We're looking for an experienced, strategically minded People and Culture leader to join our Executive Team and take ownership of workforce strategy, leadership capability and culture as we grow into our next chapter.

This is an executive role. Your focus is strategy, leadership development and workforce planning, with most of the day-to-day HR and payroll administration handled by your team.

People and Culture Manager Position Description

About us:

AREC (Animal Referral and Emergency Centre) was established in 2004 and is a privately owned and operated emergency veterinary hospital led by a singular, highly regarded emergency veterinarian, Dr. David Tabrett, who continues to work within the business. We are a family-oriented, non-corporate, ASAV accredited “Hospital of Excellence” practice with a collaborative team of more than 110 employees.

Our team come from a diverse range of backgrounds and our decisions and behaviour are underpinned by our core values of Respect, Diligence, Professionalism, Excellence, Empathy, and Integrity. With a strong focus on professional development, mental health and work-life balance, our compassionate team and leadership are just a small part of what makes AREC special.

Our mission is to provide peace of mind for our clients – that is, both pet owners of the Hunter and the local vet clinics to offer relief for after-hours, emergencies, and referral services.

The Role:

As the People and Culture Manager, you will play a crucial role in fostering a positive workplace culture and ensuring the well-being of our veterinary professionals. You will ensure the smooth operations of the administration and human resources team in line with company vision and strategy.

Your Duties & Responsibilities:

- Culture and leadership. Lead execution of AREC's culture strategy and our leadership development program,



and act as a strategic partner to the CEO on people and culture matters that shape major business decisions.

- Leadership development and succession. Design and run leadership development across the organisation, coach leaders through change and conflict, and own succession planning, including within your own team.

- Workforce planning and talent. Own workforce planning aligned to AREC's growth, including new disciplines and expanding services, and build recruitment and retention systems that improve time-to-fill and retention across all roles

- People data and financial acumen. Turn workforce data, wage cost and workforce cost modelling into explicit reporting for the CEO, and manage payroll, workers compensation and WHS exposures to protect AREC's financial position.

- Employee relations, WHS and compliance. Oversee Fair Work compliance, workplace investigations, and AREC's WHS governance, keeping practical safeguards embedded in daily practice where reasonably practicable.

- Team leadership. Lead, support and mentor the People and Culture team (HR Coordinator, Learning & Development Coordinator, Payroll Coordinator), delegating transactional work to your team so you can protect time for strategic and cultural leadership.

Your Skills & Experience:

- Senior HR or people leadership experience at executive level, preferably in a clinical or 24/7 operational environment

- A track record of leading culture change and leadership development at a strategic level, not just running programs but shifting how people behave day to day.





- Able to interpret workforce and financial data and use it to influence executive-level decisions.

- Experience partnering directly with a CEO and executive team.

- Experience managing complex employee relations, WHS and workers compensation matters.

- A tertiary qualification in HR, Organisational Psychology, Business or a related field (or equivalent demonstrated experience), and working knowledge of the employment, WHS and workers compensation frameworks relevant to a multi-disciplinary, rostered, 24/7 workforce.

- Experience with skilled migration and visa sponsorship for overseas specialists, vets and nursing staff is a strong plus.

- You'll bring sound judgement, comfort with direct feedback and difficult conversations, and the ability to lead your team through change while keeping your own time focused on high-impact strategic work.

AREC can offer:

- Continuing Education Allowance and access to employer-funded benefits including memberships and registrations to professional organisations for eligible employees.

- Competitive remuneration

- An engaged and committed leadership team that encourages growth and recognises positive contributions and feedback from the team

- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Wellness Committee

- Option for Novated Leasing

How to Apply:

If you are keen to be a part of a highly compassionate and hard-working team of healthcare professionals, we would love to hear from you. Please apply by completing the CV Submission form below.

AREC foster diversity and inclusion within the organization to create an environment where all individuals are valued and included.

Note: All short-listed applicants will be required to undergo a pre-employment check to verify their identity, qualifications and experience in the form of a reference check.

📌 People and Culture Manager (Waratah)
🏢 Animal Referral and Emergency Centre
📍 Waratah