HR Manager

McGrathNicol Partnership; Sydney; On-site; AUD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Parental leave 26 wks

Annual bonus

Training & development

Personal mentorship

Additional leave options

Employee assistance

Wellbeing programs

Community engagement

Job summary

McGrathNicol is seeking an experienced HR generalist to join our Sydney-based People Team on a 12-month fixed-term contract, with potential for extension or permanency. Reporting to the Head of Talent and Performance, this role offers broad exposure across the employee lifecycle and close partnership with Partners and staff.

You will handle employee relations, performance and reward, talent management, and day-to-day HR operations, while coaching junior team members and supporting cross-office

Qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in Human Resources or related field.
• Strong HR generalist and business partnering experience.
• Proven ability to manage employee relations independently.
• Experience with performance, remuneration and reward processes.
• Experience using HRIS and interpreting people data.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and commercial judgement.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Collaborative and proactive approach across People function.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Partners and Managers to provide HR advice across ER, performance, policies, talent, remuneration and broader people matters.
• Manage employee relations matters with appropriate processes and documentation.
• Support day-to-day HR operations and People calendar activities.
• Provide guidance and coaching to junior People Team members.
• Collaborate with People Team on talent, recruitment and initiatives.
• Build relationships with stakeholders across Australian offices.

Skills

HR generalist

Business partnering

Employee relations

Performance management

Remuneration & reward

HRIS data insights

Stakeholder management

Organisational skills

Education

Tertiary qualification in HR

Bachelor degree in HR/Business

Tools

HRIS systems

MS Office

Job description

Division: Practice Services

Department: HR

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract

Application Closing Date: 23 November 2026

About Us

McGrathNicol is a specialist Advisory and Restructuring firm, helping businesses improve performance, manage risk, and achieve stability and growth. Guided by our values of Understanding, Commitment, and Impact, we are high-performing, client-focused, and proud of our collegiate culture. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to attracting and retaining exceptional talent.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced HR generalist to join our Sydney-based People Team on a 12-month fixed-term contract, with the potential for the role to be extended or become permanent. Reporting to the Head of Talent and Performance, this is an excellent opportunity for a proactive and commercially minded HR professional to take on a broad and varied role within a leading professional services firm.

You will partner with our Partners and employees across our six Australian offices, providing practical advice and support across the employee lifecycle. With exposure to employee relations, performance and reward, talent management and broader people initiatives, this role would suit someone who enjoys combining hands-on HR delivery with trusted business partnering.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with Partners and Managers to provide practical and commercially focused advice across employee relations, performance management, workplace policies, talent management, remuneration and broader people matters.
• Manage employee relations matters, providing considered and timely advice while ensuring appropriate processes and documentation are followed.
• Support the effective delivery of day-to-day HR operations and key activities across the annual People calendar.
• Provide guidance, coaching and support to junior members of the People Team.
• Work collaboratively with the broader People Team on talent, recruitment and employee initiatives and projects aligned with the firm's people strategy.
• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across our Australian offices, providing responsive and pragmatic HR support.

About You

• A tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Business, Psychology or a related discipline.
• Strong HR generalist and business partnering experience, ideally gained within professional services or a similarly fast-paced corporate environment.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing employee relations and performance matters and providing advice to senior stakeholders.
• Experience supporting performance, remuneration and reward processes.
• Experience using HRIS platforms and people data to generate insights and support decision-making.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with the confidence to work effectively with senior stakeholders.
• Sound commercial judgement and the ability to provide practical, balanced and solutions-focused HR advice.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• A collaborative, proactive and hands-on approach, with a willingness to contribute across the broader People function.

Why Join Us

At McGrathNicol, you’ll thrive in a dynamic and empowering environment where your expertise drives real impact in a social and inclusive team environment. We support flexible ways of working and focus on outcomes, collaboration and client service.

• a competitive annual bonus program
• exceptional training and career development opportunities
• personalised mentorship
• 26 weeks parental leave
• additional leave options
• employee assistance
• health and wellbeing programs
• opportunities for social and community engagement

Join us and be part of a team that values your contributions and supports your success.