The Head of People is a strategic leadership role responsible for shaping and executing the people strategy of a fast-growing wealth management fintech. The role partners closely with the South Africa Senior Leadership Team to build a high-performance, compliant, and values-led organisation that supports sustainable growth, regulatory excellence, and innovation within the financial technology services environment.
The incumbent will lead the full employee lifecycle, balancing strategic leadership with operational excellence, and ensuring alignment with South African labour legislation and financial services regulatory requirements.
Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic LeadershipDevelop and execute a comprehensive People & Culture strategy aligned to business objectives and growth plans.
Act as a trusted advisor to the Head of Commercial, South Africa and Senior Leadership Team on organisational design, leadership capability, workforce planning, and culture.
Embed the company’s values and leadership behaviours across the organisation.
Lead change management initiatives related to scaling, digital transformation, and regulatory evolution.
Oversee talent acquisition, employer branding, and workforce planning in a competitive fintech labour market.
Design and implement leadership development, succession planning, and critical skills pipelines.
Drive performance management frameworks that support accountability, growth, and reward for performance.
Support executive and senior leadership development, coaching, and capability uplift.
Lead remuneration, incentive, and benefits strategies aligned to market benchmarks and regulatory requirements.
Ensure fair pay practices and oversight of pay equity reporting readiness where applicable.
Oversee employee engagement, wellbeing, and inclusion initiatives, using data and insights (e.g. eNPS) to drive improvement.
Ensure full compliance with South African labour legislation (LRA, BCEA, EE Act, Skills Development Act).
Oversee Employment Equity, Skills Development, and BBBEE people-related elements.
Partner with Risk and Compliance teams to ensure HR policies support regulatory obligations relevant to financial services and fintech environments.
Manage industrial relations, disciplinary processes, and dispute resolution where required.
Lead HR operations including payroll oversight, HR systems, policies, and reporting.
Drive digitalisation and optimisation of HR processes and data analytics.
Build a scalable HR operating model suitable for a high-growth fintech environment.
Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing HR team.
Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and service excellence within the HR function.
South Africa Senior Leadership Team
Risk, Compliance, and Finance functions
External partners (recruitment firms, legal advisors, learning providers)
10+ years’ progressive HR leadership experience, with at least 5 years at senior management or Head of HR level.
Experience within financial services, fintech, wealth management, banking, technology or regulated environments high desired but not essential.
Proven experience leading HR strategy in medium to large organisations (500+ employees).
Strong working knowledge of South African labour legislation and employment practices.
Demonstrated experience in organisational change, leadership development, and scaling businesses.
Postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, Business, or Law.
Professional registration (e.g. SABPP) advantageous.
Experience working with Boards and Remuneration Committees.
Strategic thinking and commercial acumen
Executive presence and influencing skills
Strong governance and risk mindset
Data-driven decision-making
Change leadership and resilience
High integrity and discretion
Delivery of people strategy aligned to business growth and regulatory requirements
Leadership capability and succession readiness
Employee engagement and retention outcomes
Strong governance, compliance, and risk outcomes
A scalable, high-performing HR function
About FNZ
FNZ is committed to opening up wealth so that everyone, everywhere can invest in their future on their terms. We know the foundation to do that already exists in the wealth management industry, but complexity holds firms back.
We created wealth’s growth platform to help. We provide a global, end-to-end wealth management platform that integrates modern technology with business and investment operations. All in a regulated financial institution.
We partner with the world’s leading financial institutions, with over US$2.5 trillion in assets on platform (AoP).
Together with our clients, we empower nearly 30 million people across all wealth segments to invest in their future.
Skills Required
- 10+ years HR leadership experience
- 5 years at senior management or Head of HR level
- Strong knowledge of South African labour legislation
- Experience in organizational change and leadership development
- Postgraduate qualification in Human Resources or related field
- Professional registration (e.g. SABPP)
FNZ Group Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about FNZ Group and has not been reviewed or approved by FNZ Group.
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Parental & Family Support — FNZ is described as offering 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave for both primary and secondary caregivers, alongside expanded bereavement and emergency care leave. These policies can materially increase the perceived value of the overall rewards package beyond base salary.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Base pay is frequently characterized as “good salary” or “nice compensation” in several markets. Paid overtime in delivery roles is also described as a meaningful boost to total earnings.
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Flexible Benefits — A flexible benefits menu is described, including options such as EV leasing, retailer discounts, and cycle-to-work offerings. This supports tailoring benefits to local needs and individual preferences where available.
FNZ Group Insights
What We Do
FNZ is committed to opening up wealth so that everyone, everywhere can invest in their future on their terms. We know the foundation to do that already exists in the wealth management industry, but complexity holds firms back. We created wealth’s growth platform to help. We provide a global, end-to-end wealth management platform that integrates modern technology with business and investment operations. All in a regulated financial institution. We partner with over 650 financial institutions and 12,000 wealth managers, with US$1.5 trillion in assets under administration (AUA). Together with our customers, we help over 20 million people from all wealth segments to invest in their future
