Chief People Officer

PJ Maynard Consulting; Blacktown; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Marist180 is seeking an experienced Chief People Officer to shape the workforce strategy and governance across a dispersed, mission-driven organisation. You will partner with the CEO, Executive and Board to translate workforce insight into practical structures, systems and accountability that drive performance and safety.

You will lead change, develop leadership capability, and build a robust People & Culture function aligned with Marist180’s values and service goals.

Qualifications

• Executive-level People & Culture experience in a complex service organisation.
• Experience in organisational design, leadership development, industrial relations, safety, reward and culture transformation.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advise the CEO, Executive and Board to shape Marist180's workforce strategy and governance.
• Turn workforce insight into practical structures, systems and accountability.
• Lead development of safer, engaged teams and stronger leadership capabilities.
• Provide frameworks to balance purpose, performance and resources.

Skills

Leadership

People analytics

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Education

HR/OD qualification

Job description

PEOPLE CAPABILITY DRIVES ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE.

Shape the workforce, leadership and structures behind Marist180's next chapter.

What if people metrics told the business story?

Marist180 supports young people facing disadvantage through care, accommodation, education and employment pathways. Across more than 50 homes in NSW and the ACT, with services in Queensland, its 620 employees support approximately 1,300 people each year.

This makes workforce capability critical to Marist180 service quality and outcomes.

The organisation has grown quickly. Now it is time to build the people foundations for its next stage of growth. Turnover, workers compensation, return to work, engagement, grievances, leadership development and psychological safety are more than people measures. They are indicators of organisational performance.

Why this role. Why now?

As trusted adviser to a dynamic CEO, you will work with the Executive and Board to shape Marist180's next chapter, turning workforce strategy and insight into practical structures, systems and accountability.

Success looks like a credible and trusted People & Culture function, clearer workforce governance, engaged and safer teams, stronger leadership development, meaningful workforce insight and structures built for sustainable growth.

The work that matters

Use workforce data to expose risk, focus investment and improve organisational performance.

Assess organisational design, layers, spans and capability, then help leaders make and sustain the changes.

Build psychologically safe, compliant environments across a dispersed, award-based workforce.

Give managers the frameworks, confidence and accountability to lead people well.

Balance purpose, performance and finite resources without exhausting the people delivering the mission.

And you are...?

You think like an operator.

You understand how people decisions influence service quality, margin, risk and growth.

You are comfortable reading a P&L, challenging assumptions and translating strategy into practical systems, structures and behaviours.

You have led through change and can point to what shifted. You have high EQ.

You bring executive-level People & Culture experience, ideally from a complex service organisation where people capability is central to success.

Organisational design, leadership development, industrial relations, safety, reward and culture transformation are familiar territory.

Human services experience is useful, not essential. Relevant tertiary qualifications are preferred.

You align strongly with Marist values and can lead authentically within a Catholic, mission-led organisation. A personal connection to the Catholic faith would be highly regarded, but is not essential.

You listen before prescribing. You are candid and discreet. You build trust across an organisation, stay close to the work and do not avoid difficult conversations.

You can be a CEO's sounding board while bringing an independent view. No ivory tower required.

Why Marist180?

Because strong people leadership here has a direct line to safer, more consistent services and better outcomes for young people.

This is an opportunity to strengthen the workforce, leadership and culture behind a growing organisation whose purpose is both urgent and tangible.

Marist180 is ambitious about its next chapter.

The CPO will help translate that ambition into the organisational capability, accountability and resilience required for sustainable growth, with genuine influence alongside the CEO, Executive and Board.