Assistant Director, Employee And Industrial Relations

Council Jobs; Canberra; On-site; AUD 128,000 - 137,000; Full time

Job summary

The Health and Community Services Directorate is seeking an experienced Assistant Director for Employee and Industrial Relations in Canberra. The role provides strategic advice on employee relations, supports enterprise bargaining, and develops HR policies while ensuring a respectful and inclusive workplace.

You will prepare high‑quality briefing materials, undertake research and analysis, and engage with stakeholders to deliver practical, outcomes‑focused solutions in complex employment matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice on employee relations matters and support enterprise bargaining.
• Prepare high-quality correspondence, reports and briefing materials.
• Undertake research and analysis to inform HR policy development and initiatives.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to deliver practical, outcomes-focused solutions in complex employment matters.

Job description

Assistant Director, Employee And Industrial Relations

Classification: Senior Officer Grade C
Salary: $127,597 - $136,873 plus superannuation
Position No: 09169
Directorate: Health and Community Services
Advertised (Gazettal date): 05 November 2026
Contact Officer: Sangeeta Gupta on**************@act.gov.auor(02) 5124 9***

Details: The Health and Community Services Directorate (HCSD) is looking for an experienced and motivated Assistant Director to join our Employee and Industrial Relations team.
The successful candidate will work closely with the Director to deliver high-quality advice and support to staff, managers and executives across a broad range of people management matters. As a trusted advisor, you will apply sound judgement, make evidence-based decisions and provide practical, outcomes-focused solutions in complex employment and industrial relations matters.

In this role, you will provide strategic advice and guidance on employee relations issues, including underperformance, reportable conduct matters, preliminary assessments and workplace investigations. You will support enterprise bargaining and industrial relations activities, provide advice on legislation and the ACTPS Employment Framework, and develop productive partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

You will also prepare high-quality correspondence, reports and briefing materials, undertake research and analysis, contribute to the development of human resource policies and initiatives, and participate in strategic planning activities. As an active member of the team, you will contribute to the achievement of branch priorities while promoting a positive, respectful and inclusive workplace culture.

To be successful, you will demonstrate strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, experience managing complex employee relations matters, and a commitment to the ACTPS values of respect, integrity, collaboration and innovation.

Health and Community Services Directorate (HCSD) is an inclusive employer where all people are respected and valued for their contribution. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, People with Disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, veterans, mature age workers and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people.

Eligibility/Other Requirements: Tertiary qualifications or demonstrated relevant experience in human resources are highly desirable.

Note: A merit pool or merit list will be established from this selection process and will be used to fill vacancies over the next 12 months.

Note: Under the ACTPS employment framework you may be placed in another role where required for the efficient administration of the service.

The ACT public service is committed to closing the gap, underpinned by the belief that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a genuine say in the design and delivery of policies, programs and services that affect them, better life outcomes are achieved. More information can be found here ACT Closing the Gap Implementation Plan - ACT Government Transparency Portal.