Chief People Officer

VUCA Pty Ltd; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 260,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

estara, South Australia’s specialist provider of disability and related services, seeks an accomplished Chief People Officer to shape its people, culture and capability agenda. This is a true enterprise leadership role, not just HR, reporting to the CEO and advising the Executive Team and Board.

The CPO will lead People & Culture, workforce capability, WHS, Quality and Safeguarding, driving organisational performance through capability and sustainability while fostering strong community

Qualifications

• Significant senior or executive People & Culture leadership experience.
• Strong capability across industrial relations, workforce strategy, organisational development and retention strategies.
• Experience leading through organisational change and complexity.
• The confidence and credibility to influence CEOs, Executives and Boards.
• A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach and strong professional judgement.
• Ability to build trust, develop leadership capability and bring people with you.
• Experience in disability, health, community services or another complex, regulated environment highly regarded.

Responsibilities

• Lead a broad portfolio spanning People & Culture, workforce capability, WHS, Quality and Safeguarding.
• Act as trusted adviser to the CEO, Executive Team and Board.
• Shape people strategy and organisational performance beyond traditional HR.

Skills

Senior leadership

People & Culture

Industrial relations

Workforce strategy

Organisational development

Change management

Stakeholder influence

Job description

Shape the people, culture and capability of an organisation with purpose.

estara, formerly known as PQSA and HomeCare+, is South Australia's specialist provider of services for people living with spinal cord injury, neurological and related disabilities. Built on more than 60 years of expertise, estara empowers people and their communities to adapt and thrive through specialised supports, expert guidance and strong community connections. With more than 600 employees across metropolitan and regional South Australia, estara is strengthening its foundations for the future through a significant transformation program focused on capability, sustainability and service excellence.

VUCA is partnering with estara to appoint an accomplished Chief People Officer to shape its people, culture, workforce and organisational capability agenda.

Reporting to the CEO and as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CPO will lead a broad portfolio spanning People & Culture, workforce capability, WHS, Quality and Safeguarding. This is a genuine enterprise leadership role not simply an HR position. The CPO will be a trusted adviser to the CEO, Executive Team and Board, contributing to strategy, organisational performance, workforce sustainability, culture and transformation.

We are seeking a strategic, commercially astute and emotionally intelligent leader who can connect people strategy with organisational performance.

You will bring:

Significant senior or executive People & Culture leadership experience

Strong capability across industrial relations, workforce strategy, organisational development and retention strategies

Experience leading through organisational change and complexity

The confidence and credibility to influence CEOs, Executives and Boards

A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach and strong professional judgement

The ability to build trust, develop leadership capability and bring people with you

Experience in disability, health, community services or another complex, regulated environment will be highly regarded.

This is an opportunity to join an organisation with a proud history and strong social purpose, and to play a defining role in shaping its next chapter. If you are a people leader with tertiary qualifications in HR, IR, Psychology or another related discipline, who combines strategic thinking, commercial pragmatism and genuine care for people, VUCA would like to hear from you.

by Sunday 20th September 2026.