People & Culture Business Partner

St Andrew's Cathedral School; Sydney; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney seeks an experienced People and Culture Business Partner to drive workforce capability and organisational effectiveness within a values‑driven Anglican community.

Reporting to the Director of People and Culture, you will provide trusted guidance across the employee lifecycle, lead workforce planning, and support change initiatives to help staff flourish and leaders grow in a dynamic educational environment.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Employment Relations, Business or related discipline.
• Experience in a People and Culture Business Partner, Senior HR Generalist or similar role.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, IR and contemporary people practices.
• Experience managing employee relations matters including performance, grievances, investigations and workplace conflict.
• Proven ability to coach and influence leaders while building stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical and strategic people advice aligned with School priorities.
• Coach leaders to strengthen people leadership, accountability and engagement.
• Manage employee and industrial relations matters including performance, grievances, misconduct and investigations.
• Support workforce planning, organisational design and change initiatives.
• Guide on employment legislation, enterprise agreements and policies.
• Partner on recruitment, onboarding, talent development and retention.
• Analyse workforce data to identify trends and support decision-making.
• Improve People and Culture systems, frameworks and processes.
• Ensure integrity of employee records and payroll data.

Skills

People & Culture

Senior HR Generalist

Employee Relations

Strategic partnership

Workforce planning

Education

HR/IR/Business related degree

Tools

HRIS

Payroll systems

Job description

1d ago , from St Andrew's Cathedral School

St Andrew's Cathedral School is seeking an experienced and values-driven People and Culture Business Partner to help bring our vision to life through exceptional people leadership, workforce capability and organisational effectiveness.

This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished People and Culture professional to partner with leaders across the School, strengthen workplace culture and contribute to a community committed to helping every person know their infinite worth, develop their gifts and lead with purpose.

This is a permanent, 0.8 FTE role.

Located in the heart of Sydney's CBD, St Andrew's Cathedral School is a vibrant, future-focused Anglican school where people, relationships and learning are central to everything we do.

As we implement our ambitious Strategic Plan 2026-2035: Life-Giving Learning, we are seeking a People and Culture professional who is passionate about creating environments where staff flourish, leaders grow and organisational capability thrives.

The opportunity

Reporting to the Director of People and Culture, the People and Culture Business Partner plays a key role in supporting the School's strategic objective of empowering our people and building a culture of authentic relational Christian care.

Working closely with leaders across academic, operational and professional services teams, you will provide trusted advice and practical support across the employee lifecycle while helping shape a workplace where people are engaged, supported and equipped to do their best work.

You will partner with leaders to strengthen workforce capability, navigate employee and industrial relations matters, support organisational change, enhance employee experience and contribute to the continuous improvement of people systems, processes and practices.

This role offers the opportunity to influence meaningful outcomes across a broad and diverse workforce, helping deliver the School's vision through its people.

What makes this role different?

This is far more than a traditional HR Business Partner position.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Partner with leaders to build a culture of accountability, growth and high performance.
• Contribute directly to the implementation of the School's Strategic Plan and people priorities.
• Help create human-centred systems that enable staff to collaborate, communicate and thrive.
• Support leadership capability, workforce planning and organisational development initiatives.
• Foster healthy, restorative workplace relationships aligned with the School's values.
• Contribute to employee wellbeing, engagement and positive workplace culture.
• Support contemporary people practices that attract, develop and retain exceptional staff.
• Use workforce insights and data to inform strategic decision-making.
• Lead and contribute to People and Culture projects that improve organisational effectiveness.
• Work in a purpose-driven educational environment where your impact extends beyond the workplace to the lives of young people.
• Foster a vibrant Christian learning community where staff flourish.

Key Responsibilities

As the People and Culture Business Partner, you will:

• Partner with leaders to provide practical and strategic people advice aligned with School priorities.
• Coach and support leaders to strengthen people leadership, accountability and employee engagement.
• Manage employee and industrial relations matters including performance, grievances, misconduct, investigations and workplace conflict.
• Support workforce planning, organisational design and change initiatives.
• Provide guidance on employment legislation, enterprise agreements and people policies.
• Partner with leaders on recruitment, onboarding, talent development and retention.
• Analyse workforce data and metrics to identify trends and support evidence-informed decision-making.
• Support the ongoing improvement of People and Culture systems, frameworks and processes.
• Ensure the integrity of employee records, workforce reporting and employment documentation.
• Support payroll administration and employee data management.
• Contribute to organisational projects that enhance workforce capability and operational effectiveness.
• Promote compliance with employment, child safety, workplace health and safety and other regulatory requirements.
• Actively contribute to the spiritual life of the School and the integration of faith and learning.

About You

You are a collaborative and capable People and Culture professional who enjoys building trusted relationships and helping leaders navigate complex people challenges.

You combine strong technical expertise with emotional intelligence, sound judgement and a genuine commitment to creating workplaces where people flourish.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Employment Relations, Business or a related discipline.
• Experience in a People and Culture Business Partner, Senior HR Generalist or similar role.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, industrial relations and contemporary people practices.
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations matters including performance, grievances, investigations and workplace conflict.
• Proven ability to coach and influence leaders while building strong stakeholder relationships.
• Experience across workforce planning, recruitment, leadership development, organisational change and employee engagement.
• Strong analytical capability and the ability to interpret workforce data and provide meaningful insights.
• Experience using HRIS, payroll and workforce management systems.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving and stakeholder engagement skills.
• High levels of professionalism, integrity, discretion and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Current Working With Children Check (WWCC).
• Experience in an independent school, Anglican school or faith-based organisation will be highly regarded, as will knowledge of the Independent Schools NSW industrial framework.

A distinctively Christian Learning Community

At St Andrew's Cathedral School, our belief that every person is made in the image of God shapes the way we work, learn and relate to one another.

Our Strategic Plan places significant emphasis on:

• Authentic Relational Christian Care
• Thriving Expert Teaching and Learning in Every Space
• Responsible Futuring

As a member of our People and Culture team, you will help cultivate a workplace where staff are recognised, supported and developed as experts in their craft, where healthy and restorative relationships flourish and where people are equipped to contribute to a hopeful and purposeful future.

Requirements

Current valid, paid NSW Working with Children Check or ability to obtain one

• Commitment to supporting and modelling the School's Christian ethos, vision and values.
• Understanding of child-safe practices and professional responsibilities
• Eligibility to work in Australia

Join Us

If you are a strategic and people-focused People & Culture professional who is passionate about culture, leadership, wellbeing and organisational capability, we would love to hear from you.

Join St Andrew's Cathedral School and help create a workplace where people flourish, leaders grow and every member of our community is empowered to make a meaningful difference.

A detailed position description, top RH corner, can be downloaded.

Interviews will commence as applications are received.

See here for further employment benefits at SACS:

https://www.sacs.nsw.edu.au/employment/

About our students

Our students are encouraged to think deeply, critically and creatively, act courageously, and engage meaningfully with the world around them, with hearts that love, minds that grow and lives that give . We seek to nurture young people who will not simply adapt to the future but help shape it for the better.

Child Safety

St Andrew's Cathedral School is a child safe organisation. Our School promotes the safety and wellbeing and inclusion of all students. In support of SACS' commitment to embedding child safety (Standard 1), we ensure that our staff are suitable for working with children and young people and that they are supported (Standard 5).

Staff are required to maintain a child safe culture, act in every child's best interest and to keep them safe from harm, in accordance with the School's policies and procedures (Standard 10) which reflect the Child Safe Standards.

It is a condition of employment that all new Staff at the School must sign a written statement or complete an electronic acknowledgement that they have read and understand our Child Safe Policy and the Child Safe Codes of Conduct prior to commencing at the School.

Prior to employment at the School, this position requires the successful applicant to have a valid, verified, paid Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

For more information on Working with Children Checks, please visit the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian website.

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