solid experience in personnel and benefit administration within the Public Service. Supervisory experience is also required, as is hands-on knowledge of the PERSAL system, which is the core HR and payroll system used in government. A valid driver’s licence is an inherent requirement, and candidates must be willing to travel to institutions within the Chief Directorate. Computer literacy in MS Office is expected, and the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines is essential given the volume and sensitivity of HR work in a large health directorate.

The duties are broad and include performing relief functions at health facilities when People Management staff are unavailable, assisting with identified people management processes, and ensuring that corrective action is taken on findings raised by the Auditor-General as well as People Strategy Advisory Compliance reports. The role also involves giving guidance and advice to line managers on HR legislation, policies, practices, and conditions of service, and acting as a client services helpdesk for conditions of service queries. Training forms a significant part of the job: the practitioner must identify training needs, implement training programmes for staff, and conduct or facilitate formal functional training on the correct application of human resource legislation, policies, practices, and conditions of service. This means the successful candidate will need both strong administrative expertise and the confidence to present and teach HR content to others.

This is an OSD-graded post within the provincial health department, and the salary level reflects the senior nature of the role. Applications are submitted online through the Western Cape Government health jobs portal, and no payment of any kind is required when applying. This is a good opportunity for an experienced HR practitioner who understands public service personnel administration, has supervisory experience, and wants to contribute to consistent and compliant people management across metro health facilities.