Human Resources Manager – Australia & New Zealand

Global Retail Group | High-Growth Environment | Strategic & Operational HR Leadership

An opportunity to lead, influence and transform the people agenda within a rapidly expanding international retail business.

ABOUT THE COMPANY :

Our client is a leading international retail group with ambitious growth plans across Australia and New Zealand.

As the business continues to accelerate its expansion across new stores, brands and markets, an exciting chance exists for an experienced, commercially astute and highly capable Senior Human Resources Manager – ANZ to play a critical role in shaping the next phase of its growth.

This is a pivotal leadership appointment requiring an individual who can think strategically, act decisively and deliver meaningful outcomes in a dynamic, fast-paced retail environment.

Working closely with the Country team and leaders as well as the International HR teams, you will lead the people function across the ANZ business, driving workforce stability, strengthening organisational capability and building the people infrastructure required to support continued expansion.

ABOUT THE ROLE :

This is a broad and influential HR leadership role, combining strategic business partnering with hands‑on operational execution.

A key priority will be to strengthen the existing workforce, improve employee retention and transform recruitment effectiveness, ensuring the business can attract, develop and retain the talent required to deliver its ambitious commercial objectives.

You will also be instrumental in building scalable HR frameworks, developing future retail leaders and embedding a high-performance culture across the business.

Key responsibilities will include:

- Workforce Stability & Retention: Develop and implement strategies to improve workforce stability, reduce employee turnover and strengthen engagement, with particular focus on frontline retail teams, key leaders and high‑performing talent.
- Talent Acquisition & Recruitment Transformation: Drive a proactive, efficient and commercially focused recruitment strategy that improves speed to hire, candidate quality and talent pipeline strength, ensuring vacancies do not impede operational performance or business growth.
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Partner with business leaders to anticipate future workforce requirements, build succession pipelines and ensure the organisation is positioned to support an expanding store and brand portfolio.




- HR Strategy & Scalable Infrastructure: Establish and enhance people processes, policies and frameworks that support rapid expansion while maintaining operational efficiency, governance and compliance.
- Leadership Development & Succession: Identify, develop and retain high‑potential talent, building strong leadership capability and internal succession pathways across the retail network.
- Commercial HR Business Partnering: Work closely with the Australian team to align people initiatives with business performance, workforce productivity and profitability objectives.
- Employee Relations & Organisational Change: Provide confident, pragmatic advice on complex employee relations, performance management and organisational change, ensuring compliance with Australian and New Zealand employment legislation.
- Workforce Productivity & Payroll Management: Drive effective labour planning, workforce optimisation and payroll cost management in partnership with operational leaders.
- Culture & Employee Engagement: Champion initiatives that build a positive, accountable and performance‑driven culture, improving the employee experience and strengthening retention.
- Process Improvement & HR Governance: Review and streamline existing HR processes, identifying opportunities to simplify, accelerate and improve delivery while maintaining appropriate controls and compliance.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong partnerships across local leadership and international Group HR, confidently influencing decisions and constructively challenging existing practices to achieve better business outcomes.

ABOUT YOU :

We are seeking a commercially minded, decisive and results‑oriented HR professional who thrives in a high‑growth environment and understands the realities of operating within a complex, multi‑site retail business.

You will be equally comfortable developing strategic people initiatives and rolling up your sleeves to resolve operational challenges.

Importantly, you will bring the confidence, resilience and adaptability to navigate ambiguity, influence senior stakeholders and deliver outcomes at pace.





The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

- 8–10 years of progressive HR experience, ideally within a fast‑paced, multi‑site retail or similarly complex, labour‑intensive environment.
- A proven track record of improving employee retention, reducing workforce attrition and building sustainable talent pipelines.
- Demonstrated success in transforming recruitment processes, improving time to hire and delivering quality talent solutions in high‑volume environments.
- Experience supporting business expansion, organisational growth and the development of scalable HR frameworks.
- Strong commercial acumen, with an understanding of the relationship between people performance, labour costs, productivity and profitability.
- Proven capability in succession planning, leadership development and retaining business‑critical talent.
- Comprehensive knowledge of Australian employment legislation, employee relations and Fair Work requirements, with New Zealand experience advantageous.
- The confidence and credibility to partner with, influence and constructively challenge senior business leaders.
- A practical, solutions‑focused approach to navigating complex systems, processes and governance structures.
- Strong analytical, communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
- The ability to prioritise effectively, make sound decisions and deliver measurable outcomes in a rapidly changing environment.
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Business or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

BENEFITS :

This is an opportunity to make a genuine impact within a global retail organisation at an exciting stage of its growth journey.

With ambitious expansion plans, an evolving brand portfolio and significant investment in the Australian market, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the people strategy, strengthen organisational capability and influence how the business operates as it scales.

You will work closely with senior decision‑makers and international stakeholders, with the autonomy to challenge existing practices, drive improvement and implement initiatives that deliver tangible results.

This role will appeal to an ambitious SENIOR HR leader who wants to do more than maintain the status quo — someone who is energised by growth, motivated by challenge and passionate about building the workforce and leadership capability required for future success.

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📌 Senior Human Resources Manager (Sydney)
🏢 Perfectly Placed Recruitment
📍 Sydney