People Business Partner - Experienced Generalist's Dream Gig!

The GIG 

Playing a pivotal role in the People team, this role is one in a team of five People Business Partner positions that drive the organisation’s strategy through their dedicated business and stakeholder groups. 

As a true generalist this role requires a broad set of technical and non-technical HR skills at an experienced level and will support and influence key decisions with stakeholders long term, guiding them through change and positive growth to enable greatness!  To be honest, this is the real opportunity here, it’s the type of work HR candidates typically have on their wish list!

Based in the Melbourne head office, this permanent position takes care of a wonderful group of stakeholders and their respective business areas.   As you’d expect, the position is front and centre for all people activity in the portfolio and the work involves everything from BAU to project initiatives and strategy.  You’ll likely have the opportunity to travel in this role, approximately once a month, to sit down with remotely located stakeholders, build relationships and create solutions together.

‘Team Connect' days in Melbourne support hybrid and flexible working and are Monday – Wednesday – Thursday to foster fun and get things done! 

The COMPANY

A well-known and respected Australian organisation, this group employs a large and diverse employee base of around 4000 people nationally.  It would be fair to say they form a part of most households, communities and conversations in this country, and we wouldn’t want it any other way!  This is a proud organisation who believe everyone should share in their heritage and the possibilities they create for all who connect with them. 

With a home in the Melbourne CBD, their culture and workforce are often described as fast paced and fun, professional and passionate, down to earth and dedicated.   Most importantly, their individual, team and organisation’s success is based on the quality of relationships they cultivate.  People are truly at the heart of everything they do. Not lip service.  They walk the talk on this.

As we power through 2024, they’re heading into some really exciting changes and this People Business Partner role will play an important part in this. 

The PERSON

The person who’ll land this role will be someone who has excellent relationship building skills from the ground up, thrives on getting stuff done, can pivot between strategic and tactical responsibilities, ‘gets’ people (including executive level leaders) and where they’re at on their career journey, loves change and has a genuine desire to operate as a trusted advisor and expert with their portfolio and people.    Sounds great, right?

The thing is; this role isn’t for everyone.  It’s for someone exceptional in their field who’s just as comfortable with doing the day to day work as they are strategising.   This person is joining a small team that all pitch in to achieve great results for their people.  They support each other on the small AND big things and they’re looking for someone who understands (and enjoys!) that way of working. 

So, if the below sounds like I’m talking about YOU, I recommend you get in touch asap.  We’re progressing people as we find them, so don’t wait.  And if it’s not for you right now, that’s cool too. 

• You’re familiar (and like) supporting your stakeholders and team on all people related activity.  This means everything from; job re-designs, org changes, engagement survey action plans, talent and succession planning, recruitment practices, performance management and retention strategies
• You know how to navigate and support remotely based stakeholder groups; you take a ‘here if you need’ approach but ultimately empower people to make good decisions themselves (the end goal!).
• You’re comfortable being a key contributor to leadership team meetings at state or national levels and can hold your own when it comes to giving updates and ideas about people and programs of work you’re involved in
• You get a buzz from moving through a process that gets results on the board asap; you think a few steps ahead for your stakeholders and put things into action quickly to avoid snowballs and eliminate risk.       
• You can pivot between administration tasks, team collaboration, one on one employee support, Executive General Manager meetings and prepping for a project meeting, sometimes in the one day!
• Technical HR work has been your bag for a long time now and you enjoy dipping into your well-stocked people toolbox to help manage your remit, however, while autonomy suits you well, you also know when to put your hand up (no-one’s expected to know everything here)
• Given your experience, you may know a better or more effective way of doing things and you often appropriately offer some alternatives when it comes to continuous improvement and efficiencies.  The words ‘Transformation’ and ‘Change’ excite you!
• You might currently be a seasoned HR BP who’s doing a fab job where you are, but you want something ‘different’ that’s more of a match to your down-to-earth personality and working style (we get it, read on) 
• You want to be proud of where you work and will happily advocate for it at your bestie’s BBQ!   It feels good when people are familiar with what or who you’re talking about and are keen to celebrate wins with you
• One of your superpowers is your ability to balance multiple competing priorities, you’re comfortable with ambiguity and can pivot between tasks quickly, leading and supporting others through the change in direction
• You’re comfortable rolling your sleeves up to get things done; despite where you sit in the org chart you understand that there are elements of admin and co-ordination you’ll still take care of to help move things along
• You’re a decision maker; you weigh things up pretty quickly and can recommend the right way forward for your stakeholder, your team and the broader business if needed. Part of this is keeping a lens on reputational risk for the organisation you represent, and this comes naturally to you 
• Your career history may have been a mix of working with white and blue collar workforces but you see it as advantageous; you bring a diversity of experience to the table and you’re ready to leverage it 
• You’re motivated and all-in when you find the right thing and people would use these words describing you if we asked them; decision-maker, results-driven, authentic, great!,  transparent, honest, fun, team player, natural leader, trusted advisor, reliable, down to earth
• You’re not looking for more of the same (sure there’s other ‘corporate HR’ roles out there) and you’d like to showcase more of your authentic self and style at work somewhere new; you’re still the consummate professional but keen to keep it real  (nothin’ wrong with our big 4 and their friends but maybe this is more ‘you’?)
• It goes without saying that of course Workplace Health and Safety is a top priority for you, and you understand that acting on behalf of your organisation means taking responsibility for guidelines and policies to be met at all times.  This is an easy part of your role because you personally value it! You're someone who stays across current industry trends, legal changes, and offerings when it comes to EAP, family and domestic violence, child safety and mental health.

The EXPERIENCE and SKILLS 

• People/HR Business Partner experience – a few solid years, preferably in different industries for medium to large organisations, where you’ve witnessed and managed through the full scope of employee needs.      Bonus points if you’ve dealt with remote or regional stakeholders!
• Tertiary qualifications in HR that you’ve leveraged in previous roles; from managing the HR inbox, administration and recruitment solutions  through to case management and designing and implementing HR programs and initiatives
• Working knowledge of the IR landscape, award interpretation and governance; you’re confident with these areas and can provide sound advice accordingly
• Demonstrated positive working relationships in a previous Business Partner position; people know and respect you for the way you conduct yourself, even when things get tricky or stressful 
• Working knowledge of a SuccessFactors or similar sophisticated HRIS to effectively manage the employee lifecycle.  You’re someone who’s tech savvy and can learn new software and systems easily; you value good record keeping and data led insights
• Proven ability to influence positive outcomes with the right mix of technical nous and strength of business relationships; you can cite multiple examples where you’ve nailed this!
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; you’re known as a great communicator with your team, stakeholders, execs, suppliers, and customers.  People love their interactions with you, and you welcome their call or enquiry
• Exceptional proven problem solving skills in a similar role; you’re someone who gets a kick out of finding and implementing the right solutions 
• Coaching capabilities; you can develop and build rapport quickly and in a way that supports personal and professional growth, you steer people in the right direction as a trusted and genuine partner
• Demonstrated comfort with ambiguity; pivoting is what you’re used to and you get that it’s necessary to get the job done.  You don’t get frazzled easily, you stay calm and find it easy to reprioritise and keep going

The PERKS

There’s quite a few of these! 

Flexible working arrangements, memberships, staff discounts and event tickets, a robust health and wellbeing program, professional development programs and performance-based bonuses; this is an organisation who take care of their people and celebrate good work and milestones on the regular. 

The APPLICATION PROCESS

Let’s move quick on this one; we’re seeking applications NOW preferably with an intro on your CV or cover letter about you, and where you’re at career-wise right now. Why this role and why now are good questions to answer! 

If you need more information, text me (Taryn) on 0417 373 *** with your NAME and LINKEDIN profile link and I’ll come back to you asap for a confidential chat about the role.  You can also email me directly, we'll sort out what else you need and if this is ‘the one’ for you.

And hey, just so you know, we celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion big time here, so hit me up if you want to chat through your individual working needs, we’d love to hear from you.

Can’t wait to see your application in my inbox!  Love your work, 

Tas