Description Zutari: Co-creating an engineered impact. Zutari is a well-established, management-owned engineering firm with almost 90 years' experience. As human-centred engineering consultants and advisors, we are trusted by our clients, business partners, communities and other stakeholders across Africa. We co-create engineering solutions that have a positive impact and improve people's lives. Zutari values inclusion and recognises the importance of a diverse, talented workforce, believing that people need other people to succeed.

What kind of talent do we pursue? We employ people with the right attitude and a positive mindset, who are motivated by doing the right thing, getting things done and share a sense of urgency. People who have an impact in our teams and broader community. People who think differently and connect with those around them to co-create new opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.

Role overview

The Head of Organisational Design role is responsible for establishing, governing and delivering the enterprise-wide organisational design strategy; ensuring the operating model, structure, decision making frameworks, and workforce shape enable Zutari’s growth, profitability, and delivery excellence. The role requires extensive experience in organisational design and effectiveness outcomes for a professional services environment operating, with a strong understanding of engineering and consulting delivery models. The role provides functional leadership in OD, sets standards and governance, and partners with key stakeholders and leadership to design fit-for-purpose operating models, organisation structures, job architecture, and workforce plans that enable strategy execution, profitable growth, and sustainable capability.

Role responsibilities

Organisational design & operating model leadership

Establish an OD governance forum and decision routes for enterprise and BU design changes (including design authority, escalation protocols, and control gates)
Ensure OD policies align to business strategy, regulatory requirements (where relevant), and professional services delivery models.
Architect and govern organisation structures aligned to utilisation and growth requirements.
Design and embed organisational competency framework in collaboration with Talent management
Drive role clarity and accountability through role design, decision rights, spans and layers, and governance forums

Strategy Enablement

Define and deliver the OD strategy, vision, policy, and standards (e.g., design principles, governance, assurance, documentation requirements)
Understanding the business strategy with the ability to translate it into a fit for purpose organisational structure with roles, capabilities and clear ways of working
Establish and maintain standards for role design, decision rights (RACI matrices), spans and layers, and governance forums, in support of ideal leverage.
Strategic advisor to Executive leadership on implications of organisational growth, change, market shifts or strategic direction.

Role architecture and governance

Drafting of Job descriptions in partnership with the People Business Partner as key strategic input into the job evaluation process.
Drive role clarity across engineering and consulting delivery models, including interfaces between advisory, design, and project delivery.
Support the Head of Talent Management with the harmonisation of job families/career paths across the organisation.
Lead complex restructures: spans/layers optimisation, centralisation vs decentralisation, shared services, capability hubs, and project-based resourcing models, within a matrix environment.
Establish workforce “shape” targets (critical roles, skills mix, partner-to-staff leverage, billable vs non-billable mix).
Partner with Finance on cost-to-serve, productivity, and scenario modelling (capacity, utilisation, chargeability, project pipeline).

Organisation Effectiveness & Decision Effectiveness

Diagnose organisation health using quantitative and qualitative methods to enhance and enable ideal structures for delivery and performance (e.g., ONA, engagement and productivity signals, process bottlenecks, decision latency).
Improve decision-making effectiveness by clarifying accountabilities, eliminating duplication, and simplifying governance, taking note of internal organisational governance structures and approval bodies.

Change Leadership and Stakeholder Influence

Act as advisor to the People team and Senior leaders in the business, facilitating high-stakes design decisions and trade-offs.
Lead change approach for restructures (case for change, organisational communications, consultation processes, implementation planning, risk controls).
Analyse the impact of organisational change initiatives to inform and shape effective organisational design decisions.
Build change capability in the People team and amongst leaders, especially in matrixed engineering/project environments.

OD Capability Building and Practice Leadership

Build and lead an internal OD “centre of excellence” (methods, tools, playbooks, templates).
Coach the People Business Partnering team and senior leaders on design thinking, operating model principles, and organisation effectiveness.
Manage external consultants where necessary; assure quality and knowledge transfer.

Minimum requirements

12-15 years’ Organisational Design/Organisation Effectiveness experience in a professional services / professional skills environment (engineering consulting and/or management consulting strongly preferred).
Demonstrated delivery of OD programmes across multiple countries/regions, ideally including Africa and/or the Middle East.
Postgraduate degree in HR, Industrial/Organisational Psychology, Business, Engineering, or related field.
OD/Change certifications
Strong understanding of engineering and consulting delivery models and the implications for structure, governance, and resourcing.
Proven capability influencing Executive and Senior Leadership across cultures and geographies.

We believe that a diverse workforce is key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills, qualifications, and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment, and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment practices. In support of diversity and the equal opportunity principle, preference will be given to individuals from designated groups within South Africa.