ADELAIDE OVAL STADIUM MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY

Interim General Manager, People & Culture

12 month fixed term contract THE VENUE

Adelaide Oval sits at the heart of the Adelaide CBD's riverbank precinct — one of Australia's most recognisable and picturesque sporting grounds, with panoramic views across the city skyline, St Peter's Cathedral and the hallowed turf itself.

The venue is home to AFL Football, cricket, and a growing calendar of major events, including Gather Round and AFL's State of Origin from 2028, alongside international concerts and entertainment.

Beyond matchday, Adelaide Oval's offering has expanded well beyond the boundary line — spanning the Oval Hotel, RoofClimb, stadium tours, the Bradman Collection, and a busy year-round functions and hospitality business.

Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority (AOSMA) is the organisation behind it all — overseeing stadium operations, hotel accommodation, tourism, food and beverage, functions and events, and turf management, with more than 250 permanent and around 1,700 casual team members.

THE OPPORTUNITY

- A 12-month leadership appointment to provide continuity, stability and strong operational leadership across People & Culture.
- AOSMA has transformed how it approaches People & Culture the function is well-established and properly represented at the leadership table, with a new four-year strategy nearing approval.
- This role is about sustaining that momentum providing steady, experienced leadership for a high-performing, largely independent P&C; team.
- AOSMA continues to grow, and further growth is anticipated. Holding strong foundations steady through this period matters as much as executing what's already planned.
- The successful candidate will guide the continued delivery of existing initiatives, keep the team and stakeholders well supported, and hand over a stable, well-governed function at the end of the term.
- This is a role for an experienced, protected pair of hands not someone looking to reset direction or lead large-scale organisational and transformational change.

ROLE PURPOSE

- The Interim General Manager - People & Culture provides strategic leadership and executive oversight of AOSMA's people, culture, workforce, wellbeing and safety functions, ensuring the organisation maintains the capability, culture and workforce foundations required to deliver its strategic and operational objectives.
- The role is accountable for leading contemporary people practices, governance frameworks and workforce programs across talent, capability, organisational development, employee and industrial relations, wellbeing, inclusion and workplace safety.
- While AOSMA has an established People & Culture strategy and strong organisational foundations, the role is responsible for guiding the continued delivery, refinement and evolution of these initiatives in line with organisational priorities and future growth.
- Success in this role will be demonstrated through strong leadership of the People & Culture function, trusted executive advice, effective governance,



continued workforce engagement and the disciplined delivery of strategic people initiatives that support sustained organisational performance.
- AOSMA oversees a diverse organization encompassing stadium operations, hotel accommodation, tourism, food and beverage, functions and events and internal and external turf management services. It employs more than 250 permanent team members and approximately 1,700 casual team members.

DETAILS

- Reports to the Chief Executive Officer
- This is a full-time, fixed-term contract for 12 months
- Classification -Non-Award

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Direct reports

- Workplace Health & Safety Manager
- Organisational Development Manager
- P&C; Partnering Manager
- Broader People & Culture, WHS and Organisational Development teams

Partners closely with The AOSMA Executive Management Team, Leadership Team and key stakeholders across the wider organisation.

Works in partnership with all AOSMA divisional units and senior operational leaders external strategic partners, service providers, unions, industry partners and regulatory bodies.

THE TEAM The People & Culture team is a high-performing, largely independent team of around 12, organised across three areas each with an experienced leader already in place.

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Capability, talent and organisational design as the business continues to grow.

HR & BUSINESS PARTNERING

Day-to-day partnering support across AOSMA's divisions and casual workforce.

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY

Safety governance and compliance across a large, complex operating environment.

Each area is led by an established, capable team leader — a key source of continuity and support for the Interim GM, and a strong foundation to lead, coach and represent rather than rebuild.

EXPERIENCE

- Significant senior-level experience leading people, culture, wellbeing, workforce, organisational development and employee relations functions in a complex operating environment.
- Proven experience contributing as a senior leader and trusted advisor to executive teams, Boards or equivalent governance forums.
- Demonstrated experience leading enterprise bargaining, industrial relations, workforce planning, Extensive knowledge of employment legislation, industrial instruments, Modern Awards, Enterprise Agreements, NES obligations and contemporary governance requirements.
- Proven track record leading high-performing teams and contributing as a collaborative, respected and effective member of senior leadership teams.
- Experience in the events, sports, hospitality or complex operational workforce environments would be highly regarded.

COMPETENCIES





- Strategic and commercially informed leader with the ability to translate organisational priorities into practical people, workforce and culture strategies.
- Exceptional executive communication, stakeholder engagement, negotiation and influencing capability.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement, manage complexity and solve sensitive people, workforce and organisational challenges.
- Proven ability to lead high-performing teams and build trusted relationships across internal and external stakeholder groups.
- Strong digital and data capability, with confidence using HRIS, workforce reporting systems and people analytics to support governance, insight and decision-making.
- Deep understanding of HR, organisational development, learning and WHS functions, with the ability to shape integrated enterprise-level strategies.

QUALIFICATIONS

- Tertiary qualification in Human Resource Management, Business, Organisational Development or a related discipline.
- Postgraduate qualification, AHRI certification or equivalent professional accreditation would be highly regarded.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Current Working with Children Check, or ability to obtain within a reasonable timeframe.

Availability to work outside standard business hours, including major event days, as required by the role.

THE PERSON

What We Are Looking For

STEADY

Provides calm, consistent leadership - a reassuring presence for the team and Executive across the term.

TRUSTED

Builds credibility quickly with the CEO, Executive team and Board as a genuine safe pair of hands.

GOVERNANCE-MINDED

Strong grasp on employment legislation, WHS obligations and industrial instruments.

COMMERCIALLY SOUND

Translates governance and compliance requirements into practical, workable people solutions.

COLLABORATIVE

Works closely with unions, service providers, regulators and cross-functional leaders.

OPERATIONALLY FOCUSED

Prioritises disciplined delivery of existing plans and frameworks over reinventing them.

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH For a confidential discussion regarding this opportunity and a copy of the Candidate Brief, please contact Josie Lahey on 61 478 803 255.

To express your interest, please submit your curriculum vitae together with a compelling cover letter outlining your motivation and alignment with the opportunity to [email protected] by the 5th October 2026. Can you please send your application directly, rather than via LinkedIn.

All enquiries and applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

ABOUT SYNTONY SEARCH & ADVISORY

Syntony Search & Advisory is an executive search and advisory firm specialising in the sport, entertainment and lifestyle sectors.

We combine care, diligence and a research-led, highly personalised process. Diversity and inclusion sit at the heart of our approach, and we are committed to building diverse, representative shortlists that reflect the breadth of talent across every search we undertake.

Syntony Search & Advisory has been exclusively retained to lead this confidential executive search for Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority.

📌 Interim General Manager People & Culture (Adelaide)
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