Associate Director - Performance & Partnering

FIRST PEOPLE Recruitment Solutions; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

First People Recruitment Solutions – Melbourne VIC is assisting Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) to appoint an Associate Director for Performance and Partnering. This senior role sits in the PPC Directorate and supports executives on industrial relations, workforce consultation, and organisational change.

The role leads HR strategy, policy development, and compliant employee relations across the enterprise, with a focus on culturally safe engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of industrial relations legislation, enterprise agreements, awards, and employment law.
• Expertise in managing complex performance, conduct, and employee relations matters.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted adviser to senior executives on industrial relations and workforce matters.
• Provide strategic, risk-based advice on workplace policies and legislation alignment.
• Lead Enterprise Agreement bargaining from planning to implementation.
• Oversee a high-performing People Partnering function to support policy application.
• Ensure compliant consultation with employees and unions.
• Foster a proactive safety culture and manage WHS obligations.

Skills

Industrial relations

Enterprise agreements

Employment law

Stakeholder management

Leadership

HR strategy

Education

Tertiary qualifications in HR or related field

AHRI membership (desirable)

Job description

Associate Director - Performance & Partnering

First People Recruitment Solutions – Melbourne VIC

Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) partners and invests with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who want to own their future. IBA helps Indigenous Australians create wealth and accumulate assets, take up investment opportunities, build business enterprises that create employment, and purchase homes, by applying a commercial focus and building respectful, productive partnerships with Indigenous Australians, government, non-government and private sector organisations.

The Performance and Partnering team sits within IBA's People Performance and Culture (PPC) Directorate and works closely with leaders across the organisation to enhance workforce performance and build a positive, productive workplace culture, providing expert advice across industrial and employee relations, workforce consultation, organisational change, performance management, and workplace health and safety.

For a detailed position description please contact Bryan Creith - *****@fprs.com.au

Key Duties

• The Associate Director Performance and Partnering is a key leadership position within IBA's People Performance and Culture directorate, acting as a trusted adviser to senior executives on industrial relations, workforce consultation, employee performance, organisational change, and workplace health and safety.
• Providing strategic, pragmatic and risk-based advice on workplace policies and human resources matters consistent with legislation, Government advice and IBA's Enterprise Agreement, including maintaining IBA's workplace policies.
• Leading Enterprise Agreement bargaining when required, from planning and negotiation through to implementation.
• Overseeing a high-performing People Partnering function that supports the consistent application of people policies and supports leaders to manage complex performance, conduct, and employee relations matters.
• Ensuring IBA meets its consultation requirements through effective employee and union engagement.
• Promoting a proactive safety culture focused on prevention, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Managing early intervention, case management, WHS arrangements, and Comcare administration.
• Fostering productive workplace relationships and ensuring compliance with industrial instruments and legislation.
• Building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and representing IBA at various forums.
• Leading, coaching, and developing a high-performing team, and modelling IBA's values and behaviours.

Key Skills and Capabilities

• Deep knowledge of industrial relations legislation, enterprise agreements, awards, and employment law, with exposure to Enterprise Agreements across planning, negotiation, and implementation.
• Expertise in managing complex performance, conduct, and employee relations matters, and providing pragmatic, risk-based advice to executives, managers, and staff.
• Strong understanding of workplace health and safety obligations and risk management principles.
• Well-developed knowledge of strategic human resources functions, with demonstrated achievement in developing and implementing HR strategy, policies, and practices aligned to business needs in the public and/or private sector.
• High-level interpersonal skills, with the ability to build productive working relationships and to liaise and negotiate sensitively and effectively with Board members, the Executive, managers, and staff.
• Demonstrated ability to build respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and stakeholders, promoting culturally safe and inclusive environments and ensuring Indigenous perspectives are meaningfully considered in approach and outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt to the audience and produce HR strategy, high-level briefings to the Board and Executive, and reports on complex or sensitive issues.
• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams, prioritising and monitoring workflows, and delivering on objectives within budget and deadlines.
• Demonstrated personal drive and integrity, with the ability to juggle competing priorities.
• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources or a relevant field, and professional membership of AHRI, are highly desirable.

FIRST PEOPLE Recruitment Solutions acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures; and to elders past, present and emerging.