General Manager - People & Performance

St John Ambulance QLD; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

St John Ambulance Queensland is seeking an accomplished General Manager – People & Performance to lead the organisation's people strategy, workforce capability and culture. Reporting to the CEO, you will oversee the end-to-end employee lifecycle, volunteer strategy, and governance across HR systems.

The role spans strategy, change, remuneration, injury management and risk, with a focus on sustainable workforce outcomes.

Qualifications

• Senior HR leadership experience in a complex, multi-site environment.
• Deep expertise across the employee lifecycle including ER/IR, learning and development, reward, engagement and injury management.
• Experience implementing people strategies, frameworks and systems that improve employee experience and organisational outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver an integrated people strategy that strengthens performance, engagement and inclusion.
• Lead the full People & Performance function and create a positive, consistent employee experience.
• Partner with operational leaders on workforce planning, succession, recruitment, capability and workforce design.
• Oversee the volunteer strategy across attraction, onboarding, development, recognition, engagement and retention.
• Build leadership capability and embed effective performance, learning and development frameworks.
• Provide trusted advice on employee relations, industrial relations, risk and safety.
• Use workforce insights and executive reporting to drive accountability, continuous improvement and sustainable outcomes.

Skills

HR leadership

Change management

Workforce planning

Employee relations

Stakeholder influence

Education

Tertiary qualification

Tools

HRIS

Job description

St John Ambulance Queensland (SJAQ) is seeking an accomplished and values-led General Manager – People & Performance to lead our people strategy, workforce capability and culture. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, you will lead the full People & Performance function and advise senior leaders on workforce priorities, organisational change, employee and industrial relations, risk and performance.

This broad executive role spans the end-to-end employee lifecycle and includes strategic workforce planning, leadership development, engagement and inclusion, remuneration and recognition, injury management, HR systems and governance. You will also oversee the development and delivery of SJAQ’s volunteer strategy, ensuring our employee and volunteer workforce has the capacity, capability and mix required to deliver our strategic plan.

What you will lead

• Develop and deliver an integrated people strategy that strengthens performance, engagement and inclusion.
• Lead the full People & Performance function and create a positive, consistent employee experience.
• Partner with operational leaders on workforce planning, succession, recruitment, capability and workforce design.
• Oversee the volunteer strategy across attraction, onboarding, development, recognition, engagement and retention.
• Build leadership capability and embed effective performance, learning and development frameworks.
• Provide trusted advice on employee relations, industrial relations, organisational change, remuneration, risk and safety.
• Use workforce insights and executive reporting to drive accountability, continuous improvement and sustainable outcomes.

About you

You are a commercially astute, strategic and people-centred executive who can move confidently between long-term direction and operational delivery. You build trust, exercise sound judgement and influence effectively across diverse stakeholder groups. You will bring:

• A relevant tertiary qualification and/or equivalent significant professional experience.
• At least 10 years’ senior HR management experience, including leadership of an integrated HR function in a complex, multi-site environment.
• Deep expertise across the employee lifecycle, including performance, ER/IR, learning and development, reward, engagement, inclusion, employment administration and injury management.
• Demonstrated success implementing people strategies, frameworks and systems that improve employee experience and organisational outcomes.
• Strong workforce planning capability and the ability to translate strategy and data into practical capacity, capability, succession and workforce-mix plans.
• Highly developed communication, coaching, negotiation and stakeholder-influencing skills.
• Experience in the not-for-profit, charity, community services, health or aged care sectors, and exposure to volunteer management, will be highly regarded.

Why join St John Ambulance Queensland?

SJAQ promotes humanitarian and charitable efforts by helping people in need, supporting communities during emergencies and public events, and building first aid and patient-care capability. Our values—Humanity, Excellence, Respect & Integrity, Diversity, Collaboration and Innovation—guide how we work and how we serve Queensland communities.

Pre-employment requirements

The successful candidate will be required to hold, or be able to obtain, a National Police Check, Queensland Working with Children Check (Blue Card),Key Personnel Check and a current Queensland driver licence (Class C or higher). Occasional regional or interstate travel and after-hours attendance may be required.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences