Employment Relations Manager

Employment Relations; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Salary packaging

Wellbeing initiatives

Growth and development opportunities

State-of-the-art facilities

Fitness passport

Up to 25% off school fees for children

Job summary

The Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta is seeking an experienced Employment Relations Manager to lead the ER team and strengthen employment and industrial relations capability across the organisation. You will navigate complex employment matters and drive continuous improvement in the ER function.

Reporting to the Head of People Capability, you will guide policy interpretation, case submissions and strategic projects while collaborating with school leaders and central teams to support

Qualifications

• Strong ER/IR knowledge and problem-solving capabilities.
• Leadership experience with teams and cross-functional partners.
• Ability to navigate complex workplace matters with sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ER team to deliver high-quality employment relations services.
• Provide expert advice on HR processes, policies and industrial instruments.
• Oversee case management and prepare high-quality submissions and briefing notes.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships across CSPD and with unions.
• Drive continuous improvement while ensuring policy compliance.

Skills

ER/IR knowledge

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Analytical thinking

Education

Relevant degree

Tools

HR systems

Job description

Full time, Permanent

21h ago , from Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta

CSPD is seeking expressions of interest for an Employment Relations Manager to lead our Employment Relations team and strengthen our employment and industrial relations capability across the organisation.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to support our schools and central office teams by providing high-quality advice, navigating complex employment matters and driving continuous improvement across our employment relations function.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of People Capability, the Employment Relations Manager will lead the ER team, fostering a collaborative, solutions-focused approach to employment and industrial relations. You will play a key role in developing the function as an internal centre of expertise, supporting leaders to navigate processes, policies, industrial instruments and employment-related matters with confidence.

Working closely with stakeholders across CSPD, you will balance operational priorities with strategic initiatives, ensuring our advice, processes and services are effective, consistent and aligned with organisational objectives.

Lead and develop the ER team to deliver high-quality employment relations services and advice to internal stakeholders.

Provide expert advice on HR processes, policies, industrial instruments and employment and industrial relations matters.

Oversee case management processes and ensure the preparation of high-quality submissions, reports, correspondence and briefing notes for leadership.

Partner with leaders and teams across CSPD to deliver strategic projects and initiatives.

Build and maintain positive stakeholder relationships, including with unions and external reporting bodies.

Support the effective use of HR systems, data, metrics and analytics to inform decision-making and identify opportunities for improvement.

Drive continuous improvement and change initiatives while ensuring compliance with relevant policies, procedures and legislative requirements.

Coach, mentor and develop team members, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous learning.

About you

You are a confident and collaborative leader who brings strong ER/IR knowledge, sound judgement and the ability to navigate complex workplace matters. You enjoy developing people, building trusted relationships and working with stakeholders to achieve practical and sustainable outcomes.

You will ideally bring:

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline.
• Demonstrated management and leadership experience, with the ability to lead, motivate and develop a team.
• Strong employment relations and industrial relations knowledge, including the interpretation and application of policies, procedures and industrial instruments.
• Well-developed stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to manage sensitive and complex matters.
• Strong negotiation, conflict management and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent analytical, planning and problem-solving capabilities.
• A commitment to continuous improvement, risk management and compliance.
• The ability to work collaboratively and contribute to CSPD's strategic direction and Catholic mission.

As a valued CSPD employee, you can benefit from up to 25% off school fees for your children enrolled in our schools. But that's not all.

• Competitive remuneration
• Salary packaging
• Wellbeing initiatives and resources
• Extensive growth and development opportunities
• State-of-the-art facilities
• Fitness passport

The Organisation

CSPD is committed to responding to the needs of all students. With over 5,000 employees located across 80 primary and secondary schools and office communities, our aim is to transform learning and unlock the full potential of each of our 43,500 students while enriching the professional lives of staff.

Child Safeguarding Statement

This position involves working with children. The appointment of successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory employment screening for child-related employment, including holding a cleared NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) and compliance with CSPDs Safeguarding Procedures and Code of Conduct When Working With Children and Students. For more information regarding WWCCs, click here.

Diversity Statement

CSPD strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.