HR & Culture Manager

Join the Burnt Studios Leadership Team – HR & Culture Manager

At Burnt Studios, we believe that exceptional businesses are built by exceptional people — and that community, culture, leadership, and performance are the foundation of everything we do.

As we continue to scale, we are looking for a senior HR & Culture Manager to join our leadership team and work directly alongside the CEO to shape the future of our business.

This is not a traditional HR role. This is a strategic leadership position at the core of Burnt’s growth journey.

You will be responsible for building and driving the people strategy of the business — developing high-performing teams, strengthening leadership capability, and ensuring that our culture evolves intentionally as we grow. Working closely with the CEO, you will play a critical role in defining how we scale — from the talent we bring in, to the standards we set, to the culture we protect and build.

We are looking for someone who

• Has 5+ years of HR management experience, ideally within a retail, consumer, hospitality, or high-growth environment
• Is a strategic thinker with strong business acumen
• Has the ability to operate at both a leadership and execution level
• Is passionate about people, performance, and culture
• Can build systems, processes, and structures that scale with the business
• Has a strong sense of accountability and ownership
• Thrives in a high-performance, fast-growing environment

This role will lead key areas including talent acquisition, performance management, leadership development, employee engagement, organisational effectiveness, and HR operations — ensuring that Burnt continues to attract exceptional talent and build teams capable of delivering at the highest level.

You will partner with leadership across the business to drive accountability, develop capability, and build a culture that reflects who we are — a team committed to excellence, growth, and continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity to help shape not just a team, but a business — to build something meaningful, scalable, and lasting.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Leading end-to-end recruitment across head office and leadership functions
• Building talent pipelines for critical and future business needs
• Improving hiring processes, assessments, and onboarding programmes
• Partnering with leadership on workforce planning and succession strategies

Performance Management

• Driving the company's performance management framework
• Supporting managers in setting objectives, measuring outcomes, and managing performance
• Facilitating performance reviews and development discussions
• Building systems that promote accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement

Culture & Employee Experience

• Championing and embedding Burnt's culture, values, and behaviours
• Developing initiatives that strengthen employee engagement and team effectiveness
• Monitoring employee sentiment and proactively addressing cultural challenges
• Leading recognition and engagement programmes that reinforce high performance

Leadership Development

• Developing current and future leaders across the organisation
• Designing and implementing leadership training initiatives
• Coaching managers on people management, communication, and leadership effectiveness
• Building a strong leadership pipeline to support future growth

Learning & Development

• Identifying organisational training and development needs
• Implementing programmes that improve capability and performance
• Driving career development and succession planning initiatives
• Supporting individual growth and long-term employee development

HR Operations & Compliance

• Ensuring compliance with South African labour legislation and HR best practices
• Overseeing policies, procedures, employment contracts, and employee records
• Managing employee relations matters including disciplinary processes and grievances
• Ensuring HR systems and processes remain efficient, scalable, and compliant

Strategic HR Partnership

• Providing people insights and recommendations to the executive team
• Analysing HR metrics and trends to support strategic decision-making
• Driving organisational effectiveness initiatives across the business
• Contributing to the development and execution of Burnt's long-term people strategy

Requirements

Essential

• Bachelor's Degree or Diploma in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, Business Management, or a related field
• Minimum 5–10 years' HR management experience
• Experience within a retail, consumer, hospitality, or high-growth business environment
• Strong understanding of South African labour legislation and HR best practices
• Proven experience in recruitment, performance management, employee relations, and organisational development
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and management teams

Advantageous

• Experience building or scaling HR functions within a growing business
• Experience implementing performance management frameworks
• Leadership coaching and facilitation experience
• HRIS and people analytics experience
• Registration with a recognised HR professional body

If you are someone who is obsessed with building high-performing teams, developing leaders, and creating a culture that drives results, we want to hear from you.

Apply today — and be part of building the future of Burnt Studios.