HR Business Partner - Growth & Intergration

The Next Step Recruitment Company; Geelong; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Next Step Recruitment Company in Geelong, VIC, seeks an experienced HR Business Partner to support post-acquisition integration, governance, and workforce compliance across multiple businesses. You will partner with acquisition and operational leaders to provide strategic people support while ensuring alignment to group standards.

You will operate in a high-growth, complex environment, guiding leaders through change, while leveraging data and modern awards knowledge to drive workforce

Qualifications

• Strong HR Business Partnering or Senior HR Advisory experience within complex, multi-site organisations.
• Experience interpreting and applying complex modern awards, with SCHADS Award emphasis.
• Experience supporting acquisitions, integration activity, transformation or growth initiatives.
• Strong employee and industrial relations capability, including investigations, grievances and performance matters.
• Data-led and technology-focused approach, using HRIS and automation to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing capability, without direct authority.
• Comfort operating in fast-paced, evolving and ambiguous environments.
• Play a key role in significant acquisition and growth journeys.
• Influence people outcomes across multiple businesses nationally.
• Work closely with senior leaders on strategic initiatives.
• Join a values-led organisation making a meaningful impact in the care sector.
• Broad exposure across integration, change, culture, workforce strategy and governance.

Responsibilities

• Leading people-related acquisition and integration activities
• Workforce compliance, awards, contracts and governance alignment
• HRIS, employee data and payroll transition projects
• Change management and stakeholder engagement
• Identifying organisational capability risks and opportunities
• Oversight of employee relations frameworks, investigations and grievances
• Culture, retention and engagement initiatives
• Workforce reporting and people insights
• Supporting leaders through organisational growth and transformation

Skills

HRBP experience

SCHADS Award knowledge

Acquisition integration

IR/employee relations

Data-driven HR tech

Project management

Stakeholder management

Fast-paced environment

Acquisition growth leadership

Cross-business influence

Strategic workforce planning

Culture & governance

Tools

HRIS

Payroll systems

Job description

HR Business Partner - Growth & Integration

The Next Step Recruitment Company – Geelong VIC

Most HR Business Partner roles focus on supporting the business - This one helps build it.

We're partnering with a fast-growing, purpose-led organisation in the community sector that is undertaking an ambitious acquisition strategy, with plans to welcome multiple new businesses into the group each year. As growth accelerates, they are seeking an experienced HR professional who can help integrate newly acquired organisations, establish consistent people standards, and provide trusted guidance during periods of significant change.

This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys building while scaling, thrives in complexity, and is energised by the challenge of bringing people, systems and cultures together.

About the role

Working within a high-performing corporate People & Culture team, you'll partner closely with acquisition, transition and operational leaders to support newly acquired businesses through post-acquisition integration. This is not a traditional operational HRBP role. The acquired businesses retain ownership of their day-to-day people management activities. Your focus is to provide governance, guidance, workforce compliance oversight and strategic people support, ensuring alignment to group standards while helping leaders navigate change successfully. With acquisitions ranging from 50 to 500 employees and new opportunities emerging regularly, no two months will look the same.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading people-related acquisition and integration activities


• Workforce compliance, awards, contracts and governance alignment


• HRIS, employee data and payroll transition projects


• Change management and stakeholder engagement


• Identifying organisational capability risks and opportunities


• Oversight of employee relations frameworks, investigations and grievances


• Culture, retention and engagement initiatives


• Workforce reporting and people insights


• Supporting leaders through organisational growth and transformation

About you

You will be a commercially minded HR professional who enjoys working in environments where priorities shift, timelines move quickly and solutions need to be practical. You will have experience in operated in complex, highly regulated workforce environments and can confidently navigate modern awards, workforce compliance and employee relations risk.

You'll bring:

• Strong HR Business Partnering or Senior HR Advisory experience within complex, multi-site organisations


• Demonstrated experience interpreting and applying complex modern awards, with particular interest in candidates who have worked extensively with the SCHADS Award


• Experience supporting organisational change, acquisitions, integration activity, transformation or growth initiatives


• Strong employee and industrial relations capability, including investigations, grievances and performance matters


• A data-led and technology-focused approach, using systems and automation to improve efficiency and scalability


• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities


• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing capability, particularly where outcomes must be achieved without direct authority


• The confidence to operate in an environment that is fast paced, evolving and often ambiguous


• Play a key role in a significant acquisition and growth journey


• Influence people outcomes across multiple businesses nationally


• Work closely with senior leaders on strategic initiatives


• Join a values-led organisation making a meaningful impact in the care sector


• Broad exposure across integration, change, culture, workforce strategy and governanceGenuine opportunity to shape how a growing organisation scales

This role will suit someone who is entrepreneurial, adaptable and enjoys creating order from complexity. If you're looking for a highly visible HR opportunity where your work directly influences organisational growth and long-term success,

Additional information

• Drive people integration for a significant acquisition pipeline


• Partner with senior leaders on complex workforce and change initiatives


• Geelong hybrid role | National impact