General Manager - Workplace Relations

Tandem Partners Pty Ltd.; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Tandem Partners Pty Ltd. in Australia is seeking an experienced Head of Industrial Relations to lead the I&R function for a major organisation with nationwide operations. You will shape strategy, lead enterprise bargaining, and manage relations with unions and external stakeholders.

Based in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, you will influence senior executives, guide employment-law matters, and drive governance and risk management across the People team nationwide.

Qualifications

• IR leadership experience in a complex, unionised environment.
• Experience leading enterprise bargaining and handling industrial disputes.
• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to advise executives and operate across a dispersed workforce.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the organisation's industrial and employee relations strategy.
• Lead enterprise bargaining and related industrial and communication strategies.
• Build constructive relationships with unions and external stakeholders.
• Advise executives on complex industrial relations and employment law matters.
• Manage significant industrial disputes and matters before Fair Work Commission and courts.
• Strengthen IR capability across operational leadership and the People team.
• Establish governance, risk management and workplace relations practices nationally.
• Provide employment law advice and manage employment-related litigation.

Skills

IR leadership

Union negotiations

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Education

Legal qualifications and Australian practising certificate

Job description

This is a newly created opportunity to lead the Industrial and Employee Relations function for a division of a major Australian organisation operating across the country. Reporting to a senior HR executive, you will develop and lead a commercially focused industrial relations strategy that supports the organisation’s operational and business objectives. You will partner closely with executives and operational leaders, while building effective relationships with unions and other external stakeholders.

This is a role that requires the ability to think strategically, lead a specialist team whilst also roll up your sleeves when required. This role is responsible for:

• Developing and implementing the organisation’s industrial and employee relations strategy;
• Leading enterprise bargaining and associated industrial and communication strategies;
• Building constructive and commercially effective relationships with unions;
• Advising executives and operational leaders on complex industrial, employee relations and employment law matters;
• Managing significant industrial disputes, litigation and matters before the Fair Work Commission and other courts and tribunals;
• Strengthening IR capability across operational leadership and the broader People team;
• Establishing consistent governance, risk management and workplace relations practices nationally;
• Providing employment law advice and managing employment-related litigation.

We are seeking an experienced industrial relations leader who combines deep technical expertise with commercial judgement and a practical, solutions-focused approach.

You will bring:

• Extensive industrial relations leadership experience gained within a complex, highly unionised operational environment;
• A strong record of leading enterprise bargaining, union negotiations and significant industrial disputes;
• Experience working with a large, distributed and predominantly blue-collar workforce;
• The credibility to influence executives, operational leaders, unions and employees;
• Strong people leadership and the ability to operate both strategically and hands-on;
• Legal qualifications and a current Australian practising certificate, are a must;
• Ideally, experience within transport, logistics, rail, aviation, infrastructure, manufacturing, resources, energy, utilities or another industrial services environment.

This opportunity may suit an established Head of Industrial Relations or Workplace Relations, or an experienced senior industrial relations leader ready to step into a broader GM mandate. The role can be based in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, with a strong preference for Melbourne.