General Manager Human Resources

Emu Search; Queensland; On-site; AUD 260,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Emu Search is seeking an accomplished HR executive to own the people agenda and influence the future of the business in regional Queensland. Reporting to the CEO, you will shape enterprise strategy, culture and leadership capability while guiding complex industrial relations and bargaining processes.

With executive sponsorship and scope to deliver lasting organisational impact, this role demands strategic vision, commercial pragmatism and resilient leadership across senior stakeholders and

Qualifications

• Strategic HR leader with credibility to partner with the CEO
• Strong enterprise bargaining and industrial relations experience
• Experience navigating union relationships in unionised environments
• Proven ability to drive organisational change and leadership development
• Commercially astute with resilience and change delivery

Responsibilities

• Act as trusted adviser to the CEO on people strategy and workforce matters
• Lead the industrial relations strategy including bargaining, unions and complex matters
• Advise on enterprise agreements, employment conditions and workforce risk
• Drive organisational transformation, leadership effectiveness and culture
• Strengthen leadership capability, talent development and succession planning
• Lead and develop the HR function delivering strategic initiatives and operations

Job description

Regional Queensland | Executive Leadership | Transformation & Growth Mandate

The Opportunity

We are partnering with an established Australian organisation entering an important new chapter, with a clear ambition to strengthen performance, leadership capability and organisational effectiveness.

This is an opportunity for an accomplished HR executive to take ownership of the people agenda and play an influential role in shaping the future of the business.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will be a key member of the executive leadership team, working closely with senior stakeholders to translate business priorities into meaningful organisational outcomes.

Central to this appointment is a significant industrial relations mandate. You will provide strategic leadership across enterprise bargaining, union engagement and complex workforce matters, balancing commercial priorities with constructive employee relationships.

Beyond industrial relations, you will have the opportunity to influence enterprise strategy, shape organisational design, strengthen leadership capability and drive broader cultural and operational improvement.

With strong executive sponsorship and genuine scope to make your mark, this appointment will appeal to a leader who enjoys complexity, values autonomy and is motivated by the opportunity to deliver lasting organisational impact.

The Role

Your mandate will include:

• Acting as a trusted adviser to the CEO on people strategy, organisational capability and workforce matters.
• Leading the organisation's industrial relations strategy, including enterprise bargaining negotiations, union relationships and the management of complex industrial matters.
• Providing strategic advice on enterprise agreements, employment conditions, workforce risk and the commercial implications of industrial decisions.
• Driving organisational transformation, including structural change, leadership effectiveness and cultural development.
• Building constructive relationships with operational leaders, employees and industrial stakeholders to support sustainable business outcomes.
• Strengthening leadership capability, talent development and succession planning.
• Leading and developing the HR function, ensuring effective delivery of both strategic initiatives and core people operations.

About You

We are seeking an established HR executive with the credibility, judgement and leadership capability to operate as a genuine strategic partner to the CEO.

You will be confident engaging with senior executives and external stakeholders, capable of navigating competing interests and comfortable making difficult decisions with sound judgement and diplomacy.

Industrial relations expertise is helpful. You will ideally bring a demonstrated track record of leading enterprise bargaining negotiations, managing union relationships and navigating complex employee relations matters within unionised environments.

Experience in operationally intensive industries will be particularly valuable, as will a strong understanding of the Fair Work framework, enterprise agreements and the practical implications of workforce decisions.

Beyond your technical expertise, you will be a commercially astute and influential executive with experience leading organisational change, strengthening leadership capability and building high-performing teams.

Above all, you will be an enterprise leader who brings a broader business perspective to the HR function, combining strategic vision with the pragmatism and resilience required to deliver meaningful change.

Location

Regional Queensland

For an executive considering a change of pace without stepping away from a challenging and influential leadership career, this opportunity offers an attractive proposition.

Based in Regional Queensland, the position combines genuine executive responsibility with access to one of Australia's most desirable lifestyle destinations.

We welcome interest from established General Managers, Chief People Officers and Heads of HR nationally who would consider relocating for the right opportunity.