SOUTH AFRICAN MARITIME SAFETY AUTHORITY (SAMSA)

INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION, SOCIAL AND ETHICS COMMITTEE MEMBER

Pretoria

Job Reference Number: SAMSA-PTA-2026-002

Department: Board

Business Unit:

Industry: Freight/Shipping/Transport/Import/Export

Job Type: Contract

Positions Available: 1

Salary: Market Related

Serve as SAMSAs principal Board-level advisory expert and strategic counsel on employee relations and labour law, delivering high-level advisory guidance to the Board to safeguard SAMSAs operational integrity, mitigate litigation exposure, strengthen governance frameworks, and ensure comprehensive compliance with labour legislation.

Job Description

Applications are hereby invited from suitably qualified candidate to be appointed as Independent Remuneration, Social and Ethics Committee Member of the SAMSA Remuneration, Social and Ethics Committee (REMSEC) for a period of three (3) years. SAMSA is seeking an experienced Labour Law practitioner with leadership expertise in Labour Risk & Relations. The successful incumbent will be required to attend the meetings of the Committee on quarterly basis or as and when required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Advisory Oversight on Legal Representation & Litigation

• Provide strategic advisory guidance on SAMSA's representation at the CCMA, Labour Court, Bargaining Councils, and arbitration forums
• Advise on litigation risk management for disciplinary and grievance matters
• Provide governance oversight and advisory input on labour disputes, including unfair dismissal, unfair labour practice, and collective bargaining dispute

2. Strategic Labour Law Advisory to the Board

• Deliver high-level strategic counsel to the Board on labour law matters, risk exposure, legal precedent, and governance implications
• Provide advisory direction on SAMSA's enterprise-wide labour relations strategy aligned to the APP, Strategic Plan, and Board objectives
• Provide advisory on legal opinions, policies, disciplinary actions, retrenchments, collective agreements, and compliance frameworks

3. Advisory on Collective Bargaining & Wage Negotiations

• Provide strategic advisory guidance on SAMSA's collective bargaining process and wage negotiations with recognised unions
• Advise on governance frameworks for collective agreements, MOUs, and settlement agreements

4. Compliance, Governance & Ethics Advisory Oversight

• Advise on SAMSA's compliance governance with the Labour Relations Act, BCEA, Employment Equity Act, POPIA, and all relevant legislation
• Provide advisory oversight on policy updates, process improvements, and documentation in line with legal developments and regulatory changes

5. Advisory on Training, Capacity Building & Culture Development

• Provide strategic advisory input on labour law training programmes for SAMSA.
• Provide advice to the Board on building internal ER capacity across SAMSA at executive and operational levels
• Champion ethical workplace culture and diversity/inclusion as part of social responsibility commitments

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• LLB or BProc Degree with specialisation in Labour Law [NQF 8]
• Admission as an Attorney or Advocate is preferred
• MBA (NQF 9) would be an added advantage

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Minimum ten (10) years' post-qualification experience representing employers in labour matters before the CCMA and Labour Court
• Minimum five (5) years' senior management experience managing employer-side labour matters before the CCMA and Labour Court across private and public sectors
• Three (3) years serving in the Board and\or Remuneration, Social, and Ethics Committees
• Proven experience prosecuting and presiding over disciplinary and grievance hearings for employers at executive and senior management level
• Demonstrated experience advising Boards and State-Owned Enterprise governance structures
• Experience as a CCMA Commissioner, Labour Court presiding officer, or equivalent would be an added advantage

CORE COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

• Strategic Legal Advisory and Governance Counsel: Deliver high-calibre strategic legal counsel, advisory opinions, and governance guidance on labour law, litigation risk, regulatory compliance, and ethical frameworks to inform Board decision-making
• Governance and Advisory Oversight: Provide distinguished advisory oversight on governance standards, as well as the Board and Committee reporting integrity
• Strategic Business Integration and Risk Translation: Translate complex legal risk into actionable business intelligence, strategic advisory recommendations, and Board-level decision support that aligns with organisational strategy and financial sustainability
• Advanced Analytical and Strategic Risk Assessment: Conduct sophisticated analysis of complex legal risk, identify material governance issues and emerging threats, and provide clear, evidence-based advisory recommendations to the Board
• Stakeholder Engagement and Executive Communication: Engage with strategic authority and stakeholder diplomacy with unions, legal practitioners, senior leadership, Board members, Committee members, regulators, and external stakeholders.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Willingness to travel to SAMSA regional offices and ports as required.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, and professional ethics.

NB: Candidates are invited to submit updated comprehensive CVs, highlighting their qualifications and experience.

TERM OF APPOINTMENT

This is not a full-time appointment. REMSEC has four statutory meetings per annum and additional meetings may be convened by the chairperson as deemed necessary by the Committee or Accounting Officer. 

REMUNERATION

Compensation will be in accordance with rates as determined by National Treasury. Schedules in this regard are issued annually with specific hourly or daily rates. All other refundable expenses are based on the SAMSA policies in line with the National Treasury guidelines.

CLOSING DATE: 26 JUNE 2026

For any related queries regarding this position, please contact Ms Zanele Zwane at 012 366 2600.

Please note: SAMSA reserves the right not to make an appointment to any advertised position. No late applications will be considered. Psychometric and other assessments may be used as part of the selection process and all shortlisted candidates will be required to be available for the tests. If you have not been contacted within 3 months of the closing date as mentioned above, kindly deem your application unsuccessful.

PLEASE APPLY HERE

SENIOR MANAGER: EMPLOYEE RELATIONS - D4

Pretoria

Job Reference Number: SAMSA-PTA-2026-001

Department: Human Capital

Business Unit:

Industry: Freight/Shipping/Transport/Import/Export

Job Type: Permanent

Positions Available: 1

Salary: Market Related

SAMSA is seeking a seasoned, legal and industrial relations expert to lead our enterprise-wide Employee Relations portfolio. As the Senior Manager: Employee Relations, you will serve as a trusted advisor to Executive Management (EXCO) and the Board, architecting risk-proof labour strategies that ensure compliance, operational stability, and a harmonious workplace culture.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities 

1. Strategic Advisory 

• Serve as the authoritative legal advisor to EXCO and the Board on all complex labour law matters, risk exposure, and evolving legal precedents.
• Develop, conceptualize, and execute SAMSA’s enterprise-wide employee relations and labor strategy, ensuring tight alignment with the Annual Performance Plan (APP) and overall Strategic Plan.
• Formulate high-level legal opinions and strategic frameworks governing policies, disciplinary actions, restructuring/retrenchments, and collective agreements.
• Translate complex legal and labour risks into practical, agile business solutions that reinforce corporate governance and organizational resilience. 

2. Representation & Advanced Labour Litigation Management 

• Act as the primary representative for SAMSA at the CCMA, Labor Court, Bargaining Councils, and high-level arbitration forums.
• Direct and manage all high-stakes labour disputes, including unfair dismissals, unfair labour practices, and complex collective bargaining disputes.
• Oversee and ensure that all disciplinary actions, investigations, and grievance hearings are meticulously executed, procedurally sound, and legally airtight to minimize risk and establish positive organizational precedents. 

3. Collective Bargaining & Strategic Stakeholder Relations 

• Lead SAMSA’s collective bargaining processes and wage negotiations with recognized trade unions as the chief negotiator.
• Draft, negotiate, and conclude robust collective agreements, Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), and settlement agreements that protect employer interests.
• Build and sustain constructive, high-trust partnerships with employee representative bodies to minimize disruptions and guarantee operational continuity at all ports and offices.
• Deploy advanced mediation and conflict-resolution frameworks to navigate sensitive labor matters and maintain institutional harmony.

4. Compliance, Governance & Analytics 

• Ensure absolute organizational compliance with the Labour Relations Act (LRA), Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Employment Equity Act (EEA), and all other statutory frameworks.
• Drive continuous policy innovation and process optimization in response to legislative changes and modern workplace trends.
• Establish advanced case management systems, ER dashboards, and data analytics to track trends, forecast scenarios, mitigate risks, and optimize human capital return on investment (ROI). 

5. Institutional Capacity Building & Leadership Coaching 

• Coordinate executive-level training programs for Centre heads and line managers on labour law compliance, dispute prevention, and grievance mastery.
• Mentor internal talent and build robust institutional capacity across SAMSA’s human capital landscape.
• Foster a high-performance culture rooted in informed leadership, judgment, and consistent application of fair labour practices

Job Requirements

Qualifications & Certification

• Matric: National Senior Certificate (NQF Level 4) is essential. 
• Formal Education: An LLB or BProc Degree with a specialized focus on Labor Law (NQF Level 8) is essential. 
• Professional Status: Admission as an Attorney or Advocate.

Experience

• Post-Qualification Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years of comprehensive post-qualification experience actively litigating and managing labour matters at the CCMA and Labor Court on behalf of employers. 
• Leadership Experience: At least three (3) years must be at a management level. 
• Strategic Exposure: Demonstrated track record of directly advising Executive Committees (EXCO) and Boards on complex labour matters. 
• Bargaining Mastery: Proven experience in leading collective bargaining, presiding over complex hearings, and managing high-stakes negotiations at the Bargaining Council level. 
• Added Advantage: Experience serving as a CCMA Commissioner or possessing direct exposure to presiding at the Labor Court. 

Core Competencies & Executive Skills 

• Executive Legal Drafting: Mastery in drafting sophisticated legal opinions, pleadings, court documents, settlement agreements, and enterprise-wide policies. 
• Strategic Thinker & Innovator: Ability to integrate data fusion, scenario forecasting, and ER analytics into risk-proof business strategies. 
• Advanced Negotiation & Advocacy: High-level persuasive and commanding presentation skills within the Labor Court, CCMA, and collective bargaining arenas. 
• Crisis Leadership & Agility: Proven capacity to orchestrate rapid-response harmony systems, ensuring business continuity during labour tension or transformation. 
• Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional communication skills tailored for seamless engagement across trade unions, legal practitioners, and board members. 
• Administrative & Governance: Uncompromising standards of record-keeping, case management and financial budgeting for the ER portfolio. 

Additional Requirements 

• Willingness and flexibility to travel to SAMSA regional offices, operational hubs, and ports as required. 
• An impeccable track record of professional ethics, profound confidentiality, and personal integrity.

As we are committed to Employment Equity in our employment practices, it is our intention to appoint individuals with the aim of meeting our Equity objectives. Preference will be given to African Males, Indian Males, African Females, Coloured Females and persons living with disability to achieve the objectives of Employment Equity.

CLOSING DATE: 26 JUNE 2026

For any related queries regarding this position, please contact Ms Zanele Zwane at 012 366 2600.

Please note: SAMSA reserves the right not to make an appointment to any advertised position. No late applications will be considered. Psychometric and other assessments may be used as part of the selection process and all shortlisted candidates will be required to be available for the tests. If you have not been contacted within 3 months of the closing date as mentioned above, kindly deem your application unsuccessful.

PLEASE APPLY HERE