Ernesto Sunda

Strategic Human Resources Director with more than 13 years of leadership experience across the Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Mining, and Services sectors. Proven expertise in designing and executing people strategies that enable business growth, operational excellence, and organizational transformation within highly regulated environments. Extensive experience partnering with executive leadership to drive workforce planning, talent acquisition, succession planning, compensation and benefits, employee relations, expatriate management, organizational development, and regulatory compliance.

Strong track record of leading HR transformation initiatives, supporting large-scale workforce mobilization, and building high-performing teams aligned with corporate objectives. Recognized for delivering practical, business-focused HR solutions that improve organizational performance while ensuring compliance with Angolan Labour Law, Local Content requirements, and international management standards.

Director of Human Resources at Grupo Simples Oil (2023-08 – Present)

Provide strategic leadership for the Human Resources function, partnering with executive management to align people strategy with business objectives across the Oil & Gas sector.

• Develop and execute corporate HR strategy supporting organizational growth and operational excellence.
• Lead workforce planning, talent acquisition, and mobilization for major Oil & Gas contracts.
• Oversee compensation, benefits, payroll governance, employee relations, and labour law compliance.
• Manage expatriate administration, immigration processes, and Local Content compliance.
• Lead organizational development, succession planning, leadership development, and change management initiatives.
• Develop HR budgets, workforce analytics, executive dashboards, and strategic KPIs.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance requirements and ISO Management Systems.
• Strengthened HR governance through the implementation of standardized policies and procedures.
• Improved executive decision-making through HR metrics and workforce reporting.
• Enhanced recruitment and workforce planning supporting business expansion.
• Successfully supported strategic contract mobilization and expatriate compliance.

Acting Director of Human Resources / Human Resources Coordinator at AFRICELL Angola (2022-08 – 2023-08)

Progressed from Human Resources Coordinator to Acting HR Director, providing strategic and operational leadership during a period of rapid organizational growth.

• Led HR operations including recruitment, employee relations, performance management, compensation, and payroll administration.
• Partnered with executive leadership on workforce planning, talent development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Implemented HR reporting and analytics to support business decisions.
• Developed and implemented HR policies, procedures, and governance frameworks from the ground up.
• Led expatriate administration, immigration compliance, and Local Content initiatives.
• Strengthened HR governance through standardized processes, workforce analytics, and executive reporting.
• Improved HR policies, onboarding processes, employee engagement, and compliance with labour legislation.

Senior HR Coordinator – Expatriate Management & Local Content at PETROMAR (2013-10 – 2022-08)

Managed expatriate workforce administration and Local Content compliance for one of Angola's leading Oil & Gas organizations.

• Managed expatriate recruitment, immigration, mobilization, relocation, and repatriation processes.
• Administered expatriate compensation, benefits, and contractual arrangements.
• Coordinated workforce planning and labour cost control.
• Ensured compliance with Ministry of Petroleum regulations and Angolan Labour Law.
• Produced executive reports supporting workforce planning and regulatory compliance.

Site Manager at Angola Stone Corporation Ltd. (2012-03 – 2013-04)

Managed mining operations, leading multidisciplinary teams while ensuring operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and health and safety performance.

Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law for Human Resources – Law School, Agostinho Neto University

Bachelor in Human Resource Management – Lusiada University of Angola

Advanced Diploma in IT Software Development – City & Guilds – Namibia

Diploma in Accounting & Business Management – Economy Institute of Cabinda