Employment Relations Specialist

Unitywater; Sunshine Coast Regional; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Wellbeing programs

Learning & development

Diversity & inclusion networks

Job summary

Unitywater is seeking an Employee Relations Specialist to support fair, consistent employee experiences across the business. You will partner with HRBPs and leaders to manage complex ER matters, including investigations, disciplinary actions and grievances, while preparing for Enterprise Agreement negotiations.

The role is a 6-month full-time assignment with potential for extension, based in Mango Hill or Maroochydore, with hybrid working arrangements and a focus on improving employee relations

Qualifications

• Hold a relevant tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Employment Relations or a related discipline.
• Minimum five years’ HR/ER or IR advisory experience, preferably in unionised environments.
• Experience managing complex ER matters end to end, including investigations and disciplinary processes.
• Strong knowledge of employment legislation and enterprise agreements.
• Proven ability to coach leaders and advocate procedural fairness.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and manage complex employee relations matters end to end.
• Support preparations for Enterprise Agreement negotiations.
• Partner with leaders to build capability and foster fair workplace practices.
• Contribute to building robust employee relations processes across the business.

Skills

Employee relations

Policy interpretation

Workplace investigations

Disciplinary processes

Stakeholder coaching

Legislation knowledge

Valid C Class licence

Education

HR/IR qualification

Job description

• Provide expert advice and manage complex employee relations matters.
• Support preparations for our upcoming Enterprise Agreement negotiations.
• Partner with leaders to build capability and foster a fair workplace

• Provide expert advice and manage complex employee relations matters.
• Support preparations for our upcoming Enterprise Agreement negotiations.
• Partner with leaders to build capability and foster a fair workplace

About the role:

As our Employee Relations Specialist, you’ll play a key role in supporting a fair, consistent and positive employee experience across Unitywater. You’ll partner with leaders and HR Business Partners to navigate complex employee matters, including performance, conduct, grievances and workplace investigations.

You’ll also play a key role in preparing for our upcoming Enterprise Agreement negotiations, helping position the business for a successful bargaining process. Drawing on your technical expertise and practical, people-focused approach, you’ll provide trusted advice on complex employee relations matters, build leadership capability and help strengthen our employee relations practices across the business.

This is an initial 6 month full-time role with potential for extension and can be based at either Mango Hill or Maroochydore.

About the Team

You’ll join Unitywater’s People, Safety and Governance team, working closely with HR Business Partners, senior leaders and specialist people teams to support a safe, fair and high-performing workplace. We take a collaborative, practical approach to solving complex people challenges, building leadership capability and ensuring our people practices align with our values and business objectives.

About you:

• Hold a relevant tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Employment Relations or a related discipline.
• Bring at least five years’ experience in an HR, Employee Relations or Industrial Relations advisory role, ideally within a unionised, blue and white collar environment.
• Have demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters end to end, including performance, conduct, disciplinary matters, grievances, complaints and workplace conflict.
• Possess strong knowledge of employment legislation, enterprise agreements, employment contracts, policies and procedures, with the ability to interpret and apply these in practice.
• Have experience leading formal employee relations processes, including show cause, disciplinary, performance management and outcome processes.
• Bring experience in workplace investigations, including information gathering, interviewing, analysis and preparation of findings and outcome documentation.
• Are a confident communicator and trusted adviser who can coach and influence leaders, navigate sensitive situations and provide balanced, commercially focused advice.
• Demonstrate sound judgement, strong analytical skills and a commitment to procedural fairness, confidentiality and continuous improvement, along with experience in complex, multidisciplinary organisations and a current C Class driver's licence

Working at Unitywater:

• Flexibility: We value flexibility and support work-life balance with hybrid and flexible working, purchased annual leave and access to floating public holidays.
• Wellbeing: We offer several initiatives to support your wellbeing, such as discounted private health insurance, salary packaging, employee assistance program, and access to retailer discounts and benefits.
• Learning and Development: We offer a range of opportunities to feed your curiosity such as: Walk on Country experience, study assistance, access to a dedicated learning program and professional memberships.
• Diversity: We celebrate, value and include people of all backgrounds, gender and expressions, sexualities, cultures, bodies and abilities. We invite you to join our dedicated employee networks focused on First Nations Reconciliation, LGBTQIA+, CALD, Gender, Life Stage, Disability and Accessibility.

About us:

Unitywater operates in one of Australia’s most exceptional environments in terms of natural beauty, geographical and demographic breadth. We operate on Kabi Kabi, Jinibara and Turrbal Country, proudly providing safe and reliable water to customers in Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa. We are a water utility serving one of the fastest growing regions in the country.

We think a pretty good job starts here.

If you’re successful we will need you to undergo a few checks…. We know they might not be the fun part, but you will need to confirm your right to work in Australia and complete relevant pre-employment checks, including verification of criminal history, drivers licence and driving history, alcohol and other drug screening.

We will be reviewing applications and booking interviews as we receive them.

For further information please contact the Talent Acquisition team at *******@unitywater.com
If you would like to speak to a team member about our commitment to diversity and inclusion, please contact our Inclusion Specialist **********@unitywater.com

Unitywater respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waterways in which we live, work and operate, the Kabi Kabi, Jinibara and Turrbal peoples. We honour their enduring connection to these places and their deep cultural, spiritual and environmental knowledge and stewardship over the waterways that sustain us all. We pay our deepest respects to Elders past and present, who hold the wisdom, traditions and stories of their people.