Head of People and Culture, 12 month FTC, immediate start
Head of People and Culture, 12 month FTC, immediate start
Senior People and Culture leadership role driving workforce strategy, industrial relations and HR transformation in a complex regulated organisation.
About the Organisation:
Our client is a medium sized, highly regarded, multi site industrial organisation operating within Australia’s critical heavy industry landscape. The business functions in a strongly regulated and unionised environment and is recognised for its disciplined approach to safety, compliance and operational delivery. The culture is pragmatic, relationship led and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on accountability, trust and operational excellence across both frontline and professional workforce groups. Union relationships are constructive and mature, with high levels of workforce engagement and stability across the organisation.
About the Role:
This Head of People and Culture role is a senior leadership opportunity, stepping into a well established and capable function during a period of organisational change and operational uplift. Reporting to a senior Executive Manager within the corporate leadership group, the role provides end to end leadership of the People and Culture function, including HR operations and specialist portfolios, supporting a diverse, multi-site workforce.
The role is both strategic and hands on in nature, requiring strong executive presence, effective union and workforce relationship management, and the practical delivery of people initiatives. Key priorities across the contract term include optimising the People and Culture operating model, leading the implementation of a new HRIS, uplifting people data and reporting capability, and delivering a refreshed performance management framework. The role plays a critical part in supporting executive decision making, managing people related risk, and navigating complexity within a politically sensitive and operationally demanding environment.
About You:
You are a seasoned People and Culture leader with proven experience operating at a senior level within complex, regulated, multi-site and unionised organisations, ideally with a significant blue-collar workforce component.
You bring deep expertise across Australian industrial relations, enterprise agreements and workforce risk management, underpinned by a strong generalist capability across HR operations, organisational development, talent and WHS. Your background includes experience in both medium sized and large scale organisations, giving you the ability to balance structure, governance and pragmatism.
Your leadership style is collaborative, calm and emotionally intelligent. You are comfortable operating in politically sensitive and fast paced environments, building trust with executives, unions and operational leaders alike, and leading teams with credibility across diverse, qualified and safety critical workforce groups.
Additional Requirements/Benefits:
This is a full time contract position, with flexibility to consider 0.8 or 0.9 FTE arrangements for the right candidate. A hybrid working model applies, with an expectation of 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home.
Why Apply?
This is a rare opportunity to step into a genuinely senior People and Culture leadership role with meaningful scope and impact. You will work closely with an experienced executive team, lead a capable and established function, and shape workforce outcomes during a period of organisational change. The role offers scale, complexity and influence, alongside flexibility and a defined contract term, making it well suited to an experienced HR leader seeking a high impact contract engagement.
How to Apply:
If your experience aligns with the above, you are immediately available, and you are seeking, senior level contract opportunity with real influence, please apply online.
For a confidential discussion, contact Matthew Saitta via email matthew@tandempartners.com.au or phone 02 8045 2923.
Tandem Partners is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Job Ref: 4030354
#SCR-matthew-saitta
Our client is a medium sized, highly regarded, multi site industrial organisation operating within Australia’s critical heavy industry landscape. The business functions in a strongly regulated and unionised environment and is recognised for its disciplined approach to safety, compliance and operational delivery. The culture is pragmatic, relationship led and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on accountability, trust and operational excellence across both frontline and professional workforce groups. Union relationships are constructive and mature, with high levels of workforce engagement and stability across the organisation.
About the Role:
This Head of People and Culture role is a senior leadership opportunity, stepping into a well established and capable function during a period of organisational change and operational uplift. Reporting to a senior Executive Manager within the corporate leadership group, the role provides end to end leadership of the People and Culture function, including HR operations and specialist portfolios, supporting a diverse, multi-site workforce.
The role is both strategic and hands on in nature, requiring strong executive presence, effective union and workforce relationship management, and the practical delivery of people initiatives. Key priorities across the contract term include optimising the People and Culture operating model, leading the implementation of a new HRIS, uplifting people data and reporting capability, and delivering a refreshed performance management framework. The role plays a critical part in supporting executive decision making, managing people related risk, and navigating complexity within a politically sensitive and operationally demanding environment.
About You:
You are a seasoned People and Culture leader with proven experience operating at a senior level within complex, regulated, multi-site and unionised organisations, ideally with a significant blue-collar workforce component.
You bring deep expertise across Australian industrial relations, enterprise agreements and workforce risk management, underpinned by a strong generalist capability across HR operations, organisational development, talent and WHS. Your background includes experience in both medium sized and large scale organisations, giving you the ability to balance structure, governance and pragmatism.
Your leadership style is collaborative, calm and emotionally intelligent. You are comfortable operating in politically sensitive and fast paced environments, building trust with executives, unions and operational leaders alike, and leading teams with credibility across diverse, qualified and safety critical workforce groups.
Additional Requirements/Benefits:
This is a full time contract position, with flexibility to consider 0.8 or 0.9 FTE arrangements for the right candidate. A hybrid working model applies, with an expectation of 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home.
Why Apply?
This is a rare opportunity to step into a genuinely senior People and Culture leadership role with meaningful scope and impact. You will work closely with an experienced executive team, lead a capable and established function, and shape workforce outcomes during a period of organisational change. The role offers scale, complexity and influence, alongside flexibility and a defined contract term, making it well suited to an experienced HR leader seeking a high impact contract engagement.
How to Apply:
If your experience aligns with the above, you are immediately available, and you are seeking, senior level contract opportunity with real influence, please apply online.
For a confidential discussion, contact Matthew Saitta via email matthew@tandempartners.com.au or phone 02 8045 2923.
Tandem Partners is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Job Ref: 4030354
#SCR-matthew-saitta
Salary Range:
$ - $
Work Type:
Fixed Term Contract
Location:
New South Wales
Date Published:
22-Apr-2026