HR Advisor

Work Initiatives; Ballarat; On-site; AUD 144,000 - 176,000; Full time

Job summary

Work Initiatives in Ballarat is seeking an experienced HR Advisor to support our on-site operations in a blue-collar, unionised environment. You will partner with operational leaders, frontline managers, and staff to provide practical HR guidance across employee relations, performance management, and workforce change.

Reporting to the HR Business Partnering Lead, you will lead investigations, provide policy advice, coach leaders, and contribute to workforce reporting to enable informed business

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business, or related discipline.
• Proven experience as an HR Advisor or HR Business Partner in a complex operational environment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leaders to provide day-to-day HR guidance and support.
• Coach leaders through performance management, including PIPs and development discussions.
• Support employee relations matters including investigations, grievances, and disciplinary processes.
• Advise on employment legislation, awards, contracts, policies, and procedures.
• Assist with industrial relations activities, including union engagement and issue resolution.
• Build manager capability through HR training and guidance on HR processes and obligations.
• Support site communication initiatives to improve engagement across the workforce.
• Contribute to HR change management activities and HR projects with workforce impact.
• Assist with annual performance management cycles and succession planning.
• Provide workforce reporting and HR insights to support decision-making.

Skills

Employee relations

Performance management

Industrial relations

Coaching leaders

Workforce engagement

Change management

HR reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources

Job description

HR Advisor | Ballarat 12 Month Fixed Term Contract An exciting opportunity has become available for an experienced HR Advisor to join a leading global organisation supporting their Ballarat operations.

This is a hands-on site-based HR role supporting a complex industrial workforce. You will partner closely with operational leaders, frontline managers, and employees, providing practical HR advice across employee relations, industrial relations, performance management, workforce engagement, and organisational change. The successful candidate will come from an operational environment such as manufacturing, engineering, rail, defence, heavy industry, utilities, or a similar industrial setting.

You will understand the realities of supporting a blue-collar workforce, working alongside frontline leaders, navigating employee relations matters, and building strong relationships within a unionised environment. Reporting to the HR Business Partnering Lead, you will play a key role in supporting the Ballarat site by delivering practical, commercially focused HR solutions and helping leaders confidently manage their people responsibilities. Key responsibilities include:

Partner with leaders, supervisors, and managers to provide advice and guidance on day-to-day people matters

Coach leaders through performance management processes, including performance improvement plans, difficult conversations, and employee development discussions

Support employee relations matters including investigations, grievances, disciplinary processes, and workplace issues

Provide advice on employment legislation, enterprise agreements, awards, contracts, policies, and procedures

Support industrial relations activities, including union engagement, consultation, and resolution of workplace matters

Build manager capability through coaching, training, and guidance on HR processes, employment obligations, and respectful workplace practices

Support site communication initiatives to improve engagement and information flow across the workforce

Assist with change management activities and HR projects with consideration of workforce impacts

Support the annual performance management cycle including reviews, objective setting, remuneration processes, and succession planning

Provide workforce reporting and HR insights to support business decisions and workforce planning

Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across HR practices and processesAbout you:Tertiary qualified in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business, or a related discipline

Proven experience as a HR Advisor or HR Business Partner within a manufacturing, engineering, rail, defence, heavy industry, utilities, or similarly complex operational environment

Strong understanding of industrial relations principles and experience supporting unionised workforces

Demonstrated experience managing employee relations matters and providing practical advice to leaders

Confident coaching frontline leaders and managers through people-related challenges

Strong knowledge of employment legislation, awards, enterprise agreements, and workplace policies

Able to build trusted relationships across all levels of an organisation

Comfortable working in a fast-paced, hands-on environment where priorities can change quickly

Strong communication, influencing, and negotiation skillsThis opportunity will suit an HR professional who enjoys being close to operations, understands the complexities of industrial environments, and can provide pragmatic HR support that balances employee needs with business objectives.Salary: $160,000 + Superannuation + 10% STIContract: 12 Month Fixed Term Contract#SCR-niamh-proctor