Senior Employee Relations Manager

Ernst & Young Advisory Services Sdn Bhd; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Flexible work arrangements

Benefits package

Salary open to negotiation

Job summary

EY is seeking a Senior Employee Relations Manager to lead the Oceania ER team, overseeing case allocations, capacity, and key ER programs. This 12-month parental leave cover blends people leadership with technical ER expertise and alignment to firmwide Talent priorities.

The role is hybrid and can be performed from EY offices across Australia or New Zealand, with potential flexible hours. You’ll coach the team and drive quality and efficiency in complex ER matters.

Qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in employee relations or linked advisory roles.
• Leadership experience coaching and developing teams.
• Experience leading strategic ER initiatives and operational improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational effectiveness across Oceania ER, ensuring high-quality delivery of ER work.
• Provide people leadership across the ER Team, fostering psychological safety and collaboration.
• Oversee complex ER matters and initiatives, aligning with Talent and firm-wide strategy.

Skills

Employee relations

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

HR degree

Law degree

Psychology degree

Business degree

Job description

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go.

Join EY and help to build a better working world.

Senior Employee Relations Manager

The opportunity

As our Senior Employee Relations Manager (12 month Parental Leave coverage), you will play a key leadership role within the Oceania Employee Relations (ER) Team. You will drive operational excellence by overseeing case allocations, monitoring capacity, optimising workflow, and leading critical ER programs of work. This senior role blends people leadership, technical employee relations expertise, and strategic alignment to firmwide Talent priorities.

This is a hybrid position and can be performed from any of our EY offices across Australia or New Zealand. Our roles can potentially be adjusted to work flexibly with reduced hours. Please speak with us about potential options.

Your key responsibilities

• Lead operational effectiveness across Oceania ER, ensuring high-quality, consistent and efficient delivery of ER work—spanning case management, operational processes, and critical strategic projects.
• Provide people leadership across the ER Team, fostering a culture of psychological safety, collaboration, capability development, and shared accountability.
• Oversee complex ER matters and operational initiatives, ensuring alignment with Talent and firmwide strategy, while driving uplift in quality, capability, and team performance.

Skills and attributes for success

• Deep expertise in employee relations frameworks, risk management, and employment legislation across Australia and New Zealand.
• Strong communication, influencing, and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Ability to balance commerciality, best practice ER principles, and risk mitigation in a complex, fast‑paced environment.

Ideally, you’ll also have the skills and attributes below but don’t worry if you don’t tick all the boxes. We’re interested in your aptitude, attitude and willingness to learn.

• Graduate or postgraduate qualifications in Human Resources, Law, Psychology, Business or related fields.
• 10+ years’ experience in employee relations, including complex case management and stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including coaching, capability uplift and contributions to team culture.
• Experience leading strategic ER initiatives and delivering operational improvement programs.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with senior leaders and navigate challenging stakeholder environments.

What we offer you

At EY, we’ll fuel you and your extraordinary talents in a diverse and inclusive culture of globally connected teams. Learn more .

• Career development:At EY, your career is yours to shape!We’ll develop you with future‑focused skills and equip you with world‑class experiences ey.com/au/careerdevelopment
• Flexible work arrangements:Our flexible work policies empower you to balance your professional and personal life, fostering a culture of trust and autonomy.
• A comprehensive benefits package: From a yearly wellness incentive,to access to additional 8 weeks of flex leave per year, and family‑friendly policies, including 26 weeks of gender‑neutral paid parental leave, we cater to your diverse needs to help you thrive both personally and professionally www.ey.com/au/benefits
• Salary:We offer a competitive salary which is open to negotiation pending on skills and experience.

Acknowledgement of Country

EY acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which EY offices are located around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures, and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. Find out more about our vision for reconciliation at ey.com/en_au/careers/indigenous

Diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I) are core to who we are, how we work and how we live our values. We encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, cultures, sexual orientations, and gender identities and are committed to providing an equitable and barrier free recruitment experience for all. We encourage you to share any support and adjustments you need to be your best and participate equitably in our recruitment process. We understand sharing your needs with us can be daunting, so if you have questions before or during your application, we welcome you to get in touch at [e-mail] or [phone] (option 2). Anything you tell us will be kept completely confidential.

#LI-Hybrid

EY | Building a better working world

Our preferred applicant will be required to undertake employment screening by EY or our external third-party provider.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.