People & Workforce Development Manager

Country Connect; Northern Territory; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

External mentoring

Job summary

Country Connect Foundation is seeking a People & Workforce Development Manager to shape and support the staff behind our remote-first services across the Northern Territory. This hands-on role focuses on building teams, developing leaders and strengthening First Nations employment pathways.

You’ll work with managers, staff and communities to grow people, navigate complex environments and align capability with NDIS standards, while staying grounded in remote service delivery.

Qualifications

• Experience leading workforce development or organisational development initiatives.
• Ability to build trust and work in complex environments.
• Experience working with or alongside First Nations communities.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead workforce development strategies across remote communities.
• Design training, leadership and capability pathways.
• Ensure staff skills align with NDIS and industry requirements.
• Coach and support managers in leading their teams.
• Lead initiatives that support staff wellbeing in high-pressure environments.

Skills

People leadership

Workforce development

First Nations engagement

NDIS compliance

Stakeholder management

Job description

Country Connect Foundation is a First Nations-led organisation delivering wellbeing, youth, homelessness and disability services across remote Northern Territory communities.

We work differently.

Our approach is place-based, community-led and grounded in relationships, with a strong focus on building local workforce capability and long-term outcomes.

We are now looking for a People & Workforce Development Manager to help shape and support the people behind this work.

This is a newly established role, created in response to the organisation’s continued growth and following clear direction from our Board, who have identified our people and workforce capability as a priority focus area within our developing three-year strategy. Strengthening this function is critical to sustaining our impact and supporting our future direction.

The role has strong potential to evolve into an executive leadership position; however, in the initial phase, we are seeking someone who is hands‑on and able to support day‑to‑day delivery.

About the role

This is not a traditional HR role.

This is a highly relational, people-first leadership role focused on:

• supporting staff in complex environments
• building strong, culturally grounded teams
• developing leaders across the organisation
• strengthening First Nations employment pathways

You’ll work directly with managers, staff and communities - helping people grow, stay, and succeed in their roles.

You’ll also play a key role in ensuring our workforce capability aligns with NDIS Practice Standards and sector expectations, while staying grounded in the realities of remote service delivery.

You will sit in a dedicated People & Workforce function reporting to the CEO, working alongside a separate People Operations & Compliance function that manages systems, payroll and compliance.

What you’lll be doing

• Build and lead workforce development strategies across remote communities
• Design training, leadership and capability pathways
• Ensure staff skills align with NDIS and industry requirements
• Supporting people & leaders
• Coach and support managers in leading their teams
• Help navigate workforce challenges, performance and team dynamics
• Strengthen leadership capability across the organisation
• Staff wellbeing & sustainability
• Lead initiatives that support staff wellbeing in high-pressure environments
• Identify and respond to psychosocial risks like burnout, trauma and isolation
• Help create safe, supportive and sustainable workplaces
• First Nations workforce pathways
• Grow local employment, traineeships and leadership pathways
• Build strong relationships with communities and local stakeholders
• Support First Nations staff to step into leadership roles
• Workforce advocacy
• Support staff navigating systems such as clearances and regulatory processes
• Work constructively with regulators where needed
• Ensure capable local people are supported into meaningful employment

What we’re looking for

We welcome applicants with diverse experience and backgrounds, and value practical capability and approach to work over formal titles and qualifications.

You will bring:

• Strong experience in people leadership, workforce development or organisational development
• The ability to build trust quickly and work alongside people in complex environments
• Experience working with or alongside First Nations communities
• A grounded, calm and practical approach to problem solving
• The ability to balance support and accountability
• An understanding of (or ability to quickly learn) NDIS workforce requirements
• Most importantly - you are people-focused, values-driven and comfortable working where things aren’t always neat or straightforward.

Why join Country Connect

• Be part of a First Nations-led organisation doing meaningful work
• Help shape a workforce model that is different from traditional systems
• Work in a role that is relational, impactful and connected to community
• Opportunity to build and lead a function as the organisation grows
• Salary packaging options available
• Formal external mentoring provided

Additional requirements (or ability to obtain)

• Ochre Card (Working with Children Clearance)
• NDIS Worker Screening Clearance
• National Police Check
• Willingness to travel to remote communities