People & Culture Manager

The Arnott's Group; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Arnott's Group is seeking a People & Culture Manager at its Huntingwood manufacturing site in NSW. Reporting to the Head of People - Supply Chain, this role partners with the Plant Manager and Site Leadership Team to shape workforce strategy and drive cultural change.

You will manage industrial relations and enterprise agreement negotiations, lead a small HR team, and build leadership capability across a unionised workforce of around 450.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading HR, IR or ER initiatives.
• Experience negotiating Enterprise Agreements in unionised environments.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and shape workforce strategy.
• Strong stakeholder management and leadership across a site.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Plant Manager and Site Leadership Team to deliver people and business objectives.
• Lead complex employee and industrial relations matters.
• Support union engagement and Enterprise Agreement negotiations.
• Drive workforce planning and organisational effectiveness initiatives.
• Coach leaders to build people leadership capability.
• Lead culture, engagement and change programs.
• Provide strategic workforce advice to the site leadership.

Skills

Industrial Relations

Employee Relations

People & Culture

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's in HR/IR

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

People & Culture Manager

Department: People and Culture - ANZ

Location:

Huntingwood, NSW, Australia, 2148

Job Function: People and Culture - ANZ

About the Job

Are you an experienced Industrial Relations or Employee Relations leader looking to step into a broader People & Culture leadership role?

Or perhaps you're already a senior HR leader who thrives in complex operational environments where influencing business outcomes matters just as much as supporting people.

We're looking for a People & Culture Manager to join our Huntingwood manufacturing site. Reporting to the Head of People - Supply Chain, you'll partner closely with the Plant Manager and Site Leadership Team to shape workforce strategy, build leadership capability, drive cultural change and navigate a complex industrial relations landscape.

This is a highly visible role with genuine influence. You'll be expected to think strategically, challenge constructively, bring leaders together and help shape what the future workforce looks like over the coming years.

Based at Huntingwood, this role requires 4-5 days onsite per week.

About Huntingwood

Huntingwood is one of The Arnott's Group's largest manufacturing sites, employing approximately 450 team members across manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, quality, supply chain, finance, people and culture and site-based support functions.

The site has a highly unionised workforce, a large frontline employee population and a leadership team focused on driving performance, capability and long-term cultural change.

This is not an environment where you'll simply maintain the status quo. The opportunity is to influence how the site operates, strengthen leadership capability and help shape a workforce strategy that supports both business performance and employee success.

About the Team

You'll lead and develop one direct report, an HR Business Partner, while working closely with a broader network of People & Culture specialists across our North Strathfield Head Office, including Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, Learning & Development, Reward and People Operations.

This structure allows you to focus on strategic partnership with the business while drawing on the expertise and support of a well-established People & Culture function.

About You

You're a commercially minded People & Culture leader who is comfortable operating in complex, fast-paced and highly industrial environments.

An IR or ER Manager looking to broaden your experience into a full People & Culture leadership role

A Senior HR Business Partner supporting a unionised workforce

A People & Culture Manager within manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, FMCG or a similar operational environment

Most importantly, you know how to influence leaders, navigate ambiguity and focus on solving the root cause of issues rather than simply reacting to them.

What Your Days Look Like

Partnering with the Plant Manager and Site Leadership Team to deliver people and business objectives

Leading complex employee and industrial relations matters

Supporting union engagement and Enterprise Agreement negotiations

Driving workforce planning and organisational effectiveness initiatives

Coaching leaders to build people leadership capability

Leading culture, engagement and change programs

Providing strategic advice on workforce challenges and opportunities

Leading and developing the site's HR Business Partner

Working closely with the broader People & Culture team to deliver business outcomes

Using workforce insights and data to support decision-making

The Ingredients for Success

Significant experience in HR, People & Culture, Employee Relations or Industrial Relations leadership roles

Strong industrial and employee relations capability

Experience negotiating Enterprise Agreements within unionised environments

Proven ability to influence senior operational leaders

Experience leading organisational, workforce or cultural change

Experience operating as part of a Leadership Team

Manufacturing, FMCG, logistics, supply chain or other industrial sector experience

Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution

Strong stakeholder management and leadership skills

Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business or a related discipline

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to join a site at a pivotal point in its journey.

You'll have the chance to shape the people strategy for a workforce of approximately 450 employees, partner directly with the Plant Manager and leadership team, lead meaningful change and make a lasting impact on one of The Arnott's Group's most important manufacturing operations.

If you're looking for a role where you can combine strategic HR leadership, industrial expertise and genuine business influence, we'd love to hear from you.