HR Manager

Are you ready to take the lead in country HR and Crewing operations for a global leader in towage and marine services? Svitzer Angola is seeking a HR Manager to join our team in Angola. As a trusted marine services provider to Angola’s oil & gas industry, you will play a critical role in driving people performance & culture, ensuring compliance, and shaping our workforce of the future.

What you can look forward to

As the HR Manager, you will oversee all aspects of HR and Crewing operations in Angola, ensuring compliance with local labour laws, flag state regulations, and company policies. You will partner closely with the Country Manager and leadership team, while leading a small HR & Crewing team, to support operational excellence and customer-focused solutions.

You will be central in delivering Svitzer’s Angolanisation Plan, supporting the development of national talent and compliance with local content requirements. You will also own and implement Svitzer’s CSR Plan, creating local partnerships that drive impactful CSR outcomes.

This is a hands-on role in a dynamic and multicultural environment, giving you the chance to directly influence business performance and people outcomes in a global organisation.

What you will do

As Hr Manager You Will:

• Manage the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, contracts, payroll, leave, performance & growth, engagement, and offboarding.
• Ensure workforce planning, manning levels, and succession pipelines meet contractual requirements and Svitzer’s local content commitments (Angolanisation Plan)
• Oversee crew management including planning, rostering, certification, and compliance with maritime standards.
• Ensure compliance with Angolan employment law, flag state requirements, and international maritime regulations (STCW, MLC, OVMSA).
• Supervise HR/Crewing administration, policy implementation, contract documentation and records management, ensure systems data accuracy and robust regulatory reporting.
• Manage visas, work permits, and crew documentation, ensuring timely processing and compliance with immigration rules.
• Ensure consistent and fair application of HR/Crewing policies and procedures and provide guidance to leaders and employees.
• Partner with leaders to manage employee engagement, and resolve individual and collective staff/crew issues.
• Lead employee relations cases, including disciplinary processes, grievances, and dispute resolution.
• Implement and monitor compliance with collective bargaining agreements (CBAs); support constructive union engagement and negotiations.
• Own and implement Svitzer’s Angolanisation Plan, aligning with government regulations and workforce development goals.
• Develop and deliver Svitzer’s CSR Plan, building initiatives with local stakeholders.
• Maintain professional relationships with external authorities (MIREMPET, MAPTESS, IGT, SME), unions, and external legal counsel.
• Manage payroll accuracy, benefits administration, and cost control, including monitoring travel and overtime.
• Act as a trusted partner to the Country Manager and leadership team, providing HR advice, insight, and solutions to support decisions and drive performance.
• Promote and embed company values, purpose, and leadership culture across all teams, fostering a safe and respectful working environment.
• Lead, coach, and develop the HR & Crewing team to deliver high performance and continuous improvement.
• Monitor employment law, regulatory developments, and industrial frameworks, ensuring HR and Crewing practices remain compliant and current.

***This role requires regular travel to our operations in Soyo to provide onsite HR/Crewing support to leaders and employees, and manage employee relations. Expected 1-2 visits per month.

Who we are looking for

To be successful in this role, you will bring the following qualifications and experience:

• University degree in HR Management, Crew Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 5–8 years’ HR management experience, ideally in maritime, oil & gas, or marine services.
• Proven experience as an HR practitioner with end-to-end employee lifecycle management.
• Experience managing both HR and Crewing operations is an advantage.
• Leadership and people management skills, with experience supervising multicultural teams.
• Strong knowledge of Angolan labour laws, government regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Proven ability in managing employee relations, disciplinary processes, grievances and union engagement.
• Experience liaising with Angolan authorities on HR and compliance matters.
• Skilled in drafting employment contracts and letters, interpreting employment law
• Proven ability in payroll execution, budget planning, cost control, and reporting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Fluency in English and Portuguese (written and spoken).
• As a person, you are recognised as:
• Strong knowledge of Angolan labour laws, government regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Proven ability in managing employee relations, disciplinary processes, grievances and union engagement.
• Experience liaising with Angolan authorities on HR and compliance matters.
• Skilled in drafting employment contracts and letters, interpreting employment law
• Proven ability in payroll execution, budget planning, cost control, and reporting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Fluency in English and Portuguese (written and spoken).
• As a person, you are recognised as:
• Integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Strong organisational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Being proactive, adaptable, and resilient in a fast-paced environment.
• Clear and persuasive communication across cultures and organisational levels.
• Strong stakeholder management, including engagement with government authorities and unions.
• A collaborative leadership style, able to coach and inspire teams in a multicultural setting.
• Cultural awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
• Business acumen and influencing skills to align HR outcomes with operational goals.
• The ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Building a Diverse Workplace
• Being proactive, adaptable, and resilient in a fast-paced environment.
• Clear and persuasive communication across cultures and organisational levels.
• Strong stakeholder management, including engagement with government authorities and unions.
• A collaborative leadership style, able to coach and inspire teams in a multicultural setting.
• Cultural awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
• Business acumen and influencing skills to align HR outcomes with operational goals.
• The ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that members from some under-represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!

How To Apply

To apply for this role, please click on the 'Apply Now' button and create a Candidate Home to manage your applications.