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.
