Director, Business Partnering

Western Sydney University; Penrith City Council; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Staff benefits

Job summary

Western Sydney University is seeking a senior People & Culture leader to drive a contemporary business partnering model that aligns workforce strategy with university priorities. You will work with executive leaders to anticipate workforce challenges and strengthen leadership capability and employee experience across multiple campuses.

The role includes leading strategic workforce planning, governance, remuneration oversight and ensuring equity and sustainability across workforce architecture.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in a large and complex organisation.
• Expertise in employment, industrial and workplace relations, including complex matters and negotiations.
• Experience leading People and Culture Business Partnering teams to provide strategic, pragmatic advice.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic people partnering for University leaders and translate priorities into workforce plans.
• Guide strategic workforce planning across workforce shape, critical capabilities, succession, performance, engagement and change.
• Coordinate integrated People and Culture solutions and provide strategic oversight of employment and industrial relations, remuneration and benefits.
• Ensure reward, job architecture and classification frameworks align with strategy, equity and governance.
• Provide insights to support executive decision-making and risk management.

Skills

People partnering

Workforce planning

Negotiation

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Education

Tertiary qualification in Business, Commerce, HRM, IR, Law or related discipline

Job description

• Full-time, 5 year fixed term contract senior position
• Hawkesbury and Parramatta South campuses with flexible working arrangements
• Competitive senior-level remuneration, commensurate with experience.

Lead strategic people partnering for University leaders, translating priorities into workforce plans, capability and performance outcomes.

The Opportunity

You will lead a contemporary, people-focused business partnering model that connects University priorities with practical workforce strategies. Working closely with executive and senior leaders, you will anticipate complex workforce challenges and strengthen organisational performance, leadership capability and employee experience.

You will guide strategic workforce planning across workforce shape, critical capabilities, succession, performance, engagement and change. By combining portfolio intelligence, workforce data, scenario analysis and external insights, you will identify emerging risks and provide clear recommendations that support executive decision-making.

As a member of the People and Culture Leadership Team, you will coordinate integrated solutions across specialist People and Culture functions. You will also provide strategic oversight of employment and industrial relations, lead remuneration and benefits, and ensure reward, job architecture and classification frameworks support workforce strategy, equity, governance and financial sustainability.

What Success Looks Like:

• Establish a consistent business partnering model with clear service standards, portfolio alignment, escalation pathways and measures of impact.
• Translate University and divisional priorities into integrated workforce plans that address capability, succession, performance and change.
• Strengthen leadership accountability, decision-making and people management practices across the University.
• Provide strategic oversight of complex employment and industrial relations matters, supporting sound governance and risk management.
• Align remuneration, reward, benefits and workforce architecture with organisational strategy, equity and sustainability.

Please refer to the Position Descriptionfor full details.

About You

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Business, Commerce, Human Resources Management, Industrial Relations, Law, Psychology or a related discipline, supported by extensive experience in a large and complex organisation.
• Demonstrated expertise in employment, industrial and workplace relations, including complex matters, negotiations, organisational risk and employer representation.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing People and Culture Business Partnering teams to provide strategic, pragmatic and consistent advice.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex information into practical and sustainable solutions.
• High-level leadership and negotiation capability, together with expertise in remuneration, reward, benefits, job evaluation and classification frameworks.

Benefits

We invest in the people who make our mission possible. Alongside a rewarding career, we offer a range of benefits designed to support your financial, personal and family wellbeing.

• Financial benefits: Access to staff-only products and offers with selected banking partners, salary sacrifice options for onsite parking, and novated motor vehicle leasing.
• Health and wellbeing support: Free Employee Assistance Program (EAP), complimentary annual flu vaccination, eligibility for Fitness Passport membership, and access to discounted private health cover.
• Onsite childcare:Long day care and early learning services operate at our Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Parramatta, and Penrith campuses. Staff may be eligible for discounted fees and salary packaging, with places subject to centre capacity.
• Position Enquiries: Direct to Angy Dinevska, Chief People Officer via**********@westernsydney.edu.au.Please include the job reference codeREF1910P
• Working Rights: You must provide evidence of full-time working rights in Australia at application.

Belonging at Western

We are committed to substantive equality as outlined in our Equal Opportunity Policy. We actively encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, candidates of all gender identities and expressions, people of all abilities, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

For Reasonable Adjustments during the application process, please contact ***************@westernsydney.edu.au.

About Western

This is your opportunity to be part of something bigger. By joining Western Sydney University, you become a valued member of our community. As our region changes, so too does our university. Western is boldly different, energetic, global, diverse, dynamic, and youthful.

Our mission is to deliver student success, impactful research, and stronger communities. As part of our team, you will have a stake in shaping the future of education, broadening horizons, and changing lives. Making a difference starts at Western.

For the latest please visit our website and LinkedIn.

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