An executive People leadership appointment for an accomplished Director, Chief People Officer or equivalent, with the opportunity to lead an established function and help shape the next chapter of a highly regarded, purpose-led organisation.

Permanent

Inner eastern suburbs

Hybrid

Strong Foundations. A New Chapter.

Our client is a prominent Melbourne institution with a strong sense of purpose, an established leadership team and a complex, diverse workforce.

Over recent years, significant investment has been made in the evolution of People & Culture. A clear People Strategy is in place, the business partnering model has matured, new approaches to leadership and development have been introduced, and a significant HCM implementation is nearing completion.

The foundations are there. The next chapter is about embedding what is working, strengthening capability, and creating sustainable progress.

The Role

As a member of the executive team, you will lead the organisation’s People & Culture function and an established team, with responsibility for a broad portfolio spanning business partnering, ER and IR, organisational capability, leadership development, workforce planning, employee experience, systems and payroll.

Your priorities will include

- Leading and developing the P&C; team, building capability, confidence and clarity
- Embedding the existing People Strategy and continuing to mature the function
- Strengthening leadership capability, succession and accountability across the organisation
- Providing senior judgement across complex ER and IR matters, industrial frameworks, and workforce risk
- Moving the new HCM platform from implementation into optimisation
- Continuing to evolve culture, capability, and employee experience





This is not a mandate to arrive with a new strategy or pursue transformation for transformation’s sake. The first chapter is about listening, understanding, and consolidating. From there, you will help shape what comes next.

What You’ll Bring

We are looking for an accomplished People executive with proven experience leading a broad P&C; portfolio, bringing the depth, judgement and leadership credibility expected at Director level.

You will bring

- Strong ER and IR capability, including experience navigating complex industrial environments and enterprise bargaining
- Extensive experience leading and developing P&C; teams
- Executive credibility and confidence advising and influencing senior stakeholders
- Experience across leadership, capability, workforce planning and organisational development
- A strong understanding of payroll, people systems, workforce reporting and technology enabled change
- Experience operating within a complex, regulated or highly governed environment
- The ability to move comfortably between strategy and operational detail

How You Lead Will Set You Apart

You are curious, considered, and pragmatic. You listen first, ask valuable questions, and take the time to understand the workplace before deciding what needs to change.

You build trust and genuinely invest in your people. You are approachable and team-oriented, while equally prepared to challenge, make difficult decisions, and hold people accountable when required.

You bring evidence and perspective to the executive table, communicate with clarity and have the judgement to know when to move, when to listen and when to bring people with you.

If this opportunity sounds like the right next chapter for you, we invite you to apply online so our team can review your application and get back to you in a timely manner.

📌 Director People and Culture (Melbourne)
🏢 SAMUELS DONEGAN
📍 Melbourne