Iconic dairy brands, exciting dairy future!

Mainland Dairy is entering a bold, new chapter. Evolving from our roots with Fonterra, we are set to become part of Lactalis Group, the world’s largest dairy company known for its firm belief in the future of dairy and rapid, consumer-driven growth.

We’re looking for highly skilled and knowledgeable people who are energised by the opportunity, a change that is expected for the first quarter of 2026 (pending sale completion) but starting as soon as the right person is identified and available.

At Mainland Dairy, we believe that from Goodness comes Greatness, and we’re excited by our future. Come join us and help shape a consumer-focused future to be proud of.

About the Chance

This is an exciting and influential opportunity to step into a high impact leadership position at a transformative moment for our organisation.

As Senior Manager - Employee & Industrial Relations, you will shape and lead the ER/IR agenda during a period of organisational transition, enterprise bargaining activity and business transformation. This is a role with genuine influence - operating at the intersection of people strategy, industrial risk and commercial outcomes.

You will act as a trusted advisor to executives and operational leaders, leading complex negotiations, guiding critical industrial decisions and ensuring industrial frameworks translate into practical outcomes that support both our people and business performance.

Working closely with unions, senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders, you will bring clarity, confidence and direction through complexity while strengthening ER/IR capability across the organisation.





Reporting to the GM People Solutions, People & Culture - Mainland Dairy, key areas of impact include:

- Setting and leading ER/IR strategy, governance and risk management in a complex unionised environment
- Leading enterprise bargaining strategy, negotiations and agreement implementation
- Providing senior counsel on complex employee and industrial matters
- Coaching and uplifting leadership and functional capability in ER/IR practices
- Advising through organisational change, workforce transition and industrial scenarios
- Leading and developing a high-performing ER/IR team
- Partnering across the business to embed sustainable and compliant industrial outcomes operationally

This role will suit a senior ER/IR leader who enjoys pace, influence and solving complex industrial challenges - and who is motivated by shaping outcomes during meaningful organisational change.

This is a 12-month maximum-term contract aligned to a critical phase of transformation and industrial activity.

About You

You are an experienced ER/IR leader who thrives in complex, unionised environments and is confident operating at senior levels of an organisation.

You bring deep enterprise bargaining experience and strong industrial judgement, balancing risk, relationships and commercial outcomes with a pragmatic,



solutions-focused approach. You are known for building trust quickly, influencing with credibility and providing calm, clear direction through challenging or ambiguous situations.

You are equally comfortable leading negotiations, advising executives, coaching leaders through sensitive matters and translating industrial frameworks into practical solutions that work operationally.

You will also bring:

- Significant experience leading ER/IR strategy within complex, unionised environments
- Proven success leading enterprise bargaining negotiations end-to-end
- Strong knowledge of Australian industrial relations legislation and frameworks
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and union representatives
- Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
- A commercially minded, pragmatic and outcomes-focused approach

Applications close at midnight on Friday, 6th March.

Be Part of Dairy’s Future

Great people continue to power Mainland Dairy forward. Our people thrive within a positive working environment, a cooperative and caring culture and leadership that continues to inspire.

Based at our Richmond office, this role offers excellent career development and internal mobility pathways as well as flexible ways of working and a hybrid structure, that allows you the balance of in-office collaboration and working from home to suit your lifestyle.

We believe in you bringing your best and most authentic self to work and we want you to succeed in a way that allows you to win, in all aspects of your life.

Let’s make this your best move yet. Apply now!

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📌 Senior Manager, Employee & Industrial Relations (Williamstown)
🏢 Fonterra
📍 Williamstown