EL1 Assistant Director, People and Capability

HorizonOne Recruitment; Canberra; On-site; AUD 129,000 - 138,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

HorizonOne Recruitment is partnering with a growing Australian Government agency to appoint an EL1 HR professional who blends strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery. You will shape wellbeing, rehabilitation, recruitment and capability initiatives while guiding leaders across the agency.

This role offers broad influence across HR programs and policy, with a focus on improving employee experience and organisational performance.

Qualifications

• Experience operating at EL1 level in People and Capability.
• Strong stakeholder management across diverse partners.
• Generalist HR experience with practical, advisory approach.
• Experience with wellbeing, rehabilitation, and case management.
• Recruitment, onboarding and workforce capability development experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead rehabilitation, return to work and wellbeing initiatives including injury management.
• Provide high‑quality advisory support to managers on complex people matters.
• Oversee end‑to‑end recruitment and onboarding processes.
• Contribute to learning and development including induction and mandatory training.
• Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external partners.
• Support the Director in delivering HR priorities and underpinning policy work.

Skills

EL1 HR experience

Stakeholder management

Generalist HR

Employee wellbeing

Rehabilitation

Recruitment

Capability development

Learning and development

Job description

This is an opportunity to join a growing Australian Government agency at an exciting point in its development. The organisation is continuing to build its people capability and is looking for an experienced HR professional who can provide trusted advice, deliver practical outcomes and help shape a maturing People and Capability function.

You’ll join a collaborative team where people work across traditional HR boundaries, share accountability and support each other to respond to changing organisational priorities.

The Opportunity

This is a broad and influential EL1 opportunity for an experienced People and Capability professional who enjoys combining strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery.

Working closely with leaders across the agency, you’ll have the opportunity to shape important people initiatives spanning wellbeing, rehabilitation, complex case management, recruitment, talent acquisition and capability development. You’ll be trusted to provide sound advice on complex people matters while also taking ownership of programs that directly influence employee experience and organisational performance.

For someone who enjoys variety, stakeholder engagement and the opportunity to make a genuine contribution in a growing organisation, this role offers the chance to have a meaningful impact rather than simply manage a functional portfolio.

The Role

Reporting to the Director, People and Capability, you will provide expert advice while leading key people programs and supporting the broader HR agenda.

You’ll be responsible for

• Leading the agency’s rehabilitation, return to work, wellbeing and case management activities, including early intervention, reasonable adjustments, injury management and psychosocial wellbeing initiatives
• Providing high-quality advice to managers on complex people matters, including employee support, workplace adjustments, workplace concerns and people-related risk management
• Leading and coordinating end-to-end recruitment and onboarding processes, supporting workforce growth and positive candidate experiences
• Contributing to learning and development initiatives, including induction, mandatory learning and capability uplift activities
• Developing and maintaining productive relationships with internal stakeholders, service providers and external partners
• Contributing to the development of people policies, programs and frameworks across the People and Capability function
• Supporting the Director, People and Capability in delivering strategic and operational HR priorities

The Ideal Person

You’ll be an experienced HR or People and Capability professional with strong generalist capability and the confidence to operate at EL1 level. You’ll bring sound judgement, excellent stakeholder management skills and a practical approach to solving complex people issues.

Your background will ideally include experience across employee wellbeing, rehabilitation, case management, recruitment and workforce capability, together with the ability to provide clear and balanced advice on sensitive people matters. Experience working within, or a strong understanding of, the Australian Public Service environment will be highly regarded.

Most importantly, you’ll be someone who enjoys working collaboratively and isn’t constrained by functional boundaries. You’ll be comfortable moving between strategic priorities and operational delivery, building trusted relationships with leaders and contributing wherever the broader People and Capability team needs you.

If you’re looking for an opportunity where your HR expertise can help shape both the employee experience and the future capability of a growing agency, this could be the next step in your career.

Salary

• $129k – $138k + Super
• Non-ongoing contract, 6 – 12 months
• Baseline clearance preferred or the ability to obtain

HorizonOne is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and we encourage applications from people of all cultures, capabilities and backgrounds.