P&C Manager | Lead ER, Performance & People Operations

Interpod Australia Pty Ltd; Gosford; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Interpod Australia Pty Ltd – Berkeley Vale NSW is seeking a Senior People & Culture Manager to own day-to-day HR and employee relations across the business. You will work directly with leaders in both office and manufacturing settings, providing practical HR judgement and enabling strong performance and engagement.

You will report to the Head of People & Culture and help shape a pragmatic, commercially minded P&C function that supports growth and people capability.

Qualifications

• Experienced senior operational HR/People & Culture professional.
• Strong knowledge of Australian employment legislation and Modern Awards.
• Experience handling disciplinary matters, performance management, workplace investigations and grievances.
• Experience in manufacturing/operational environments preferred.
• Ability to work independently with leaders and provide practical HR judgement.

Responsibilities

• Lead employee relations and industrial relations across the business.
• Manage performance, conduct and disciplinary processes.
• Handle workplace grievances, complaints and investigations.
• Coach managers through challenging people matters and complex issues.
• Interpret Fair Work Act, NES and Modern Awards.
• Oversee employment conditions, classifications, hours, leave and entitlements.
• Drive organisational change, consultation, redundancy and workforce matters.
• Coordinate return-to-work processes and attendance management.
• Support recruitment and talent pipelines in partnership with the P&C Coordinator.

Skills

Employee relations

Industrial relations

Performance management

Disciplinary processes

Workplace investigations

Australian employment law

Leadership coaching

HR systems

Job description

P&C Manager | Lead ER, Performance & People Operations

Interpod Australia Pty Ltd – Berkeley Vale NSW

Help us build a high-performing people function for a growing manufacturing business.

Interpod is growing, and with growth comes the need for strong people leadership, good judgement and solid HR foundations.

We’re looking for an experienced People & Culture Manager to join our team and take ownership of the day-to-day HR and employee relations function across the business.

This isn’t a role that sits behind a desk pushing policies.

You’ll be working directly with leaders across our office and manufacturing operations, helping them navigate real people issues, make good decisions, manage performance and build stronger teams.

Reporting to the Head of People & Culture, you’ll play an important role in building a P&C function that is practical, responsive, commercially minded and genuinely supports the business.

What you’ll own

You’ll be the senior operational HR lead across the business, with responsibility for:

• Employee relations and industrial relations
• Performance, conduct and disciplinary processes
• Workplace grievances, complaints and investigations
• Coaching managers through challenging people matters
• Fair Work Act, NES and Modern Award interpretation
• Employment conditions, classifications, hours, overtime, allowances and leave
• Organisational change, consultation, redundancy and workforce matters
• Return-to-work case management and coordination
• Attendance, absenteeism, workplace conflict and broader workforce issues
• Practical application of P&C policies and employment processes
• Identifying employment and people risks early and recommending solutions
• Leading and developing our P&C Coordinator

The role is deliberately structured so that you can focus on HR judgement, employee relations and supporting our leaders. Our P&C Coordinator will support recruitment, talent pipelines and employee lifecycle administration, backed by our HR systems.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll be an experienced HR/P&C professional who can operate independently and is comfortable with the conversations that come with a senior operational HR role.

You’ll bring strong knowledge of Australian employment legislation and Modern Awards, with demonstrated experience handling disciplinary matters, performance management, workplace investigations, grievances and complex employee relations issues.

Experience within manufacturing, construction, logistics or another operational environment would be highly regarded.

We’re looking for someone who is:

Practical. Commercial. Approachable. Calm under pressure. Comfortable challenging when needed.

You know when something needs a formal process and when a straightforward conversation will achieve a better outcome.

You can give a leader clear, practical advice rather than simply explaining what they can’t do.

And when something carries risk, you identify it early, explain it clearly and come with a recommended way forward.

What it’s like at Interpod

We work hard, we move quickly and we genuinely enjoy working together.

Our culture is built around five core values:

• Take ownership, no excuses – own the outcome, work together and get the job done.
• Create a positive team spirit – build each other up, have a laugh and deal with the tough conversations without losing sight of the team.
• Move with urgency – focus on what matters, act and follow things through.
• Be humble – put the team and business ahead of ego and stay open to feedback and improvement.
• Build with care and passion – care about the business, our product, our culture and the people around us.

They aren’t values that sit on a wall. We expect them to show up in how we make decisions, solve problems and work with each other every day.

We also put a lot of effort into keeping people connected to where the business is heading. We hold quarterly Town Halls to share what’s happening across Interpod, and each department participates in quarterly strategy sessions so teams understand the business priorities and how their own goals contribute.

Our leadership style is open and accessible, with leaders expected to stay close to their teams and communicate openly about what is working, what isn’t and where we’re heading.

And yes — Friday lunches are a thing. They’re a simple part of the week, but a good reflection of the culture: get together, have a feed, have a laugh and connect outside of the day-to-day.

Why this role?

Interpod is at a stage where there is plenty happening and plenty still to build.

We’re strengthening our P&C structure, introducing better systems and developing clearer frameworks around leadership, performance, capability and employee development.

You won’t be joining to maintain the status quo.

You’ll have the opportunity to influence how we manage our people, strengthen our leaders and help shape a high-performing P&C function as the business continues to grow.

If you’re an experienced P&C professional who enjoys being close to the business, solving problems and helping leaders become better people leaders, we’d love to hear from you.