Who are we?
Sanlam Corporate forms part of the Sanlam Group which offers retail and corporate life insurance, health and investment products in South Africa. Our vision is to be the preferred partner to Corporate and Public Sector by providing an awesome client experience and comprehensive solutions that enable the financial resilience and prosperity of those entities and their employees. We tap into over 100 years of expertise to provide cost-effective Employee Benefits and Healthcare Solutions that enable financial confidence for our members. We enable our clients to make better retirement and risk decisions today through determined and passionate thought leadership and best-in-class people, innovative products and proven processes all designed to help people live a better life tomorrow.
We believe in creating and cultivating a positive, energised working environment that gives every individual the opportunity to achieve success by embracing diversity and growing our talent. Build a successful career with us We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development. What will you do?

This strategic leadership role is responsible for designing and delivering Sanlam Corporate’s total rewards framework including compensation, benefits, recognition, and pay equity key to support talent attraction and retention.

In addition, the role leads Human Capital analytics, technology, and operations, enabling data-driven decision-making, digital transformation, and efficient execution of HC processes. As a key member of the HC leadership team, the incumbent ensures alignment with business priorities, regulatory standards, and market competitiveness. Key Responsibilities
Strategic Rewards Leadership

• Develop and continuously evolve Sanlam Corporate’s total rewards strategy to support business objectives and workforce needs.

• Lead the design and governance of compensation structures, incentive schemes, benefits programs, and recognition frameworks.

• Ensure pay equity and compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements, and market benchmarks.

• Partner with Group Rewards to align corporate and group-wide reward philosophies and practices.

Human Capital Analytics & Insights

• Build and lead a robust HC analytics capability to deliver actionable insights across the employee lifecycle.

• Develop predictive models and workforce dashboards to support strategic workforce planning, retention, and performance management.

• Translate complex data into clear narratives and recommendations for executive decision-making.

• Champion data integrity, governance, and ethical use of employee data.

Technology Enablement & Digital Transformation

• Lead the digital enablement of Human Capital through the selection, implementation, and optimization of HC systems (e.g., HRIS, talent platforms, analytics tools).

• Drive automation and integration of HC processes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience.

• Collaborate with IT and vendors to ensure system scalability, security, and alignment with enterprise architecture.

• Stay abreast of emerging HC technologies and trends to inform innovation and investment decisions.

Operational Excellence & Service Delivery

• Oversee the execution of core HC operations including payroll governance, benefits administration, and employee data management.

• Establish and monitor service delivery standards, SLAs, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Ensure compliance with labour laws, tax regulations, and internal audit requirements.

• Implement controls and risk mitigation strategies across all HC operational processes.

Leadership, Governance & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Human Capital Executive and senior business leaders on rewards, analytics, and enablement matters.

• Lead and develop high-performing teams across rewards, analytics, technology, and operations.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability within the HC function.

• Represent Sanlam Corporate in group-wide forums, external benchmarking initiatives, and regulatory engagements.

Qualification and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Economics, Data Science, or a related field (required).

• Postgraduate qualification (e.g., MBA, Master’s in HR, Organisational Psychology, or Data Analytics) is strongly preferred.

• Professional certifications such as GRP (Global Remuneration Professional), CEBS, SHRM-SCP, or Chartered Reward Specialist are advantageous.

• Certifications in HR technology platforms (pref. SAP SuccessFactors) and data analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python) are beneficial.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Human Capital, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing rewards, analytics, or HC operations within a financial services environment.

Knowledge and Skills

• Proven track record in designing and implementing total rewards strategies in large, complex, and regulated environments.

• Demonstrated experience in leading HC analytics functions, including the development of dashboards, predictive models, and workforce insights.

• Strong background in HR technology enablement, including system implementation, digital transformation, and process automation.

• Experience managing HC operations at scale, including governance, compliance, and service delivery optimization.

• Deep understanding of labour legislation, remuneration governance, and market benchmarking methodologies.

• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience advising executive and board-level stakeholders.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strategic Thinking – Aligns HC strategies with long-term business goals

• Commercial Acumen – Understands financial drivers and cost-effective HC solutions

• Total Rewards Expertise – Deep knowledge of compensation, benefits, and pay equity

• Data & Analytics Proficiency – Translates workforce data into actionable insights

• Digital Fluency – Leads HR tech enablement and system optimisation

• Operational Excellence – Designs scalable, compliant HC processes

• Stakeholder Influence – Advises and engages senior leadership effectively

• Team Leadership – Builds and leads high-performing, cross-functional teams

• Change Leadership – Drives transformation and adoption of new HC solutions

• Governance & Ethics – Ensures compliance, integrity, and ethical decision-making

Core Competencies

• Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organisation to be successful.

• Client Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

• Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.

• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.

• Resilience - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.

Turnaround time The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers. Our commitment to transformation

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.