People & Culture Manager

Darwin Turf Club; Darwin; On-site; AUD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Turf Club and Silks Darwin operate across racing, hospitality, gaming and events. Darwin Turf Club is seeking a People & Culture Manager to lead the people function across both venues and work directly with the CEO and executive team to build a capable permanent, casual and seasonal workforce.

You will drive recruitment, onboarding, performance support, investigations and advisory services on awards and legislation, while ensuring workforce planning aligns with busy periods like the

Qualifications

• At least five years' broad HR or People & Culture experience.
• Strong employee relations experience and confident advising managers.
• Sound knowledge of Australian employment law and modern awards.
• Experience recruiting and supporting casual, seasonal, hospitality, events or operational workforce.
• Experience managing performance, investigations and sensitive workplace matters.
• Excellent communication, coaching and conflict-resolution skills.
• Good judgement and ability to handle confidential matters professionally.
• Strong organisation and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience using HR systems; Employment Hero is a plus.
• A relevant qualification is well regarded, but substantial practical experience matters more.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce planning and recruitment across permanent, casual and seasonal roles.
• Oversee onboarding, contracts and induction processes.
• Support managers with performance, probation, and employee relations matters.
• Manage workplace investigations and disciplinary processes.
• Provide practical advice on awards, legislation, classifications and entitlements.
• Collaborate with Finance on rostering and payroll-related risks.
• Maintain and improve people policies and records.
• Coordinate training including RSA, RSG and role-specific requirements.
• Oversee workers' compensation and return-to-work processes.
• Provide workforce reporting and strategic input to CEO and Exec Team.

Skills

Employee relations

Recruitment

Performance management

HR systems

Communication

Coaching

Confidentiality

Organisation

Negotiation

Conflict resolution

Education

HR/Business/Management degree

Tools

Employment Hero

Job description

Lead the people function across two of Darwin's most recognisable racing, hospitality and entertainment venues.

Darwin Turf Club and Silks Darwin operate across a diverse and fast-paced environment incorporating racing, hospitality, gaming, events and venue operations.

We are looking for an experienced People & Culture Manager to join our Executive Management Team and take responsibility for the people function across both businesses.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who enjoys working closely with managers and employees, can navigate complex people matters with sound judgement, and understands that good HR needs to work in the real world of an operational business.

You will work directly with the CEO and operational leaders to help build a capable permanent, casual and seasonal workforce, strengthen our employment practices and ensure we are ready for our busiest periods, particularly the Darwin Cup Carnival.

What you will be doing

• Workforce planning and recruitment across permanent, casual and seasonal roles
• Managing recruitment, employment contracts, onboarding and induction
• Supporting managers with performance, probation, conduct and employee relations matters
• Managing workplace investigations, disciplinary processes and other sensitive employment matters
• Providing practical advice on modern awards, employment legislation, classifications and employee entitlements
• Working with Finance and managers to manage rostering, time-recording and payroll‑related employment risks
• Maintaining and improving our people policies, procedures and employment records
• Overseeing the effective use of Employment Hero
• Coordinating training and competency requirements, including RSA, RSG and other role‑specific requirements
• Managing workers compensation and supporting injury management and return‑to‑work processes
• Supporting workforce development, succession planning, organisational change and remuneration reviews
• Providing clear workforce reporting and advice to the CEO and Executive Management Team
• Leading workforce planning and preparation for the Darwin Cup Carnival and other major events.

What we are looking for

We are looking for someone with broad, practical HR experience who is comfortable moving between strategic workforce matters and the everyday issues that come with running a busy operational workforce.

You will ideally bring:

• At least five years' broad HR or People & Culture experience
• Strong employee relations experience and confidence advising managers
• Sound working knowledge of Australian employment law and modern awards
• Experience recruiting and supporting a significant casual, seasonal, hospitality, events or operational workforce
• Experience managing performance, investigations and sensitive workplace matters
• Strong communication, coaching, negotiation and conflict‑resolution skills
• Good judgement and the ability to deal with confidential matters professionally and fairly
• Strong organisation and the ability to manage competing priorities
• Confidence working with HR systems and workforce information.
• A qualification in Human Resources, Business, Management or a related field would be well regarded, but substantial practical experience is equally important to us.
• Experience in racing, hospitality, licensed venues, gaming or major events would be an advantage, as would experience using Employment Hero.

The environment

This isn't a Monday‑to‑Friday HR role disconnected from the operation.

Our workforce changes considerably throughout the year and builds towards major race meetings and the Darwin Cup Carnival. You will need to understand the operation, spend time with managers and employees, and be visible when the business needs you.

The role is based in Darwin and will involve attendance at selected race meetings and major events, including some evenings and weekends. There will be increased demands around the Carnival period, with working arrangements and time off planned with the CEO.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of the people function across two established Darwin businesses and have a genuine influence on how we recruit, develop, support and retain our people.

You will work directly with the CEO and Executive Management Team while remaining close to the operational workforce and the people who deliver our racing, hospitality and entertainment experiences.

If you are an experienced People & Culture professional who enjoys being part of the operation, solving problems and helping managers build strong teams, we would like to hear from you.