People and Culture Business Partner

Southern Cross University; Lismore; On-site; AUD 124,000 - 137,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Cross University invites you to join the People and Culture team as a People and Culture Business Partner, shaping a positive, high-performing workplace in a values-led organisation. You will partner with senior leaders to translate priorities into people strategies and foster capability, performance and culture.

In this collaborative role you will strengthen leadership capability, manage change, and ensure fair outcomes across workplace relations, policy, and projects aligned to the

Qualifications

• Degree in HR or related field required.
• Experience in employee relations and organisational change.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and coaching skills.
• Experience using HR data for workforce planning.

Responsibilities

• Providing strategic advice to senior leaders and translating priorities into people strategies.
• Supporting workforce planning and organisational design using data to anticipate needs.
• Partnering with leaders on end-to-end change strategy and coaching.
• Handling employee relations with fairness and identifying trends for policy.
• Shaping university-wide People and Culture initiatives aligned to long-term strategy.

Skills

Strategic thinking

People partner

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Employee relations

Workforce planning

Data-driven decisions

Coaching leaders

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Job description

• Shape people strategy and influence meaningful change across the University
• Partner with leaders to build capability, culture, and performance
• Deliver high impact people solutions in a complex, dynamic environment

Be Bold. Belong. Be More.

At Southern Cross University, we do things differently, and so can you.

A career with us is more than you might expect. Yes, it’s about the heart, connectedness and community you’d hope for in a regional university. But there’s also so much more. Our game changing Southern Cross Model brings a deeper, focused learning experience and our research is deeply connected to our regions, making a difference on a global scale. This is your chance to help us build something new and meaningful for our students, our communities and your career. To drive change, make a real impact, and thrive in a place as unique as you.

You can be good anywhere. Here, you can be great.

Your opportunity

Join the People and Culture team at Southern Cross University and play a key role in shaping a positive, high-performing workplace in a values-led organisation where we strive to Be Bold. Belong. and Be More.

As a People and Culture Business Partner, you will be a trusted strategic partner to senior leaders across a diverse client portfolio, using insights and evidence to shape workforce, capability and culture outcomes. This role offers the opportunity to build trusted relationships, influence change, and contribute to initiatives that support the University’s long term strategic goals.

In this highly collaborative role, you will work across People and Culture and the broader University, bringing sound judgement, empathy, and practical solutions to complex people matters. You’ll play a key role in strengthening leadership capability, navigating change, and fostering a workplace where people feel supported to do their best work.

You will make an impact by:

• Providing strategic advice to senior academic and professional leaders, translating faculty and portfolio priorities into people strategies that build capability, performance and culture
• Supporting workforce planning and organisational design, using workforce data and insights to anticipate future capability needs and inform decisions on structure, resourcing, succession and talent
• Partnering with leaders on organisational change end to end, advising on change strategy, consultation and Enterprise Agreement obligations, and coaching leaders to build capability and bring their people with them
• Bringing an enterprise view to complex employee relations matters, delivering fair and consistent outcomes while identifying trends and risks that inform prevention, policy and leadership development
• Shaping University-wide People and Culture initiatives, including policy, process improvement and projects responding to regulatory and sector change, aligned to the University's long-term strategy

What you will bring

You’re an experienced HR professional with a strong business partnering mindset and a genuine passion for building inclusive, high-performing workplaces. You are confident operating at both strategic and operational levels, and you bring a coaching approach that builds leaders’ confidence and capability, together with a calm, practical and solutions-focused style.

To succeed in this role, you will also need:

• A relevant degree in HR or related field, with ideally 4+ years of experience in an HR or Business Partnering role, within a complex or multi-stakeholder environment
• Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, performance management, and organisational change, with the confidence to handle sensitive and complex matters
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence, coach, and build trusted relationships with leaders at all levels
• Experience using HR data and insights to inform workforce planning, decision making, and continuous improvement
• Sound knowledge of workplace legislation, industrial frameworks, equity, and WHS principles, applied with fairness and integrity

Why Southern Cross University

SCU is proudly a regional university, young, small and vibrant. That means you’ll find more exposure, opportunity and ownership - to grow, achieve and build a career that means more. And you’ll do it alongside passionate people and leaders who go the extra mile to help you succeed.A career with us is about more than just work. It’s about place, community and the life you want to live. With three main campuses at the Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour and the Northern Rivers region of NSW, we’re integral to all these wonderful communities. Find your place and be more in this beautiful part of the world.

Your opportunity is:

• Full-time, Continuing (Permanent)
• Located at either Gold Coast, QLD 4225, or Lismore, NSW 2480.
• HEW Level 8. The base salary ranges from $124,379 - $137,149 per annum, plus 17% employer’s contribution to superannuation. The total remuneration package is up to $160,464.

You will enjoy a range of perks designed to support your wellbeing, growth and work-life balance. For more information on our benefits and what it’s like to work at SCU, visit Why work at Southern Cross University?

Be more with Southern Cross University today

Southern Cross University values potential as much as experience. If you do not meet all the listed requirements but are excited about the role and confident you can contribute, we encourage you to apply or reach out for more information.

Eligible applicants must have Australian or New Zealand citizenship, Australian permanent residency or current working rights in Australia for the entire duration of the appointment. Employer visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Southern Cross University celebrates the rich diversity of our regions and international community. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and values people of all backgrounds. We encourage applications from people of all genders, ethnicities, ages, languages, sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. We are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process to ensure every candidate can fully participate.For any support through the recruitment process reach out to ****@scu.edu.au.