Manager, People Services and Recruitment

NSW Department of Communities and Justice; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 139,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Working

Professional Growth

Wellbeing Programme

Job summary

Legal Aid NSW seeks a Monday-to-Friday Manager, People Services and Recruitment to lead the frontline HR service and Talent Acquisition functions. You will shape a simpler, modern HR service experience, oversee high-volume HR enquiry management, onboarding and establishment support, and drive continuous improvement across workflows and data-driven decisions.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team, set service standards, and ensure effective recruitment delivery aligned with workforce priorities.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading HR service delivery, HR operations, recruitment or Talent Acquisition in a complex, high-volume environment.
• Ability to connect process, systems, people and customer experience.
• Uses data and operational insight to challenge how work is done and improve performance.
• Leads through change while maintaining service continuity and confidence.
• Sets clear expectations and builds capability, accountability and service discipline.
• Works across business partnering and specialist HR teams to deliver integrated services.
• Undertakes relevant pre-employment checks such as Criminal Record Check, and Conduct Service Check.
• Relevant experience in recruitment, human resources or workforce services.
• Willingness to travel to regional and metropolitan offices as required.
• Hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing roles) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary roles).

Responsibilities

• Lead the frontline People & Culture service and recruitment function.
• Help shape a simpler, more modern HR service experience.
• Build the systems, service standards and team capability to support our next phase.
• Oversee high-volume HR enquiry management, recruitment delivery, onboarding and establishment support.
• Establish service standards, workflows, escalation pathways and operational discipline.
• Oversee portfolio-aligned recruitment delivery, hiring manager support and candidate management.
• Use service data and recruitment metrics to improve performance and reduce friction.
• Strengthen digital enablement and self-service; improve knowledge management and systems.

Skills

HR service delivery

Recruitment

People & Culture

Team leadership

Data-driven decision making

Change management

Stakeholder management

Pre-employment checks

Mobility & travel readiness

Job description

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Manager, People Services and Recruitment

Location

Sydney, NSW, AU, 2000

Manager, People Services and Recruitment

• Lead the frontline People & Culture service and recruitment function
• Help shape a simpler, more modern HR service experience
• Build the systems, service standards and team capability that support our next phase

This is a full-time ongoing Manager, People Services and Recruitment role at Clerk Grade 11/12, with a minimum salary of $154,231.00 negotiable on experience plus superannuation. The role is based in Sydney, with flexible ways of working supported.

What it’s like to work at Legal Aid NSW

Recruiting people who help deliver access to justice

Every person we recruit contributes in some way to Legal Aid NSW delivering access to justice. We recruit across a large and diverse organisation, including frontline legal services, corporate functions, specialist professions and regional locations across NSW.

That makes Talent Acquisition here varied, challenging and important.

We are modernising People & Culture

Legal Aid NSW is modernising how People & Culture works. We are building a more connected and responsive service model, using better technology, clearer service pathways and stronger insights to make HR simpler, more consistent and easier to access for employees and leaders.

Talent Acquisition is an important part of that change. We are building a more portfolio‑aligned recruitment model with strong hiring manager support, better candidate management, smarter use of internal mobility and talent pools, and more consistent recruitment data and processes.

Why this role matters

The function brings together frontline HR service delivery and Talent Acquisition, creating a more connected experience from recruitment and commencement through to ongoing employee support.

As Manager, you will lead the function and establish the service standards, workflows, escalation pathways and operational discipline that underpin it. You will be accountable for high‑volume HR enquiry management, recruitment delivery, onboarding and establishment support, operational governance, digital enablement and continuous improvement.

What this role is like day to day

You will lead a multidisciplinary team across People Services and Talent Acquisition.

Some days will be focused on recruitment demand, service performance and workload priorities.

Other days will involve solving a process problem, improving how work moves across teams, reviewing service data, strengthening a digital pathway or working with senior People & Culture colleagues on a complex workforce issue.

This is a role for someone who likes building better services, not simply maintaining existing ones.

What you’ll be trusted to do

• Lead People Services and Recruitment to deliver consistent, high-quality HR service delivery, recruitment, onboarding and establishment support across Legal Aid NSW
• Set service standards and establish clear triage, workflow, quality assurance and escalation arrangements
• Oversee portfolio‑aligned recruitment delivery, hiring manager support, candidate management, selection governance and recruitment compliance
• Use service data, recruitment metrics and customer feedback to improve performance, identify risk and remove friction
• Strengthen digital enablement, self‑service, knowledge management and system improvements
• Connect frontline services with Senior People Partners and specialist People & Culture teams so operational delivery supports workforce priorities
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team, building capability, accountability, service discipline and a strong customer‑focused culture

You’ll succeed in this role if you…

You enjoy building better services and understand that strong HR operations depend on clear standards, good judgement and a strong customer experience.

You are likely someone who:

• has extensive experience leading HR service delivery, HR operations, recruitment or Talent Acquisition in a complex, high‑volume environment
• can see the connection between process, systems, people and customer experience
• uses data and operational insight to challenge how work is done and improve performance
• can lead through change while maintaining service continuity and confidence
• sets clear expectations and builds capability, accountability and service discipline
• is comfortable working across business partnering and specialist HR teams to deliver integrated services
• Undertake relevant pre‑employment checks such as Criminal Record Check, and Conduct Service Check.
• Relevant experience in recruitment, human resources or workforce services.
• Willingness to travel to regional and metropolitan offices as required.
• Hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency(for ongoing roles) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary roles)

We may use this recruitment to create a Talent Pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months.

You Belong Here

Here, every role has purpose.

Whether you’re delivering frontline legal services or strengthening our organisation from behind the scenes, you’ll help create fairer outcomes for the people across NSW.

We’re building a workplace where every culture, identity, ability and voice are included and valued. We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with visible and invisible disability, culturally diverse communities, and LGBTQI+ communities so you can connect and flourish at every stage of career.

You will be part of a diverse and inclusive organisation, working alongside like‑minded and values driven people dedicated to justice, community impact, and delivering exceptional support and service through cross collaboration.

Benefits of working at Legal Aid NSW

As an employee of Legal Aid NSW, you will have access to and enjoy a variety of support and benefits so you can thrive professionally and personally. You’ll love our:

• Flexible Working – we are a Flex Ready certified and Carers and Employers accredited organisation. We are leading the way in offering a variety of flexible working options to uniquely support your unique work life balance.
• Professional Growth – as the largest law firm in NSW we offer a variety of opportunities to enhance your career at every stage, through regional graduate programs, Practical Legal Training and work placements, mentoring, training, and secondment opportunities.
• Work Health, Safety and Wellbeing – with dedicated programs, training, resources, and respectful work practices, our Wellbeing Framework ensures your physical, mental and psychosocial wellbeing matters, so you feel supported, safe and holistically well.

Closing Date: Monday 5th October 2026 at 11.59pm